Ari Gold (filmmaker)

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Ari Gold
Ari Gold at SXSW 2025 01.jpg
Ari Gold at SXSW 2025
Born1970 (age 5556)
San Francisco, California, United States
Education Columbia University,
New York University
Occupations
  • Filmmaker
  • actor
  • musician
Parents
Relatives J. Richardson Dilworth (grandfather)
Website www.arigoldfilms.com

Ari Gold (born 1970) is an American filmmaker, actor and musician. His short film Helicopter was about the aftermath of his mother Melissa Dilworth Gold's 1991 death. [1] His feature debut Adventures of Power premiered at the 2008 Sundance Film Festival and made its European debut at the 2008 Karlovy Vary International Film Festival.

Contents

Early life and education

Ari Gold was born in San Francisco, California in 1970. [2] [3] [4] He is the son of American novelist Herbert Gold and Melissa Gold (née Dilworth). [5] His twin brother is musician Ethan Gold, and he has a sister Nina Gold. [6] He also has two half-sisters from his father's first marriage. His mother, Melissa Dilworth, is the daughter of J. Richardson Dilworth, a longtime financial advisor of the Rockefeller family. [7]

He attended New York University (NYU) to study film, and Columbia University, graduating in 1992. [1] [3] [8]

Career

Culture (1999), which Gold directed and starred in, is a 60-second short film, shot entirely in one take with no rehearsal. [1] Gold followed a set of self-imposed rules while making the film, including "only black, white, & primary colors may be used" and "the camera must not move." Culture premiered in the United States at the 1999 Sundance Film Festival, and Reel.com called it "the best sixty seconds of film" at that festival. [9]

Helicopter (2001, copyrighted 2000) is a short film dealing with the aftermath of the death of his mother Melissa in the 1991 Vallejo helicopter crash that also took the life of rock impresario Bill Graham and pilot Steve Kahn. [1] An experimental narrative combining animated sequences and live action, the film was awarded gold in 2000 the Student Academy Awards competition for film students (not to be confused with the official Academy Awards). [1] [10] Gold won High Times Magazine's "Stoner of the Year" award (2001). [11]

Adventures of Power (2008) was written and directed by Gold, and is a cult comedy about a mine worker (played by Gold) who discovers an underground subculture of air-drummers who have the power to change the world. [12] [13]

In 2017, Gold co-wrote and directed the ultra low-budget film The Song of Sway Lake. [14]

Gold produced, directed, and acted in 2025 film Brother Verses Brother. [15] The film was first released at the 2025 SXSW Film Festival. [16]

Filmography

Feature films

YearFilmCredited as
Director Producer Writer Actor
2018 The Song of Sway Lake YesYesYesYes
2018Los Angeles OvernightYes
2016AzureYes
2011FRED Learns to Airdrum with PowerYes
2011Lucas Gets Kidnapped!Yes
2011Another EarthYes
2008Cyndi Lauper: Into the NightlifeYes
2008 Adventures of Power YesYesYesYes
2007Revolution SummerYes
2005The F WordYes
2004Invitation to a SuicideYes
2002UnforeseenYes
2002On_LineYes
2001PleadYes
2001HelicopterYesYesYesYes
2001EightYes
2001Who Is A.B.?Yes
2000GrooveYes
1999CultureYesYesYes
1997All Over MeYes
1996Frog CrossingYesYesYes
1995Nonstop Pyramid ActionYesYesYes
2025Brother Verses BrotherYesYesYes

Short films

YearFilmCredited as
Director Producer Writer Actor
1995Nonstop Pyramid ActionYesYesYes
1996Frog CrossingYesYesYes
1999CultureYesYesYes
2001HelicopterYesYesYes
2011Lucas Gets Kidnapped!YesYesYes

Music

Gold is an occasional member of two comedic music projects with The Brothers Gold, with his brother Ethan Gold on guitar; Ari sings and plays ukulele. [17]

Gold sings in the new wave folk band, The Honey Brothers. [18] The Honey Brothers started small in 2001, a few college friends singing for people on the street corners of New York. [19] Since then, they have released two studio albums, one live album, and made a guest appearance on the TV show, 90210 . The other core members of The Honey Brothers are Andrew Vladeck, Daniel Posner, and Adrian Grenier. [20] Ethan Gold is a former member of the band; in 2010 he was replaced by Dan Green. [19]

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 "On a Quest for Student Gold". Los Angeles Times . 2 July 2000. Retrieved 23 December 2020.
  2. "Melissa Gold, 47, Aide For California Causes". The New York Times. 1991-10-28. ISSN   0362-4331 . Retrieved 2021-04-19.
  3. 1 2 Felver, Christopher (2007). Beat. Last Gasp. p. 194. ISBN   978-0-86719-671-9.
  4. Helicopter – Biography film director . In: torinofilmfest.org, access date 16 February 2021.
  5. McMahon, Regan (4 February 2011). "Ari Gold drums up interest in offbeat films" . Retrieved 17 January 2026.
  6. Susan Cohen: Meet Ari Gold, the Director from San Francisco Making His Own Path . In: kqed.org, 25 January 2017.
  7. "Melissa Gold, 47, Aide For California Causes". The New York Times. 1991-10-28. ISSN   0362-4331 . Retrieved 2021-11-14.
  8. "Ari Gold '92 | Columbia College Today". www.college.columbia.edu. Retrieved 2021-11-13.
  9. "ARI GOLD PREMIERES HELICOPTER ONLINE | Filmmaker Magazine". 7 October 2009.
  10. "Student Oscar Award Winners - Student Academy Awards Winners". Awardsandshows.com. Retrieved 23 December 2020.
  11. "GOOD AS GOLD: AN ARI GOLD INTERVIEW | Film Threat". 2001-12-30. Retrieved 2021-04-19.
  12. "'Adventures of Power' Starring Ari Gold, Shoshannah Stern, and More Is Now on Amazon Prime". Nerds and Beyond. 2021-01-16. Retrieved 2021-04-19.
  13. Rubin, Courtney (2012-09-08). "They're Not With the Band". The New York Times. ISSN   0362-4331 . Retrieved 2021-04-19.
  14. Schager, Nick (2018-09-20). "Film Review: 'The Song of Sway Lake'". Variety. Retrieved 2021-04-19.
  15. Fleming, Mike (9 March 2025). "Francis Ford Coppola Boards SXSW Pic 'Brother Verses Brother' As Executive Producer". Deadline. Retrieved 17 January 2025.
  16. Ducassi, Nicholas; Potts, Mark E. (11 March 2025). "Ari Gold and Ethan Gold of 'Brother Verses Brother" perform in the L.A. Times SXSW studio". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved 17 January 2026.
  17. "The Brothers Gold". Arigoldfilms.com. Retrieved 23 December 2020.
  18. Price, Jason (2012-04-18). "The Honey Brothers: Adrian Grenier & Ari Gold Talk "Time Flies Like A Peach"". Icon Vs. Icon. Retrieved 2021-04-19.
  19. 1 2 "Interview: How The Honey Brothers (with "Entourage" star Adrian Grenier) Do Dallas". D Magazine. 2012-04-23. Retrieved 2021-04-19.
  20. "Adrian Grenier & Honey Brothers Pick 5 Bands to See This Summer". Spin. 2009-07-01. Retrieved 2021-04-19.