Anna Biller
Anna Biller | |
|---|---|
| Born | Los Angeles, California, United States |
| Nationality | American |
| Occupation(s) | Film director, screenwriter |
Anna Biller is an independent American filmmaker who was born and raised in Los Angeles to Japanese-American mother who is a fashion designer, and a Caucasian father who is a visual artist.[1][2] She grew up watching her mother design beautiful clothes, watching her father paint with a vibrant color palette, and watching classic cinema, all of which has had a big influence on her filmmaking practice.[3] She is known for her visual style, and for her use of period genres and satire. She has a B.A. in art from U.C.L.A. and an MFA in art and film from The California Institute of the Arts).[4] Her 2007 feature film Viva premiered at the International Film Festival Rotterdam, and won the Best of Fest Award at the Boston Underground Film Festival. The film was also entered into the main competition at the 29th Moscow International Film Festival.[5]
Reason magazine called Viva an "uncannily precise rendition of the look, sound, mood, and arch dialogue" of seventies sexploitation films, with "high-key, pseudo-Technicolor lighting and spare, colorful set design."[6]
Her latest film, The Love Witch, is a twist on classic serial killer films, featuring a female killer who kills through calculated sexuality, causing her male victims to fall too much in love.[7] Richard Brody of The New Yorker said of The Love Witch, "Biller puts genre to the test of do-it-yourself artistry, and puts feminist ideology itself to the test of style. The film pulsates with furious creative energy throughout, sparking excitement and giddy amazement that it even exists."[8] In May 2016, The Love Witch was acquired for distribution by Oscilloscope Laboratories.[9]
The Love Witch was included in many lists for the best films of 2016, including The New Yorker and Indiewire.[10][11] It won in a tie for the Trailblazer Award and Best Costume Design at the Chicago Independent Film Critics Circle Awards,[12] and also won the Michael Cimino Best Film Award at the American Independent Film Awards.[13]The Love Witch is listed as #30 on Rotten Tomatoes' list of the Top 100 Horror Movies.[14]
Biller considers herself a feminist filmmaker, and consciously explores feminist themes throughout her work, including an attempt to insert the female gaze into cinema.[15][16]
Filmography
| Year | Film | Type | Credit |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1994 | Three Examples of Myself as Queen | Short Film | Director, Producer, Writer, Production Designer, Costume Designer, Actor |
| 2001 | The Hypnotist | Short film | Director, Producer, Writer, Production Designer, Costume Designer |
| 2001 | A Visit From the Incubus | Short Film | Director, Producer, Writer, Production Designer, Costume Designer, Actor |
| 2007 | Viva | Feature Film | Director, Producer, Writer, Production Designer, Costume Designer, Actor |
| 2016 | The Love Witch | Feature Film | Director, Producer, Writer, Production Designer, Costume Designer |
Personal life
Biller lives in Los Angeles with her boyfriend Robert Greene.[17]
References
- ^ "L.A.-Bred Filmmaker Anna Biller Made a Witchy Retro Masterpiece That Straight Guys Will Misread".
- ^ "Les Biller: Rosamund Felson Gallery".
- ^ "Birth.Movies.Interview.: Writer/Director Anna Biller On THE LOVE WITCH".
- ^ "About Anna Biller".
- ^ "29th Moscow International Film Festival (2007)". MIFF. Archived from the original on 2013-04-21. Retrieved 2013-04-22.
{{cite web}}: Unknown parameter|deadurl=ignored (|url-status=suggested) (help) - ^ "Win Free Sex! The never-ending charm of sexual revolution nostalgia".
- ^ ""The Love Witch" (2016): Serial Killing Meets Sexual Politics in Occult Thriller".
- ^ Brody, Richard. "The State of Independent Film in 2016". The New Yorker.
- ^ "Oscilloscope Laboratories Picks Up Anna Biller's Spellbinding 'The Love Witch' – Exclusive". Indiewire.
- ^ "The Best Movies of 2016". The New Yorker.
- ^ "The 25 Best Movie Moments of 2016, According to IndieWire Critic David Ehrlich". Indiewire.
- ^ "Top Chicago Critics Circle awards go to 'Moonlight,' 'La La Land'".
- ^ "'Krisha' Sweeps the Inaugural American Independent Film Awards".
- ^ "Top 100 Horror Movies". Rotten Tomatoes.
- ^ "The Love Witch Is a Seductive Revenge Movie for the Heartbroken".
- ^ "FEMALE GAZE: LANA DEL REY, I LOVE DICK, AND THE LOVE WITCH".
- ^ Kurutz, Steven (7 November 2012). "Robert Greene on Renovating Like a Master" – via NYTimes.com.
External links
- Anna Biller's official website
- Anna Biller at IMDb
- Los Angeles Times Interview
- Bright Lights Film Journal Profile and Interview
- Reason magazine critique
[Category:Asian-American film directors]]
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