John Thomas Sayles (born September 28, 1950) is an American

independent film An independent film, independent movie, indie film, or indie movie is a feature film or short film that is produced outside the major film studio system, in addition to being produced and distributed by independent entertainment companies (or, i ...

director, screenwriter, editor, actor, and novelist. He has twice been nominated for the

Academy Award for Best Original Screenplay The Academy Award for Best Original Screenplay is the Academy Awards, Academy Award for the best screenplay not based upon previously published material. It was created in 1940 as a separate writing award from the Academy Award for Best Story. Be ...

, for ''

Passion Fish ''Passion Fish'' is a 1992 American drama film written and directed by John Sayles. The film stars Mary McDonnell, Alfre Woodard, Vondie Curtis-Hall, David Strathairn, Leo Burmester, and Angela Bassett. It tells the story of a soap opera star, ...

'' (1992) and '' Lone Star'' (1996). His film ''

Men with Guns ''Men with Guns'' ( es, Hombres armados) is a 1997 American political drama film written and directed by John Sayles, inspired by the 1992 novel ''The Long Night of White Chickens'' by Francisco Goldman. It stars Federico Luppi, Damián Delgado, ...

'' (1997) was nominated for the

Golden Globe The Golden Globe Awards are accolades bestowed by the Hollywood Foreign Press Association beginning in January 1944, recognizing excellence in both American and international film and television. Beginning in 2022, there are 105 members of t ...

for Best Foreign Language Film. His directorial debut, ''

Return of the Secaucus 7 ''Return of the Secaucus 7'' is a 1980 drama film written and directed by John Sayles and starring Bruce MacDonald, Maggie Renzi, Adam LeFevre, Maggie Cousineau, Gordon Clapp, Jean Passanante, and others. The film tells the story of seven friends ...

'' (1980), has been added to the

National Film Registry The National Film Registry (NFR) is the United States National Film Preservation Board's (NFPB) collection of films selected for preservation, each selected for its historical, cultural and aesthetic contributions since the NFPB’s inception i ...

Early life

Sayles was born on September 28, 1950, in

Schenectady, New York Schenectady () is a city in Schenectady County, New York, United States, of which it is the county seat. As of the 2020 census, the city's population of 67,047 made it the state's ninth-largest city by population. The city is in eastern New Y ...

, the son of Mary ( ''née'' Rausch), a teacher, and Donald John Sayles, a school administrator. Both of Sayles's parents were Catholic and of half-Irish descent. Sayles has referred to himself as a "Catholic atheist". He attended

Williams College Williams College is a Private college, private liberal arts colleges in the United States, liberal arts college in Williamstown, Massachusetts. It was established as a men's college in 1793 with funds from the estate of Ephraim Williams, a col ...

with frequent collaborators

Gordon Clapp Gordon Clapp (born September 24, 1948) is an American actor best known for playing Det. Greg Medavoy for all 12 seasons of the television series ''NYPD Blue'', winning an Emmy Award in 1998. Early life and education Clapp was born in North Conw ...

and

David Strathairn David Russell Strathairn (; born January 26, 1949) is an American actor. Known for his leading roles on stage and screen, he has often portrayed historical figures such as Edward R. Murrow, J. Robert Oppenheimer, William H. Seward, and John Dos ...

, as well as his longtime partner,

Maggie Renzi Maggie Renzi (born November 30, 1951) is an American film producer and actress. Personal life Renzi attended Williams College, where she met her life partner John Sayles John Thomas Sayles (born September 28, 1950) is an American independ ...

. Sayles earned a B.A. in psychology in 1972.

Career

After college, Sayles moved to Boston where he worked a variety of blue-collar jobs while writing short stories for ''

The Atlantic ''The Atlantic'' is an American magazine and multi-platform publisher. It features articles in the fields of politics, foreign affairs, business and the economy, culture and the arts, technology, and science. It was founded in 1857 in Boston, ...

''. These writings culminated in his first novel, '' The Pride of the Bimbos'', published in 1975. Like

Martin Scorsese Martin Charles Scorsese ( , ; born November 17, 1942) is an American film director, producer, screenwriter and actor. Scorsese emerged as one of the major figures of the New Hollywood era. He is the recipient of List of awards and nominatio ...

and

Francis Ford Coppola Francis Ford Coppola (; ; born April 7, 1939) is an American film director, producer, and screenwriter. He is considered one of the major figures of the New Hollywood filmmaking movement of the 1960s and 1970s. Coppola is the recipient of five A ...

, Sayles began his film career working with

Roger Corman Roger William Corman (born April 5, 1926) is an American film director, producer, and actor. He has been called "The Pope of Pop Cinema" and is known as a trailblazer in the world of independent film. Many of Corman's films are based on works t ...

. In 1979, Sayles used $30,000 he earned writing scripts for Corman to fund his first film, ''

''. To make the film on a limited budget, he set the film in a large house so that he did not have to travel to or get permits for different locations, set the story over a three-day weekend to limit costume changes, and wrote about people his age so he could cast his friends in it. The film received near-unanimous critical acclaim at the time and has held its reputation. In November 1997, the

National Film Preservation Board The United States National Film Preservation Board (NFPB) is the board selecting films for preservation in the Library of Congress' National Film Registry. It was established by the National Film Preservation Act of 1988. The National Film Regi ...

announced that ''Return of the Secaucus 7'' would be one of the 25 films selected that year for preservation in the

at the

Library of Congress The Library of Congress (LOC) is the research library that officially serves the United States Congress and is the ''de facto'' national library of the United States. It is the oldest federal cultural institution in the country. The library is ...

. In 1983, after the films ''

Baby It's You "Baby It's You" is a song written by Burt Bacharach (music), Luther Dixon (credited as Barney Williams), and Mack David (lyrics). It was recorded by the Shirelles and the Beatles, and was a hit for both. The highest-charting version of "Baby I ...

'' (starring

Rosanna Arquette Rosanna Lisa Arquette (; born August 10, 1959) is an American actress. She was nominated for an Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Miniseries or a Movie, Emmy Award for her performance in the TV film ''The Executioner's Song ( ...

) and ''

Lianna ''Lianna'' is a 1983 drama film written and directed by John Sayles and starring Linda Griffiths, Jane Hallaren, and Jon DeVries. Plot Lianna is married to a college professor in film and media at a university in a midsized New Jersey town and ...

'' (a story in which a married woman becomes discontented with her marriage and falls in love with another woman), Sayles received a

MacArthur Fellowship The MacArthur Fellows Program, also known as the MacArthur Fellowship and commonly but unofficially known as the "Genius Grant", is a prize awarded annually by the MacArthur Foundation, John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation typically to ...

. He put the money into the science fiction feature ''

The Brother from Another Planet ''The Brother from Another Planet'' is a 1984 American science fiction film, written and directed by John Sayles. The low-budget film stars Joe Morton as an extraterrestrial trapped on Earth. Plot A mute space alien crash-lands his ship on Ellis ...

'', a film about a three-toed humanoid who escapes bondage on another world and crash-lands in New York harbour; because he is Africanoid in appearance, he finds himself at home among the people of

Harlem Harlem is a neighborhood in Upper Manhattan, New York City. It is bounded roughly by the Hudson River on the west; the Harlem River and 155th Street (Manhattan), 155th Street on the north; Fifth Avenue on the east; and 110th Street (Manhattan), ...

, being pursued by European-looking alien enslavers

men in black In popular culture and UFO conspiracy theories, men in black (MIB) are purported men dressed in black suits who claim to be quasi-government agents, who harass, threaten, or sometimes even assassinate unidentified flying object (UFO) witnesses t ...

In 1989, Sayles created and wrote the pilot episode for the short-lived television show ''

Shannon's Deal ''Shannon's Deal'' is an American legal drama that aired on NBC from April 16, 1990, until May 21, 1991. The series was created by John Sayles and executive produced by Stan Rogow. The show centers on a successful Philadelphia corporate lawyer na ...

'' about a down-and-out

Philadelphia Philadelphia, often called Philly, is the largest city in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, the sixth-largest city in the U.S., the second-largest city in both the Northeast megalopolis and Mid-Atlantic regions after New York City. Sinc ...

lawyer played by

Jamey Sheridan James Patrick Sheridan (born July 12, 1951) is an American actor known for playing a wide range of roles in theater, film, and television. He's best known for Randall Flagg in '' The Stand'' (1994), Captain James Deakins on '' Law & Order: Crimin ...

. Sayles received a 1990

Edgar Award The Edgar Allan Poe Awards, popularly called the Edgars, are presented every year by the Mystery Writers of America, based in New York City. Named after American writer Edgar Allan Poe (1809–1849), a pioneer in the genre, the awards honor the bes ...

for his

teleplay A teleplay is a screenplay or script used in the production of a scripted television program or series. In general usage, the term is most commonly seen in reference to a standalone production, such as a television film, a television play, or an ...

for the pilot. The show ran for 16 episodes before being cancelled in 1991. Sayles has funded most of his films by writing genre scripts, such as ''

Piranha A piranha or piraña (, , or ; or , ) is one of a number of freshwater fish in the family Serrasalmidae, or the subfamily Serrasalminae within the tetra family, Characidae in order Characiformes. These fish inhabit South American rivers, ...

'', ''

Alligator An alligator is a large reptile in the Crocodilia order in the genus ''Alligator'' of the family Alligatoridae. The two extant species are the American alligator (''A. mississippiensis'') and the Chinese alligator (''A. sinensis''). Additiona ...

'', ''

The Howling ''The Howling'' is a 1977 horror novel by Gary Brandner. It was the inspiration for the movie ''The Howling'' (1981), although the plot of the movie was only vaguely similar to that of the book. Brandner published two sequels to the novel, '' T ...

'', and '' The Challenge'' Having collaborated with

Joe Dante Joseph James Dante Jr. (; born November 28, 1946) is an American film director, producer, editor and actor. His films—notably ''Gremlins'' (1984) alongside its sequel, '' Gremlins 2: The New Batch'' (1990)—often mix 1950s-style B movies wit ...

on ''Piranha'' and ''The Howling'', Sayles acted in Dante's movie, '' Matinee''. Sayles gets the rest of his funding by working as a script doctor; he did rewrites for ''

Apollo 13 Apollo 13 (April 1117, 1970) was the seventh crewed mission in the Apollo space program and the third meant to land on the Moon. The craft was launched from Kennedy Space Center on April 11, 1970, but the lunar landing was aborted aft ...

'' and ''

Mimic MIMIC, known in capitalized form only, is a former simulation computer language developed 1964 by H. E. Petersen, F. J. Sansom and L. M. Warshawsky of Systems Engineering Group within the Air Force Materiel Command at the Wright-Patterson AFB in ...

''. A genre script, called ''

Night Skies ''Night Skies'' is an unproduced science fiction horror film that was in development in the late 1970s. Steven Spielberg conceived the idea after ''Close Encounters of the Third Kind''. Instead, material developed at the time was used in ''Polt ...

'', inspired what would eventually become the film '' E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial''. That film's director,

Steven Spielberg Steven Allan Spielberg (; born December 18, 1946) is an American director, writer, and producer. A major figure of the New Hollywood era and pioneer of the modern blockbuster, he is the most commercially successful director of all time. Spie ...

, later commissioned Sayles to write a script (unused) for the fourth ''Jurassic Park'' film. He has written and directed his own films, including '' Lone Star'', ''

'', ''

Eight Men Out ''Eight Men Out'' is a 1988 American sports drama film based on Eliot Asinof's 1963 book ''Eight Men Out: The Black Sox and the 1919 World Series''. It was written and directed by John Sayles. The film is a dramatization of Major League Baseball's ...

'', ''

The Secret of Roan Inish ''The Secret of Roan Inish'' is a 1994 independent fantasy-adventure film written and directed by John Sayles. It is based on the 1957 novel ''Secret of the Ron Mor Skerry'', by Rosalie K. Fry. It is centered on the Irish and Orcadian folklores ...

,'' and ''

Matewan ''Matewan'' () is a 1987 American drama film written and directed by John Sayles, and starring Chris Cooper (in his film debut), James Earl Jones, Mary McDonnell and Will Oldham, with David Strathairn, Kevin Tighe and Gordon Clapp in supporting ...

''. He serves on the advisory board for the

Austin Film Society The Austin Film Society (AFS) is a non-profit film society based in Austin, Texas. Founded in 1985 to exhibit independent, experimental, foreign and various other non-mainstream art films, the film society has grown from just film exhibition to fos ...

has been John Sayles's long-time companion (and collaborator), but they have not married. Renzi has produced most of his films since ''Lianna''. They met as students at Williams College. Sayles works with a regular repertory of actors, most notably

Chris Cooper Christopher Walton Cooper (born July 9, 1951) is an American actor. He has appeared in several major Hollywood films, including '' American Beauty'' (1999), ''October Sky'' (1999), '' The Bourne Identity'' (2002), ''Seabiscuit'' (2003), '' Cap ...

, and

, each of whom has appeared in at least four of his films. In early 2003, Sayles signed the Not In Our Name "Statement of Conscience" (along with

Noam Chomsky Avram Noam Chomsky (born December 7, 1928) is an American public intellectual: a linguist, philosopher, cognitive scientist, historian, social critic, and political activist. Sometimes called "the father of modern linguistics", Chomsky is ...

Steve Earle Stephen Fain Earle (; born January 17, 1955) is an American singer-songwriter, record producer, author, and actor. Earle began his career as a songwriter in Nashville and released his first EP in 1982. Initially working in the country music g ...

Brian Eno Brian Peter George St John le Baptiste de la Salle Eno (; born Brian Peter George Eno, 15 May 1948) is a British musician, composer, record producer and visual artist best known for his contributions to ambient music and work in rock, pop an ...

Jesse Jackson Jesse Louis Jackson (né Burns; born October 8, 1941) is an American political activist, Baptist minister, and politician. He was a candidate for the Democratic presidential nomination in 1984 and 1988 and served as a shadow U.S. senator ...

Viggo Mortensen Viggo Peter Mortensen Jr. R (; born October 20, 1958) is an American actor, writer, director, producer, musician, and multimedia artist. Born and raised in the State of New York to a Danish father and American mother, he also lived in Argentin ...

Bonnie Raitt Bonnie Lynn Raitt (; born November 8, 1949) is an American blues singer and guitarist. In 1971, Raitt released her self-titled debut album. Following this, she released a series of critically acclaimed roots-influenced albums that incorporated ...

Oliver Stone William Oliver Stone (born September 15, 1946) is an American film director, producer, and screenwriter. Stone won an Academy Award for Best Adapted Screenplay as writer of '' Midnight Express'' (1978), and wrote the gangster film remake '' Sc ...

Marisa Tomei Marisa Tomei ( , ; born December 4, 1964) is an American actress. She came to prominence as a cast member on ''The Cosby Show'' spin-off ''A Different World'' in 1987. After having minor roles in a few films, she came to international attention ...

Susan Sarandon Susan Abigail Sarandon (; née Tomalin; born October 4, 1946) is an American actorMcCabe, Bruce"Susan Sarandon, the 'actor'" ''Boston Globe''. April 17, 1981. Retrieved January 21, 2021. and activist. She is the recipient of various accolades, ...

and others) which opposed the invasion of

Iraq Iraq,; ku, عێراق, translit=Êraq officially the Republic of Iraq, '; ku, کۆماری عێراق, translit=Komarî Êraq is a country in Western Asia. It is bordered by Turkey to Iraq–Turkey border, the north, Iran to Iran–Iraq ...

. In February 2009, Sayles was reported to be writing an

HBO Home Box Office (HBO) is an American premium television network, which is the flagship property of namesake parent subsidiary Home Box Office, Inc., itself a unit owned by Warner Bros. Discovery. The overall Home Box Office business unit is ba ...

series based on the early life of

Anthony Kiedis Anthony Kiedis ( ; born November 1, 1962) is an American singer and songwriter. He is a founding member and lead vocalist of the rock band Red Hot Chili Peppers. Kiedis and his fellow band members were inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fa ...

of the

Red Hot Chili Peppers Red Hot Chili Peppers are an American rock music, rock band formed in Los Angeles in 1983, comprising vocalist Anthony Kiedis, bassist Flea (musician), Flea, drummer Chad Smith, and guitarist John Frusciante. Their music incorporates element ...

. The drama, tentatively titled ''

Scar Tissue Scar tissue may refer to: Medicine * Scar, an area of fibrous tissue that replaces normal skin after injury * Granulation tissue, a product of healing in major wounds Film and television * ''Scar Tissue'' (1975 film), or ''Wanted: Babysitter'' ...

'', centers on Kiedis's early years living in

West Hollywood West Hollywood is a city in Los Angeles County, California, United States. Incorporated in 1984, it is home to the Sunset Strip. As of the 2020 United States Census, 2020 U.S. Census, its population was 35,757. It is considered one of the most ...

with his father. At that time, Kiedis's father, known as Spider, sold drugs (according to legend, his clients included

The Who The Who are an English rock band formed in London in 1964. Their classic lineup consisted of lead singer Roger Daltrey, guitarist and singer Pete Townshend, bass guitarist and singer John Entwistle, and drummer Keith Moon. They are considered ...

and

Led Zeppelin Led Zeppelin were an English rock band formed in London in 1968. The group comprised vocalist Robert Plant, guitarist Jimmy Page, bassist/keyboardist John Paul Jones, and drummer John Bonham. With a heavy, guitar-driven sound, they are ci ...

) and mingled with rock stars on the Sunset Strip, all while aspiring to get into show business. In February 2010, Sayles began shooting his 17th feature film, the historical war drama ''

Amigo Amigo(s) (Portuguese and Spanish for ''male friend'') may refer to: People * Carlos Amigo Vallejo (born 1934), Spanish Roman Catholic archbishop emeritus of Seville Places Facilities * Amigos School, a bilingual primary school in Cambridge, Mas ...

'', in the Philippines. The film is a fictional account of events during the

Philippine–American War The Philippine–American War or Filipino–American War ( es, Guerra filipina-estadounidense, tl, Digmaang Pilipino–Amerikano), previously referred to as the Philippine Insurrection or the Tagalog Insurgency by the United States, was an arm ...

, with a cast that includes Joel Torre, Chris Cooper, and

Garret Dillahunt Garret Lee Dillahunt (born November 24, 1964) is an American actor. He is best known for his work in television, including the roles Burt Chance on the Fox sitcom ''Raising Hope'', for which he was nominated for the Critics' Choice Television Aw ...

. His novel ''A Moment in the Sun'', set during the same period as ''Amigo'', in the Philippines, Cuba, and the U.S., was released in 2011 by

McSweeney's McSweeney's Publishing is an American non-profit publishing house founded by Dave Eggers in 1998 and headquartered in San Francisco. Initially publishing the literary journal'' Timothy McSweeney's Quarterly Concern'', the company has moved to n ...

. It includes an account of the

Wilmington Insurrection of 1898 The Wilmington insurrection of 1898, also known as the Wilmington massacre of 1898 or the Wilmington coup of 1898, was a coup d'état and massacre carried out by white supremacists in Wilmington, North Carolina, United States, on Thursday, Novem ...

in North Carolina, the only

coup d'état A coup d'état (; French for 'stroke of state'), also known as a coup or overthrow, is a seizure and removal of a government and its powers. Typically, it is an illegal seizure of power by a political faction, politician, cult, rebel group, m ...

in United States history in which a duly elected government was overthrown.

Legacy and honors

*1983

*1990 Edgar Award, for teleplay for pilot of ''

'' *In June 2014, Sayles donated his non-film archive to the

University of Michigan , mottoeng = "Arts, Knowledge, Truth" , former_names = Catholepistemiad, or University of Michigania (1817–1821) , budget = $10.3 billion (2021) , endowment = $17 billion (2021)As o ...

. It will be accessible at the

Harlan Hatcher Graduate Library The University of Michigan Library is the academic library system of the University of Michigan. The university's 38 constituent and affiliated libraries together make it the second largest research library by number of volumes in the United State ...

. Sayles's film archive is held by the UCLA Film and Television Archive.

Filmography

Writer/director

*''

'' (1980) *''

'' (1983) *''

'' (1984) *''

'' (1987) *''

'' (1988) (Also actor portraying

Ring Lardner Ringgold Wilmer Lardner (March 6, 1885 – September 25, 1933) was an American sports columnist and short story writer best known for his satirical writings on sports, marriage, and the theatre. His contemporaries Ernest Hemingway, Virginia Wo ...

) *'' City of Hope'' (1991) *''

'' (1992) *''

'' (1994) *'' Lone Star'' (1996) *''

'' (1997) *''

Limbo In Catholic theology, Limbo (Latin '' limbus'', edge or boundary, referring to the edge of Hell) is the afterlife condition of those who die in original sin without being assigned to the Hell of the Damned. Medieval theologians of Western Euro ...

'' (1999) *'' Sunshine State'' (2002) *'' Casa de los Babys'' (2003) *'' Silver City'' (2004) *'' Honeydripper'' (2007) *''

'' (2010) *''

Go for Sisters ''Go for Sisters'' is a 2013 crime drama, written and directed by John Sayles. The title refers to the history of friendship between the two main characters: when they were in high school, the two African American women were so close they could "g ...

'' (2013)

Writer (film)

*''

'' (1978) *'' The Lady in Red'' (1979) *''

Battle Beyond the Stars ''Battle Beyond the Stars'' is a 1980 American space opera film produced by Roger Corman, directed by Jimmy T. Murakami, and starring Richard Thomas, Robert Vaughn, George Peppard, John Saxon, Sybil Danning and Darlanne Fluegel. Intended as ...

'' (1980) *''

'' (1981) *'' The Challenge'' (with Richard Maxwell) (1982) *''

E.T. the Extra Terrestrial ''E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial'' (or simply ''E.T.'') is a 1982 American science fiction film produced and directed by Steven Spielberg and written by Melissa Mathison. It tells the story of Elliott, a boy who befriends an extraterrestrial, d ...

'' (early draft, then titled ''Night Skies'') *'' Enormous Changes at the Last Minute'' (with Susan Rice) (1983) *''

The Clan of the Cave Bear ''The Clan of the Cave Bear'' is a 1980 novel and epic work of prehistoric fiction by Jean M. Auel about prehistoric times. It is the first book in the '' Earth's Children'' book series, which speculates on the possibilities of interactions b ...

'' (1986) *'' Wild Thing'' (1987) *'' Breaking In'' (1989) *'' Men of War'' (as ''A Safe Place'', later repolished by

Ethan Reiff Ethan Reiff and Cyrus Voris are American screenwriters and producers. They are known for their work in both feature films and television. Career 1980s Reiff and Voris met while both were undergraduates at New York University's Tisch School of ...

and Cyrus Voris) (1994) *''

'' (1995) (uncredited rewrite) *''

The Spiderwick Chronicles ''The Spiderwick Chronicles'' is a series of children's fantasy books by Tony DiTerlizzi and Holly Black. They chronicle the adventures of the Grace children, twins Simon and Jared and their older sister Mallory, after they move into the Spid ...

'' (Co-writer with David Berenbaum and

Karey Kirkpatrick Karey Kirkpatrick is an American screenwriter, film director, and producer. His films include Chicken Run, ''The Rescuers Down Under'', ''James and the Giant Peach,'' ''Over the Hedge'', ''The Spiderwick Chronicles'', '' Charlotte's Web'', and ...

) (2008) * '' The Devil's Highway'' (2018)

Writer (TV)

*'' A Perfect Match'' (with

Mel Damski Melvin Damski (born July 21, 1946 in New York, New York) is an American director and producer of film and television. Life and career Mel Damski (born in New York, New York) is an American film director and film producer. Damski has Northern Eu ...

) (1980) *'' Unnatural Causes'' (1986) *''

'' (1989) (Creator) *''

The Alienist ''The Alienist'' is a crime novel by Caleb Carr first published in 1994 and is the first book in the Kreizler series. It takes place in New York City in 1896, and includes appearances by many famous figures of New York society in that era, inc ...

'' (2018)

Actor (film)

*''

'' (as Howie) (1980) *''

'' (as Jerry) (1983) *''

'' (as Man in Black #2) (1984) *'' Something Wild'' (as Motorcycle Cop) (1986) *''

'' (as Hardshell Preacher) (1987) *''

'' (as Ring Lardner) (1988) *'' City of Hope'' (as Carl) (1991) *'' Matinee'' (as Bob) (1993) *''Gridlock'd (1996)'' *'' In the Electric Mist'' (as Michael Goldman) (2009) *'' The Normals'' (as Dr. Marx) (2012)

Bibliography

Novels

*''

Pride of the Bimbos ''Pride of the Bimbos'' is the first novel by American author and filmmaker John Sayles, published in 1975. The book is about a midget who is a traveling baseball player who dresses in Drag (clothing), drag and plays local teams. The baseball is ...

'' (1975) (novel) *''Union Dues'' (1977) (novel) *''Los Gusanos'' (1991) (novel) *''A Moment in the Sun'' (2011) (novel) *''Yellow Earth'' (2020) (novel)

Collections and non-fiction

*''The Anarchists' Convention'' (1979) (short story collection) *''Thinking in Pictures: The Making of the Movie "Matewan"'' (1987) (non-fiction) *''Dillinger in Hollywood'' (2004) (short story collection)

Music videos

Bruce Springsteen Bruce Frederick Joseph Springsteen (born September 23, 1949) is an American singer and songwriter. He has released 21 studio albums, most of which feature his backing band, the E Street Band. Originally from the Jersey Shore, he is an originat ...

– "

Born in the U.S.A. ''Born in the U.S.A.'' is the seventh studio album by American recording artist Bruce Springsteen, released by Columbia Records on June 4, 1984. It topped the charts in nine countries, including the US and UK, becoming his most commercially su ...

" *Bruce Springsteen – "

I'm on Fire "I'm on Fire" is a song written and performed by American rock performer Bruce Springsteen. Released in 1985, it was the fourth single from his album ''Born in the U.S.A.'' History "I'm on Fire" was first recorded in January 1982 during the fir ...

" *Bruce Springsteen – " Glory Days"

Awards/nominations

Films

Awards for ''Honeydripper'': *Outstanding Independent or Foreign Film (Win) – 2008

NAACP Image Award The NAACP Image Awards is an annual awards ceremony presented by the U.S.-based National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) to honor outstanding performances in film, television, theatre, music, and literature. Similar to ...

*Outstanding Writing in a Motion Picture (Theatrical or Television) (Nominated) – John Sayles – 2008 NAACP Image Awards *Top 10 Independent Films of 2007 –

National Board of Review of Motion Pictures The National Board of Review of Motion Pictures is a non-profit organization of New York City area film enthusiasts. Its awards, which are announced in early December, are considered an early harbinger of the film awards season that culminat ...

*Best Screenplay (Win) – John Sayles – 2007

San Sebastián International Film Festival The San Sebastián International Film Festival ( SSIFF; es, Festival Internacional de San Sebastián, eu, Donostia Zinemaldia) is an annual FIAPF A category film festival held in the Spanish city of Donostia-San Sebastián in September, in th ...

(Tied with Gracia Querejeta and David Planell for Siete mesas de billar francés (2007)) Award for ''Silver City'': *Golden Seashell Award for Best Film (Nominated) – John Sayles – 2004 San Sebastián International Film Festival Awards for ''Sunshine State'': *Golden Orange Award (Win) – John Sayles – 2002

Florida Film Critics Circle The Florida Film Critics Circle (FFCC) is a film critic organization founded in 1996. The FFCC comprises 30 film critics from Florida-based print and online publications. At the end of each year, the FFCC members vote on the Florida Film Critics ...

Awards *Special Mention For Excellence In Filmmaking (Win) – 2002 National Board of Review Awards for ''Limbo'': *Best Director Golden Space Needle Award (Win) – John Sayles −1999

Seattle International Film Festival The Seattle International Film Festival (SIFF), held annually in Seattle, Washington since 1976, is among the top film festivals in North America. Audiences have grown steadily; the 2006 festival had 160,000 attendees. The SIFF runs for more th ...

*Outstanding Indies (Win) – 1999 National Board of Review Awards for ''Men with Guns/Hombres armados'': *Best Foreign Independent Film (Nominated) – 1998

British Independent Film Awards The British Independent Film Awards (BIFA) is an organisation that celebrates, supports and promotes British independent cinema and filmmaking talent in United Kingdom. Nominations for the annual awards ceremony are announced in early November, ...

*Best Foreign Film (Nominated) – 1999 Golden Globes *Peace Award (Nominated) – 1998

Political Film Society Politics (from , ) is the set of activities that are associated with making decisions in groups, or other forms of power relations among individuals, such as the distribution of resources or status. The branch of social science that studies ...

*FIPRESCI Prize (Win) – John Sayles – 1997 San Sebastián International Film Festival *OCIC Award (Win) – John Sayles – 1997 San Sebastián International Film Festival *Solidarity Award (Win) – John Sayles – 1997 San Sebastián International Film Festival *Golden Seashell Award for Best Film (Nominated) – John Sayles – 1997 San Sebastián International Film Festival Awards for ''Lone Star'': *Best Original Screenplay (Nominated) – John Sayles – 1997 Academy Awards *Best Original Screenplay (Nominated) – John Sayles – 1997 BAFTA Awards *Best Screenplay, Motion Picture (Nominated) – John Sayles – 1997 Golden Globes *Best Screenplay Written Directly for the Screen (Nominated) – John Sayles – 1997

Writers Guild of America Award The Writers Guild of America Awards is an award for film, television, and radio writing including both fiction and non-fiction categories given by the Writers Guild of America, East and Writers Guild of America West since 1949. Eligibility Th ...

*Best Picture (Nominated) – 1997

Broadcast Film Critics Association The Critics Choice Association (CCA), formerly the Broadcast Film Critics Association (BFCA), is an association of television, radio and online critics. Their membership includes critics who review film and television. Founded in 1995, it is the ...

Awards *Best Motion Picture Original Screenplay (Win) – John Sayles – 1997 Golden

Satellite Award The Satellite Awards are annual awards given by the International Press Academy that are commonly noted in entertainment industry journals and blogs. The awards were originally known as the Golden Satellite Awards. The award ceremonies take place ...

s *Best Motion Picture – Drama (Nominated) – Maggie Renzi & R. Paul Miller – 1997 Golden Satellite Awards *Best Screenplay (Nominated) – John Sayles – 1997

Independent Spirit Awards The Independent Spirit Awards (abbreviated Spirit Awards and originally known as the FINDIE or Friends of Independents Awards), founded in 1984, are awards dedicated to independent filmmakers. Winners were typically presented with Poly(methyl m ...

*Best Film (Win) – Lone Star – 1996 Lone Star Film & Television Awards *Best Director (Win) – John Sayles – 1996 Lone Star Film & Television Awards *Best Screenplay (Win) – John Sayles – 1996 Lone Star Film & Television Awards *Special Achievement Award for Outstanding Feature Film (Win) – 1996 NCLR Bravo Awards *Best Director (Win) – John Sayles – 1997 Southeastern Film Critics Association Awards Awards for ''The Secret of Roan Inish'': *Best Genre Video Release (Nominated) – 1996

Academy of Science Fiction, Fantasy & Horror Films Academy of Science Fiction, Fantasy and Horror Films is an American non-profit organization established in 1972 dedicated to the advancement of science fiction, fantasy, and horror in film, television, and home video. The Academy is headquarter ...

*International Critics Award (Win) – John Sayles – 1996

Gérardmer Film Festival Gérardmer (; or archaic ''Geroldsee'', and ''Giraumoué'' in local Vosgian) is a commune in the Vosges department in Grand Est in northeastern France. Population Culture The Festival international du film fantastique de Gérardmer (literall ...

*Best Director (Nominated) – John Sayles – 1996 Independent Spirit Awards *Best Screenplay (Nominated) – John Sayles – 1996 Independent Spirit Awards Awards for ''Passion Fish'': *Best Original Screenplay (Nominated) – John Sayles – 1993 Academy Awards *Golden Spur Award (Win) – John Sayles – 1993 Flanders International Film Festival *Best Screenplay Written Directly for the Screen (Nominated) – John Sayles – 1993 Writers Guild of America Awards for ''City of Hope'': *Critics Award (Nominated) – John Sayles – 1991

Deauville American Film Festival The Deauville American Film Festival (french: Festival du cinéma américain de Deauville, link=no) is a yearly film festival devoted to American cinema, which has taken place since 1975 in Deauville, France. It was established by Lionel Cho ...

*Special Award, Democracy Award (Win) – 1992 Political Film Society *Tokyo Grand Prix Award (Win) – John Sayles – 1991

Tokyo International Film Festival The is a film festival established in 1985. The event was held biennially from 1985 to 1991 and annually thereafter. Along with the Shanghai International Film Festival, it is one of Asia's competitive film festivals, and is considered to be the ...

Awards for ''Matewan'': *Critics Award (Nominated) – John Sayles – 1987 Deauville American Film Festival *Best Director (Nominated) – John Sayles – 1988 Independent Spirit Awards *Best Screenplay (Nominated) – John Sayles – 1988 Independent Spirit Award *Human Rights Award (Win) – 1988 Political Film Society Awards for ''The Brother from Another Planet'': *Best Screenplay Caixa de Catalunya Award (Win) – John Sayles – 1984 Catalan International Film Festival, Sitges, Spain *Grand Jury Prize – Dramatic (Nominated) – John Sayles – 1985 USA Film Festival (later became the

Sundance Film Festival The Sundance Film Festival (formerly Utah/US Film Festival, then US Film and Video Festival) is an annual film festival organized by the Sundance Institute. It is the largest independent film festival in the United States, with more than 46,66 ...

) Awards for ''Return of the Secaucus 7'': *Best Independent Film (Win) – 1981

Boston Society of Film Critics The Boston Society of Film Critics (BSFC) is an organization of film reviewers from Boston, Massachusetts in the United States. History The BSFC was formed in 1981 to make “Boston’s unique critical perspective heard on a national and internati ...

Awards *Best Screenplay (Win) – John Sayles – 1980

Los Angeles Film Critics Association The Los Angeles Film Critics Association (LAFCA) is an American film critic organization founded in 1975. Background Its membership comprises film critics from Los Angeles-based print and electronic media. In December of each year, the organiza ...

Awards *National Film Registry – 1997

*Best Comedy Written Directly for the Screen (Nominated) – John Sayles – 1981 Writers Guild of America *Best Screenplay (Nominated) – John Sayles – 1980

New York Film Critics Circle The New York Film Critics Circle (NYFCC) is an American film critic organization founded in 1935 by Wanda Hale from the New York ''Daily News''. Its membership includes over 30 film critics from New York-based daily and weekly newspapers, magaz ...

*Second Place – 1981 US Film Festival (later became the Sundance Film Festival)

Other recognition

Sayles's first published story, "I-80 Nebraska", won an

O. Henry Award The O. Henry Award is an annual American award given to short stories of exceptional merit. The award is named after the American short-story writer O. Henry. The ''PEN/O. Henry Prize Stories'' is an annual collection of the year's twenty best ...

; his novel, ''Union Dues'', was nominated for a

National Book Award The National Book Awards are a set of annual U.S. literary awards. At the final National Book Awards Ceremony every November, the National Book Foundation presents the National Book Awards and two lifetime achievement awards to authors. The Nat ...

as well as the

National Book Critics Circle Award The National Book Critics Circle Awards are a set of annual American literary awards by the National Book Critics Circle (NBCC) to promote "the finest books and reviews published in English".John D. MacArthur Award, given to 20 Americans in diverse fields each year for their innovative work. He has also been the recipient of the

Eugene V. Debs Eugene Victor "Gene" Debs (November 5, 1855 – October 20, 1926) was an American socialism, socialist, political activist, trade unionist, one of the founding members of the Industrial Workers of the World (IWW), and five times the candidate ...

Award, the

John Steinbeck Award The John Steinbeck Award: "In The Souls of the People", is an annual award given to an individual or group that has contributed to society in the spirit of John Steinbeck. The award is given to artists who capture "Steinbeck’s empathy, commitme ...

and the

John Cassavetes John Nicholas Cassavetes ( ; December 9, 1929 – February 3, 1989) was an American actor, film director, and screenwriter. First known as a television and film actor, Cassavetes also helped pioneer American independent cinema, writing and dire ...

Award. He was honored with the

Ian McLellan Hunter Ian McLellan Hunter (8 August 1915 – 5 March 1991) was an English screenwriter, best remembered for fronting for the blacklisted Dalton Trumbo as the credited writer of ''Roman Holiday'' in 1953. Hunter was himself later blacklisted. ''Roman ...

Award for Lifetime Achievement by the

Writers Guild of America The Writers Guild of America is the joint efforts of two different US labor unions representing TV and film writers: * The Writers Guild of America, East (WGAE), headquartered in New York City and affiliated with the AFL–CIO * The Writers Guil ...

(1999).

Recurring collaborators

Actors who have regularly worked with Sayles include

Joe Morton Joseph Thomas Morton Jr. (born October 18, 1947) is an American stage, television and film actor. He has worked with film director John Sayles in ''The Brother from Another Planet'' (1984), '' City of Hope'' (1991) and '' Lone Star'' (1996). Oth ...

Mary McDonnell Mary Eileen McDonnell (born April 28, 1952) is an American film, stage, and television actress. She received Academy Award nominations for her roles as Stands With A Fist in ''Dances with Wolves'' and May-Alice Culhane in ''Passion Fish''. McD ...

Vincent Spano Vincent M. Spano Jr. (born October 18, 1962) is an American film, stage and television actor; he is also a film director and producer. Early life Spano was born in Brooklyn, New York to Italian-American parents Vincent Sr. and Theresa. Career ...

Kevin Tighe Kevin () is the anglicized form of the Irish masculine given name (; mga, Caoimhghín ; sga, Cóemgein ; Latinized as ). It is composed of "dear; noble"; Old Irish and ("birth"; Old Irish ). The variant ''Kevan'' is anglicized from , an ...

Josh Mostel Joshua Mostel (born December 21, 1946) is an American actor with numerous film and Broadway credits. The son of Zero Mostel, he is best known for his supporting roles in films such as ''Jesus Christ Superstar'' (1973), ''Harry and Tonto'' (1974) ...

, Tom Wright,

and

Angela Bassett Angela Evelyn Bassett (born August 16, 1958) is an American actress. She had her breakthrough with her portrayal of singer Tina Turner in the biopic ''What's Love Got to Do with It'' (1993), which garnered her a nomination for the Academy Award ...

.page 6

References

External links

* *
Senses of Cinema: Great Directors Critical DatabaseInterview April 2007 by Cathy Pryor in the London Independent''The Rumpus'' interview
from siffblog.com {{DEFAULTSORT:Sayles, John 1950 births Actors from Schenectady, New York American male screenwriters American people of Irish descent Edgar Award winners Living people MacArthur Fellows Williams College alumni Writers from Schenectady, New York Film directors from New York (state) Screenwriters from New York (state)

Early life

Career

Legacy and honors

Filmography

Writer/director

Writer (film)

Writer (TV)

Actor (film)

Bibliography

Novels

Collections and non-fiction

Music videos

Awards/nominations

Films

Other recognition

Recurring collaborators

See also

Further reading

References

External links