William Dickerson (director)

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William Dickerson William Dickerson Filmmaker.jpg
William Dickerson

William Dickerson is an American film and television director, screenwriter, author, musician and educator.

Contents

Dickerson was born in New York City and grew up in Yonkers, New York. He attended Fordham Preparatory School and The College of the Holy Cross in Worcester, Massachusetts, [1] where he spearheaded the school's first film concentration. He later attended the American Film Institute Conservatory, where he graduated in 2006 [2] with an MFA in Directing. He has since served on the school's Alumni Executive Board and was selected by The White House and AFI to serve as mentor to winners of the White House Student Film Festival under two Presidents of the United States. [3]

Career

Dickerson's debut feature film, Detour, which he wrote and directed, was described by The Village Voice as an "underground hit," [4] by The Hollywood Reporter as "a tautly efficient thriller that fully succeeds," [5] and by The New York Times as "authentic." [6] His metafictional satire The Mirror opened the inaugural YoFi Fest, [7] and his film Don't Look Back, starring Lucy Ursula Griffiths and Cassidy Freeman, premiered on the Lifetime Movie Network. [8]

Dickerson's first book, No Alternative, was described by Kirkus Reviews as "a sympathetic coming-of-age story deeply embedded in '90s music." [9] He is also the author of the science fiction novel The Dreamachine [10] and the monograph The Tao of Twin Peaks, a study of filmmaker David Lynch and the television series Twin Peaks. [11]

His writing has appeared in publications including Indiewire, [12] [13] [14] [15] [16] MovieMaker Magazine, [17] [18] [19] Filmmaker Magazine, [20] The Wrap, [21] Script Magazine, [22] Film Slate Magazine, Talkhouse, [23] and SaveTheCat.com. [24]

He adapted and directed the film version of No Alternative, starring Kathryn Erbe and Harry Hamlin. The Los Angeles Times described the film as "a remarkably assured and deeply felt grunge-era coming-of-age picture," [25] while Film Threat called it "a rare indie gem that delivers solidly on all fronts with no missteps." [26] The film won Best Soundtrack at the Paris Art and Movie Awards, where it was also nominated for Best Picture and Best Actress. [27]

His band, Saturday Saints [28] (formerly Latterday Saints), is featured on the soundtrack to No Alternative alongside such musical luminaries as: Mudhoney, Lisa Loeb, Superdrag, The Pork Guys, sElf, Failure, Sebadoh, and others. The soundtrack was chosen as one of the official releases of Record Store Day 2019. [29] Saturday Saints are signed to Rhyme & Reason Records on which they released their debut album Anhedonia, which has been called "pure musical adrenaline" [30] and "full of raw power, searing guitars, and heavy grooves" [31] in the music press.

Filmography

Film

YearTitleRoleNotes
2003F-Word (short film)Director
2004Confessions of a Dangerous Mime (short film)Director/Writer
2007Shadowbox (short film)Director/WriterAFI Thesis film
2013 Detour Director/WriterCo-written with Dwight Moody
2013The MirrorDirector/WriterAlso Actor/Producer/Cinematographer
2014Don't Look BackDirector/WriterA Lifetime Movie
2014The AssaultAssociate Producer
2019No AlternativeDirector/Writer

References

  1. "Two Holy Cross Alumni to Screen Independent Film 'Detour' on Campus | Holy Cross Magazine".
  2. "How to Please Others but Still be True to Your Work". 15 May 2015.
  3. "Watch: AFI Celebrates Young Filmmakers at the White House Student Film Festival".
  4. "Detour Invigorates the Terrifying Minutiae of Claustrophobia". 29 March 2013. Archived from the original on September 22, 2023.
  5. "Detour: Film Review". The Hollywood Reporter . 28 March 2013.
  6. "His Truck is Stuck. Really Stuck. (Published 2013)". The New York Times . 29 March 2013.
  7. "Stream Local Filmmaker William Dickerson's Award-Winning 'No Alternative' After Worldwide Release". 20 December 2016.
  8. "Don't LOOK BACK Review | Film Pulse". 18 September 2014.
  9. "NO ALTERNATIVE | Kirkus Reviews".
  10. "The Dreamachine".
  11. Dickerson (27 July 2025). The Tao of Twin Peaks: The Meaning Behind David Lynch's Hit TV Series. Kettle of Letters Press. ISBN   978-0985188696.
  12. "How Can Middle-Class Filmmakers Make a Living?". 26 October 2015.
  13. "Why TV is Not the Answer for the Middle-Class Filmmaker". 15 December 2015.
  14. "The Decline of Middle-Class Films and the Case for Government Funding". 30 December 2015.
  15. "This Exclusive Book Excerpt Shares Tips for Rehearsing Your Low-Budget Indie". 4 May 2015.
  16. "William Dickerson". 30 December 2015.
  17. "A Script is No Longer Enough: Why First-Time Feature Directors Must Make a Proof-of-Concept - MovieMaker Magazine". MovieMaker. 19 April 2016.
  18. "How They Did It: Inserting Cuts into a Oner in Don't Look Back - MovieMaker Magazine". MovieMaker. 8 December 2014.
  19. "Caution Moviemakers: Directing Movies with Sensitive Subject Matter - MovieMaker Magazine". MovieMaker. 9 May 2019.
  20. "Personal Filmmaking: There is "No Alternative" - Filmmaker Magazine". 11 April 2016.
  21. "'Rowdy' Roddy Piper Was Both Playful and Haunting, Director Says (Guest Blog)". 2 August 2015.
  22. "The Tao of 'Everything Everywhere All at Once'". 3 February 2023.
  23. "Show Me a Hero Archives".
  24. "From Screenplay to Novel... And Back Again!". 7 June 2019.
  25. "Reviews: Indie 'No Alternative' dives into the '90s, Olivia Wilde is 'A Vigilante' and more". Los Angeles Times . 28 March 2019.
  26. https://filmthreat.com/reviews/no-alternative/
  27. "No Alternative – Paris Art and Movie Awards".
  28. https://www.saturdaysaintsmusic.com/
  29. https://recordstoreday.com/SpecialRelease/10600
  30. "Saturday Saints | Anhedonia: Exclusive Album Premiere". July 2022.
  31. "Premiere: Yonkers Alt-Rockers Saturday Saints Release Debut Album 'Anhedonia'". July 2022.