Seth Michael Donsky is an American

filmmaker Filmmaking (film production) is the process by which a motion picture is produced. Filmmaking involves a number of complex and discrete stages, starting with an initial story, idea, or commission. It then continues through screenwriting, castin ...

, producer/screenwriter and former journalist.

Biography

As of 2023 Mr. Donsky's feature screenplay ''Stardusk'', about the life of transgender

Andy Warhol Andy Warhol (; born Andrew Warhola Jr.; August 6, 1928 – February 22, 1987) was an American visual artist, film director, and producer who was a leading figure in the Art movement, visual art movement known as pop art. His works explore th ...

Superstar

Candy Darling Candy Darling (November 24, 1944 – March 21, 1974) was an American actress, best known as a Warhol superstar and transgender icon. She starred in Andy Warhol's films ''Flesh'' (1968) and '' Women in Revolt'' (1971), and was a muse of The Velve ...

is in pre-production with the Oscar-award winning producer

Bruce Cohen Bruce L. Cohen (born September 23, 1961) is a film, television, and theater producer. Biography Cohen was born to a Jewish family and raised in Falls Church, Virginia.Kate Bornstein's ''A Queer and Pleasant Danger'' ( Beacon Press) and Lauren Roedy Vaughn's ''OCD, The Dude and Me'' (

Penguin Group Penguin Group is a British trade book publisher and part of Penguin Random House, which is owned by the German media conglomerate Bertelsmann. The new company was created by a merger that was finalised on 1 July 2013, with Bertelsmann initi ...

) ( Dial Press) for the screen. His feature screenplay ''Grit N' Glitter'', the story of

Allan Carr Allan Carr (born Allan Solomon; May 27, 1937 – June 29, 1999) was an American producer and manager of stage for the screen. Carr was nominated for numerous awards, winning a Tony Award and two People's Choice Awards, and was named Producer o ...

producing ''La Cage aux Folles'' (musical) on

Broadway Broadway may refer to: Theatre * Broadway Theatre (disambiguation) * Broadway theatre, theatrical productions in professional theatres near Broadway, Manhattan, New York City, U.S. ** Broadway (Manhattan), the street **Broadway Theatre (53rd Stree ...

during the HIV/AIDS in the United States was one of five finalists for the Enderby Entertainment Award in the 2018 Austin Film Festival for screenplays with a unique voice and distinct vision. The finalists were selected by

Rick Dugdale Rick Dugdale is a Canadian film producer. He is the President and CEO of Enderby Entertainment, an independent film finance and production company. He is also co-founder of Vuele Career Dugdale joined Daniel Petrie, Jr. & Company as Vice Presi ...

Donald Petrie Donald Mark Petrie (born April 2, 1954) is an American film director and actor. Life and career Petrie was born in New York City, New York (state), New York, the son of Dorothea G. Petrie, Dorothea (née Grundy), a television producer, actor, a ...

and Daniel Petrie, Jr. of Enderby Entertainment. It also placed in the

Nicholl Fellowships in Screenwriting The Don and Gee Nicholl Fellowships in Screenwriting is a fellowship program founded in 1986 to aid screenwriters. It is administered by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences. History Gee Nicholl, widow of producer Don Nicholl, worked w ...

. He holds an MFA in Film from Columbia University School of the Arts where he twice received the Dean's Fellowship. He wrote and directed the short film '' Loopy'' as his thesis film for graduation from Columbia. His feature film debut ''Twisted'' (1996 film), which he wrote and directed, was produced towards the tail end of the

New Queer Cinema "New Queer Cinema" is a term first coined by the academic B. Ruby Rich in ''Sight & Sound'' magazine in 1992 to define and describe a movement in queer-themed independent filmmaking in the early 1990s. It is also referred to as the "Queer New W ...

. ''Loopy'' (film) was adapted from a short-story by Edgar Award winning, British crime writer

Ruth Rendell Ruth Barbara Rendell, Baroness Rendell of Babergh, (; 17 February 1930 – 2 May 2015) was an English author of thrillers and psychological murder mysteries. Rendell is best known for creating Chief Inspector Wexford.The Oxford Companion ...

and featured a performance by Tony Award winning

Elizabeth Franz Elizabeth Franz (born Betty Jean Frankovich) is an American stage and television actress. Life and career Franz was born Betty Jean Frankovich in Akron, Ohio, the daughter of a factory worker. She won a Tony Award for her role as Linda Lo ...

. It was produced by

Benjamin Odell (producer) Benjamin Odell (born 1969) is an American writer, director, and producer of independent films. Early life and education Odell was born in 1969. He grew up in Pennsylvania, where, aged six, he became friends with a child from Colombia who was l ...

, a fellow student at Columbia University School of the Arts at the time. Loopy premiered at the

Clermont-Ferrand International Short Film Festival The Clermont-Ferrand International Short Film Festival (French: ''Festival international du court métrage de Clermont-Ferrand'') is an international film festival dedicated to short films held annually in Clermont-Ferrand, France. History In ...

, played at the Palm Springs International ShortFest and the

Cinequest Film Festival The Cinequest Film & Creativity Festival is an annual independent film festival held each March in San Jose, California and Redwood City, California. The international festival combines the cinematic arts with Silicon Valley’s innovation. It is ...

among others, took 1st Runner Up at the HBO Short Film Competition at the

Savannah College of Art and Design Savannah College of Art and Design (SCAD) is a private nonprofit art school with locations in Savannah, Georgia; Atlanta, Georgia; and Lacoste, France. Founded in 1978 to provide degrees in programs not yet offered in the southeast of the Uni ...

film festival and was broadcast in rotation on the

IFC (American TV channel) IFC (formerly known as the Independent Film Channel) is an American basic cable channel owned by AMC Networks, originally launching in 1994 as a TV channel devoted to independent films. The Independent Film Channel originally operated as a com ...

. '' Twisted'' premiered at the

47th Berlin International Film Festival The 47th annual Berlin International Film Festival was held from 13 to 24 February 1997. The Golden Bear was awarded to Canadian-American film '' The People vs. Larry Flynt'' directed by Miloš Forman. The retrospective dedicated to Austrian fi ...

, won the audience award at the GLBTQ Film Festival of Turin, was included in the

Museum of Modern Art The Museum of Modern Art (MoMA) is an art museum located in Midtown Manhattan, New York City, on 53rd Street between Fifth and Sixth Avenues. It plays a major role in developing and collecting modern art, and is often identified as one of ...

Charles Dickens Charles John Huffam Dickens (; 7 February 1812 – 9 June 1870) was an English writer and social critic. He created some of the world's best-known fictional characters and is regarded by many as the greatest novelist of the Victorian e ...

bicentenary film series and subsequently accepted into the Museum of Modern Art Department of Film's permanent film collection. '' Twisted'' was the feature film debut of Tony and Emmy winning

Billy Porter (entertainer) William Ellis Porter II (born September 21, 1969) is an American actor, singer, writer and director. He graduated from Carnegie Mellon University School of Drama, and he achieved fame performing on Broadway before starting a solo career as a sin ...

and the penultimate screen performance of Oscar and Emmy-nominated

William Hickey (actor) William Edward Hickey (September 19, 1927 – June 29, 1997) was an American actor. He is best known for his Academy Award-nominated role as Don Corrado Prizzi in the John Huston film ''Prizzi's Honor'' (1985), as well as Uncle Lewis in ''Nation ...

. It also featured performances from Tony-award winning

Anthony Crivello Anthony Crivello (born August 2, 1955) is an American actor who has appeared in the original cast of several Broadway shows, including ''Les Misérables'', '' Kiss of the Spider Woman'', '' Golden Boy'', '' Marie Christine'', and '' The News''. ...

and

. '' Twisteds theatrical run was met with great praise from critics such as

Kevin Thomas (film critic) Kevin B. Thomas (born 1936) is an American film critic who has written reviews for the ''Los Angeles Times'' since 1962. His long tenure makes him the longest-running film critic among major United States newspapers.

in "

The Los Angeles Times ''The'' () is a grammatical article in English, denoting persons or things already mentioned, under discussion, implied or otherwise presumed familiar to listeners, readers, or speakers. It is the definite article in English. ''The'' is the ...

Bob Satuloff in

Film Journal International ''Film Journal International'' was a motion-picture industry trade magazine published by the American company Prometheus Global Media. It was a sister publication of ''Adweek'', ''Billboard'', ''The Hollywood Reporter'', and other periodicals. H ...

br>

Elliott Stein Elliott Stein (December 5, 1928 – November 7, 2012) was an American journalist and historian. In the 1950s he managed a literary review in Paris: "Janus." He also wrote for the review "Bizarre" with Kenneth Anger. He worked with Anger on Anger ...

and Dennis Lim in

The Village Voice ''The Village Voice'' is an American news and culture paper, known for being the country's first alternative newspaper, alternative newsweekly. Founded in 1955 by Dan Wolf (publisher), Dan Wolf, Ed Fancher, John Wilcock, and Norman Mailer, th ...

, and

Armond White Armond White (born ) is an American film and music critic who writes for ''National Review'' and ''Out''. He was previously the editor of '' CityArts'' (2011–2014), the lead film critic for the alternative weekly ''New York Press'' (1997–201 ...

New York Press ''New York Press'' was a free alternative weekly in New York City, which was published from 1988 to 2011. The ''Press'' strove to create a rivalry with the ''Village Voice''. ''Press'' editors claimed to have tried to hire away writer Nat Hent ...

. While attending Columbia University School of the Arts Seth was selected to direct two commercial spots, ''Love Thy Neighbor'' and ''History of the Movies'', as one of ten national finalists for the Coca-Cola Refreshing Filmmaker's Award Contest. He has taught

screenwriting Screenwriting or scriptwriting is the art and craft of writing scripts for mass media such as feature films, television productions or video games. It is often a freelance profession. Screenwriters are responsible for researching the story, de ...

at the

New York Film Academy New York Film Academy – School of Film and Acting (NYFA) is a private for-profit film school and acting school based in New York City, Los Angeles, and Miami. The New York Film Academy was founded in 1992 by Jerry Sherlock, a former film, ...

where he was chairman of the screenwriting department from 2004-2006,

The Art Institute of New York City The Art Institute of New York City was a for-profit college in New York City. The school was one of a number of Art Institutes, a franchise of for-profit art colleges with many branches in North America, owned and operated by Education Manageme ...

and in the MFA Screenwriting Program at

Hollins University Hollins University is a private university in Hollins, Virginia. Founded in 1842 as Valley Union Seminary in the historical settlement of Botetourt Springs, it is one of the oldest institutions of higher education for women in the United States ...

. As a journalist he contributed regularly to ''

Gotham Magazine ''Gotham'' was a regional magazine founded by publisher Jason Binn in 2001 and published by Niche Media, LLC. The magazine covered fashion, philanthropy, arts, culture, real estate, cuisine, celebrity, entertainment, and beauty. Published eight tim ...

'' and ''

Los Angeles Confidential The Greenspun Media Group is an independent company and was a wholly owned subsidiary of The Greenspun Corporation. Headquartered in Henderson, Nevada, the group has over 60 years experience in the Las Vegas Valley. Beginning with the ''Las Vegas ...

'' magazines. He also contributed articles to womansday.com, the online version of ''

Elle Decor ''Elle'' (stylized ''ELLE'') is a worldwide women's magazine of French origin that offers a mix of fashion and beauty content, together with culture, society and lifestyle. The title means "she" or "her" in French. ''Elle'' is considered the wo ...

'' and at pointclickhome.com, the online site for ''

Metropolitan Home ''Metropolitan Home'' is an interior design magazine published by Hearst Magazines. The magazine focuses on "high-end modern design and interiors, blended with intelligent reporting, to connect with a progressive reader mindset." History and pro ...

'' and to the ''Edge'', an online LGBT portal. His 2009 ''

'' cover feature ''The Trouble With Safe Sex'', was reprinted in ''

Cleis Press Cleis Press is an American independent publisher of books in the areas of sexuality, erotica, feminism, gay and lesbian studies, gender studies, fiction, and human rights. The press was founded in 1980 in Minneapolis, Minnesota. It later moved to ...

'' after choosing it in its special series "Best Sex Writing of 2010". His 2010 ''New York Press'' cover feature ''Free at Las$t''FREE AT LA$T - Imagine a life in which you didn’t owe money to anyone. SETH MICHAEL DONSKY discovers that is the ultimate, achievable goal with Debtors Anonymous
/ref> about debtors anonymous in New York City was recognized for excellence in coverage of business and financial news by the

New York Press Association The New York Press Association (NYPA) is a member organization of newspapers in New York State. The NYPA provides editorial assistance, advice and counsel to its 800 member newspapers, advocates for best journalism practices, provides a libel h ...

and prominently featured in the March/April 2011 Issue of ''

Utne Reader ''Utne Reader'' (also known as ''Utne'') ( ) is a digital digest that collects and reprints articles on politics, culture, and the environment, generally from alternative media sources including journals, newsletters, weeklies, zines, music, and ...

''. He currently lives in

Venice Beach Venice is a neighborhood of the city of Los Angeles within the Westside region of Los Angeles County, California. Venice was founded by Abbot Kinney in 1905 as a seaside resort town. It was an independent city until 1926, when it was annexed by ...

with his husband, dancer/choreographer Patrick Corbin (dancer), their son, three cats, and their French Bulldog Minnie.

Articles

(Selective, with media in parenthesis) *2008: "Sensual Feng Shui" (''Point Click Home'') *2008: "Location, (Re)location: Barbara Tober Profile (''Gotham'' Magazine) *2009: "Hollywood's Classic Interiors" (''Point Click Home'') *2009: "The Trouble With Safe Sex" (Cover story in ''New York Press'') *2009: "What's Love Got To Do With It" (Cover story in ''New York Press'') *2010: "Free at La$t" (Cover story in ''New York Press'') *2011: "Domestic Bliss" (Cover story in ''New York Press'')

Discography

*''A Christmas Carol'' - with Calgary Men's Chorus

Filmography

*1996: '' Twisted (director, producer, screenplay) *2003: ''Raw'' (short) (writer) *2004: '' Loopy'' (short) (director, screenplay) *2023 ''Stardusk'' *2023 ''A Queer and Pleasant Danger'' *2023 ''OCD, The Dude and Me''

References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Donsky, Seth Michael American male screenwriters Columbia University School of the Arts alumni People from Champaign, Illinois New York Film Academy alumni Film directors from Illinois Screenwriters from Illinois American LGBT screenwriters Gay screenwriters Living people American gay writers Year of birth missing (living people)