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 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. Beginning with th ...

, 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 ...

for Best Foreign Language Film. His directorial debut, '' Return of the Secaucus 7'' (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 ...

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 Yo ...

, 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 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 colonist from the Province of Massachusetts Bay who was kille ...

with frequent collaborators Gordon Clapp and David Strathairn, as well as his longtime partner, Maggie Renzi. 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 many major accolades, incl ...

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 ...

, 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, '' Return of the Secaucus 7''. 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 Regis ...

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 libra ...

. In 1983, after the films '' Baby It's You'' (starring Rosanna Arquette) and '' Lianna'' (a story in which a married woman becomes discontented with her marriage and falls in love with another woman), Sayles received a MacArthur Fellowship. He put the money into the science fiction feature '' The Brother from Another Planet'', 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 on the north; Fifth Avenue on the east; and Central Park North on the south. The greater Ha ...

, 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 ...

In 1989, Sayles created and wrote the pilot episode for the short-lived television show '' Shannon's Deal'' 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. Since ...

lawyer played by Jamey Sheridan. 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 a ...

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, f ...

'', ''

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''). Additional ...

'', ''

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, '' ...

'', 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 with ...

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''. A genre script, called '' Night Skies'', inspired what would eventually become the film ''

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 ...

''. 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. Sp ...

, 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'', '' The Secret of Roan Inish,'' and '' Matewan''. 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 fost ...

. Maggie Renzi 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), '' C ...

, David Strathairn, and Gordon Clapp, 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 i ...

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 ...

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 a ...

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. senato ...

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 Argenti ...

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, Susan Sarandon 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 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 F ...

of the

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

. The drama, tentatively titled '' Scar Tissue'', 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 U.S. Census, its population was 35,757. It is considered one of the most prominent gay villages ...

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 ...

) 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'', 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. 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 t ...

. 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, Nove ...

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 MacArthur Fellowship *1990 Edgar Award, for teleplay for pilot of '' Shannon's Deal'' *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 Stat ...

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

Filmography

Writer/director

*'' Return of the Secaucus 7'' (1980) *'' Lianna'' (1983) *'' Baby It's You'' (1983) *'' The Brother from Another Planet'' (1984) *'' Matewan'' (1987) *'' Eight Men Out'' (1988) (Also actor portraying Ring Lardner) *'' City of Hope'' (1991) *''

'' (1992) *'' The Secret of Roan Inish'' (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) *'' Amigo'' (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 life, ...

'' (early draft, then titled ''Night Skies'') *''

Enormous Changes at the Last Minute ''Enormous Changes at the Last Minute'' is a 1983 three-part drama film based on the 1974 short stories of the same name by Grace Paley, which was directed by Mirra Bank, Ellen Hovde and Muffie Meyer. The film stars Kevin Bacon, Ellen Barkin and ...

'' (with Susan Rice) (1983) *'' The Clan of the Cave Bear'' (1986) *'' Wild Thing'' (1987) *'' Breaking In'' (1989) *''

Men of War ''Men of War'' is a real-time tactics video game franchise, based mainly in World War II. Main series Soldiers: Heroes of World War II ''Soldiers: Heroes of World War II'' is the original game of the 'Men of War' series, and uses an early GE ...

'' (as ''A Safe Place'', later repolished by Ethan Reiff 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 Spider ...

'' (Co-writer with

David Berenbaum David Berenbaum is an American screenwriter whose credits include the films ''Elf'' (2003), ''The Haunted Mansion'' (2003), '' Zoom'' (2006), '' The Spiderwick Chronicles'' (2008), and '' Strange Magic'' (2015). Biography Berenbaum was born in ...

and Karey Kirkpatrick) (2008) * '' The Devil's Highway'' (2018)

Writer (TV)

*'' A Perfect Match'' (with Mel Damski) (1980) *'' Unnatural Causes'' (1986) *'' Shannon's Deal'' (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)

*'' Return of the Secaucus 7'' (as Howie) (1980) *'' Lianna'' (as Jerry) (1983) *'' The Brother from Another Planet'' (as Man in Black #2) (1984) *'' Something Wild'' (as Motorcycle Cop) (1986) *'' Matewan'' (as Hardshell Preacher) (1987) *'' Eight Men Out'' (as Ring Lardner) (1988) *'' City of Hope'' (as Carl) (1991) *'' Matinee'' (as Bob) (1993) *''Gridlock'd (1996)'' *''

In the Electric Mist ''In the Electric Mist'' (French title: ''Dans la brume électrique'') is a 2009 Franco-American mystery drama film directed by Bertrand Tavernier, and written by Jerzy Kromolowski and Mary Olson-Kromolowski based on the novel ''In the Electric M ...

'' (as Michael Goldman) (2009) *'' The Normals'' (as Dr. Marx) (2012)

Bibliography

Novels

*'' Pride of the Bimbos'' (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 originato ...

– " Born in the U.S.A." *Bruce Springsteen – " I'm on Fire" *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 *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 ...

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

*Best Picture (Nominated) – 1997 Broadcast Film Critics Association 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 acrylic gla ...

*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 *International Critics Award (Win) – John Sayles – 1996 Gérardmer Film Festival *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 *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 46,6 ...

) Awards for ''Return of the Secaucus 7'': *Best Independent Film (Win) – 1981 Boston Society of Film Critics 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 *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; 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. In 1983, Sayles received the 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 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, commitmen ...

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 direc ...

Award. He was honored with the Ian McLellan Hunter 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 Gu ...

(1999).

Recurring collaborators

Actors who have regularly worked with Sayles include Maggie Renzi, David Strathairn, Joe Morton,

, Mary McDonnell, Vincent Spano, Kevin Tighe, Josh Mostel, Tom Wright, Gordon Clapp 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)