Austin Stark

Last updated

Austin Stark
Born (1979-05-31) May 31, 1979 (age 45)
Occupation(s) Film director, writer, producer
Years active2007–present

Austin Stark (born May 31, 1979) is an American film director, writer, and producer best known for films that explore social issues, from mental illness in Infinitely Polar Bear to class conflict in Coup!

Contents

Career

Stark began his career in 2007 working with Academy Award winning producer Martin Richards ( Chicago ).

In 2015, Stark made his writing and directorial debut with The Runner, a political drama that follows a Louisiana congressman in the aftermath of the 2010 BP oil spill. [1] The movie stars Nicolas Cage, Sarah Paulson, Connie Nielsen, and Peter Fonda. It was released in theaters nationwide on August 7, 2015 by Alchemy. [2]

In 2021, Stark wrote and directed The God Committee , a medical thriller about the world of organ transplantation, starring Kelsey Grammer, Colman Domingo and Julia Stiles. The film premiered at the 2021 Tribeca Film Festival and was released theatrically by Vertical Entertainment and Netflix. Upon release, the film reached the Netflix Top 10 movie list [3] in the United States. [4]

Stark’s latest film Coup! , a darkly comedic thriller set during the 1918 Spanish Flu, follows a rebellious servant who leads a revolt against his wealthy employer. [5] The film stars Peter Sarsgaard, Billy Magnussen and Sarah Gadon. On September 8, 2023, it debuted in the Giornate degli Autori section of the 80th Venice International Film Festival. [6]

In addition to writing and directing, Stark has produced numerous films. His most well-known film Infinitely Polar Bear , starring Mark Ruffalo and Zoe Saldana, was released theatrically by Sony Pictures Classics and earned Ruffalo a nomination for the 73rd Golden Globe Awards under the category Best Actor - Comedy. Other films Stark has produced include:

Personal life

Stark is a graduate of Georgetown University [13] where he studied literature.

Filmography

YearFilmTypeCredited as
DirectorProducerWriter
2003Killing Pedro RiveraShort FilmYesYesYes
2006Love/Death/CobainShort FilmYesYesYes
2007My Biodegradable HeartShort FilmNoYesNo
2009 Peter and Vandy Feature FilmNoYesNo
2009 Homecoming Feature FilmNoYesNo
2009 My Son, My Son, What Have Ye Done? Feature FilmNoYesNo
2009 Repo Chick Feature FilmNoYesNo
2010 Happythankyoumoreplease Feature FilmNoYesNo
2011 Detachment Feature FilmNoYesNo
2012 Hello I Must Be Going Feature FilmNoYesNo
2014 Infinitely Polar Bear Feature FilmNoYesNo
2015 The Runner Feature FilmYesNoYes
2021 The God Committee Feature FilmYesYesYes
2023 Coup! Feature FilmYesNoYes

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Adrien Brody</span> American actor (born 1973)

Adrien Nicholas Brody is an American actor. He is known for his portrayal of Władysław Szpilman in Roman Polanski's war drama The Pianist (2002), for which he won the Academy Award for Best Actor at age 29, becoming the youngest actor to win in that category. He also became the second American male actor to win the César Award for Best Actor for the same film.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mark Ruffalo</span> American actor (born 1967)

Mark Alan Ruffalo is an American actor. He began acting in the early 1990s and first gained recognition for his work in Kenneth Lonergan's play This Is Our Youth (1996) and drama film You Can Count on Me (2000). He went on to star in the romantic comedies 13 Going on 30 (2004), Just like Heaven (2005) and the thrillers In the Cut (2003), Zodiac (2007), and Shutter Island (2010). He received a Tony Award nomination for his supporting role in the Broadway revival of Awake and Sing! in 2006. Ruffalo gained international recognition for playing Bruce Banner / Hulk since 2012 in the superhero franchise of the Marvel Cinematic Universe.

<i>The Jacket</i> 2005 film by John Maybury

The Jacket is a 2005 American science-fiction psychological thriller film directed by John Maybury and starring Adrien Brody, Keira Knightley, Kris Kristofferson and Jennifer Jason Leigh. It is partly based on the 1915 Jack London novel The Star Rover, published in the United Kingdom as The Jacket. Massy Tadjedin wrote the screenplay based on a story by Tom Bleecker and Marc Rocco. The original music score is composed by Brian Eno and the cinematography is by Peter Deming.

<i>The Dying Gaul</i> (film) 2005 American film

The Dying Gaul is a 2005 American drama film written and directed by Craig Lucas, his feature directorial debut. The screenplay is based on his 1998 off-Broadway play of the same name, the title of which was derived from an ancient Roman marble copy of a lost Hellenistic sculpture.

Morgan J. Freeman is an American film director. In 1997, his debut feature, Hurricane Streets, won three awards at the Sundance Film Festival.

Daniel Mulloy is a British artist and filmmaker.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Felix Solis</span> American actor, film director, and film producer

Felix Angel Solis is an American actor, film director, and film producer. Born on the Upper West Side and raised in Chelsea/Greenwich Village area of New York City, to parents who were both born in Puerto Rico, Felix considers himself a Nuyorican.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Jeffrey Friedman (filmmaker)</span> American film director and producer (born 1951)

Jeffrey Friedman is an American filmmaker. In 2021, he and Rob Epstein won a Grammy Award for their work on the documentary film Linda Ronstadt: The Sound of My Voice

<i>Detachment</i> (film) 2011 film by Tony Kaye

Detachment is a 2011 American drama film directed by Tony Kaye and written by Carl Lund. Its story follows Henry Barthes, a high-school substitute teacher who becomes a role model to his students and others. It stars Adrien Brody, Marcia Gay Harden, Christina Hendricks, William Petersen, Bryan Cranston, Tim Blake Nelson, Betty Kaye, Sami Gayle, Lucy Liu, Blythe Danner and James Caan.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Jack Reynor</span> Irish actor (born 1992)

Jack Reynor is an Irish actor. His notable roles include the films What Richard Did (2012), Transformers: Age of Extinction (2014), Glassland (2014), Macbeth (2015), Sing Street (2016) and Midsommar (2019), as well as the series Strange Angel (2018–2019) and The Peripheral (2022).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Austin Abrams</span> American actor (born 1996)

Austin Noah Abrams is an American actor. He is known for his roles as Ron Anderson in the fifth and sixth seasons of the television series The Walking Dead (2015–2016), and as high school students in the drama series Euphoria and the romantic comedy series Dash & Lily (2020). He has also appeared in films such as The Kings of Summer (2013), Paper Towns (2015), Brad's Status (2017), Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark (2019), Chemical Hearts (2020), and Wolfs (2024).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2015 Sundance Film Festival</span>

The 2015 Sundance Film Festival took place from January 22 to February 1, 2015. What Happened, Miss Simone?, a biographical documentary film about American singer Nina Simone, opened the festival. Comedy-drama film Grandma, directed by Paul Weitz, served as the closing night film.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Jennifer Phang</span> American filmmaker

Jennifer Phang is an American filmmaker, most known for her feature films Advantageous (2015) and Half-Life (2008). Advantageous premiered at the 2015 Sundance Film Festival, winning a Special Jury Award for Collaborative Vision, and was based on her award-winning short film of the same name. Half-Life premiered at the 2008 Sundance Film Festival and won "Best Film" awards at a number of film festivals including the Gen Art Film Festival, the San Francisco International Asian American Film Festival as well an "Emerging Director Award" at the Asian American International Film Festival.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Eric Weinrib</span> Producer

Eric Weinrib is a filmmaker and TV producer from Plainview, New York, United States.

<i>The Sound of Silence</i> (2019 film) 2019 film

The Sound of Silence is a 2019 American drama film directed by Michael Tyburski. It was screened in the U.S. Dramatic Competition section at the 2019 Sundance Film Festival. The plot centers on Peter Lucian, played by Peter Sarsgaard, a "house tuner," working on the sonic environment of homes. It is based on the director's 2013 short film "Palimpsest". It was released on September 13, 2019, by IFC Films.

<i>The Survivor</i> (2021 film) 2021 Canada-US biographical drama film

The Survivor is a 2021 biographical drama film directed by Barry Levinson, from a screenplay by Justine Juel Gillmer. Ben Foster stars as Harry Haft, a real-life survivor of the Auschwitz concentration camp, where he boxed fellow inmates to survive. Vicky Krieps, Billy Magnussen, Peter Sarsgaard, John Leguizamo, and Danny DeVito co-star. The film had its world premiere at the Toronto International Film Festival in September 2021, and was released on HBO on April 27, 2022. The film received positive reviews from critics, particularly for Foster's lead performance. The film was Emmy nominated for Outstanding Television Movie.

<i>The God Committee</i> 2021 American film

The God Committee is a 2021 American drama film, adapted and directed by Austin Stark, based on the play of the same name by Mark St. Germain. It stars Kelsey Grammer, Julia Stiles, Janeane Garofalo, Dan Hedaya, and Colman Domingo. The film focuses on organ transplant systems and the impact they have on the people involved.

Brian Levy is an American film producer and literary manager at talent management firm Entertainment 360.

<i>Coup!</i> 2023 film by Austin Stark

Coup! is a 2023 American dark comedy film written and directed by Austin Stark and Joseph Schuman. It stars Peter Sarsgaard, Billy Magnussen, Sarah Gadon, Skye P. Marshall, Faran Tahir, Kristine Nielsen, and Fisher Stevens. Sarsgaard and Magnussen also served as executive producers of the film. It is the first collaboration between writer-director team Austin Stark and Joseph Schuman. Set during the 1918 flu pandemic, the film follows a rebellious servant who leads a revolt against his wealthy employer.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2024 Sundance Film Festival</span> Edition of film festival

The 2024 Sundance Film Festival took place from January 18 to 28, 2024. The first lineup of competition films was announced on December 6, 2023.

References

  1. Travers, Ben (May 16, 2014). "Nicolas Cage Returns to New Orleans in Austin Stark's Directorial Debut 'The Runner'". IndieWire. Retrieved October 11, 2023.
  2. Canfield, David (June 16, 2015). "Watch: Nicolas Cage Fights Big Oil in Star-Studded 'The Runner' Trailer". IndieWire. Retrieved October 11, 2023.
  3. "A New Julia Stiles Movie is Blowing up on Netflix". January 17, 2022.
  4. Grobar, Matt; Hipes, Patrick (May 13, 2021). "'The God Committee' Starring Kelsey Grammer Lands U.S. Deal With Vertical Ahead Of Tribeca Premiere". Deadline. Retrieved October 11, 2023.
  5. Lodge, Guy (September 16, 2023). "'Coup!' Review: Jaunty Class-War Comedy Pits Peter Sarsgaard Against Billy Magnussen". Variety. Retrieved October 11, 2023.
  6. "COUP!".
  7. Davis, Erik. "Sundance Review: Peter and Vandy". Moviefone. Archived from the original on July 23, 2015. Retrieved July 23, 2015.
  8. "Peter and Vandy". IMDb. Retrieved July 23, 2015.
  9. "My Son, My Son, What Have Ye Done?". IMDb. Retrieved July 23, 2015.
  10. Weintraub, Steve "Frosty" (January 31, 2010). "Sundance Announces 2010 Award Winners: ANIMAL KINGDOM, THE RED CHAPEL, RESTREPO, and WINTER'S BONE Earn Grand Jury Prizes". Collider .
  11. Holden, Stephen (March 15, 2012). "Substitute Teacher, Just Trying to Do Good by His Pupils - 'Detachment,' Starring Adrien Brody, Directed by Tony Kaye". The New York Times .
  12. "2012 Todd Louiso: "Hello I Must Be Going"". Sundance Film Festival. Archived from the original on March 4, 2016.
  13. "Our Team - Austin Stark". Paper Street Films. Retrieved September 30, 2019.