Stephen Clark Balderson (born January 19, 1975) is an American

film director A film director controls a film's artistic and dramatic aspects and visualizes the screenplay (or script) while guiding the film crew and actors in the fulfilment of that vision. The director has a key role in choosing the cast members, pr ...

Early life

Balderson was born in

Manhattan, Kansas Manhattan is a city and county seat of Riley County, Kansas, United States, although the city extends into Pottawatomie County. It is located in northeastern Kansas at the junction of the Kansas River and Big Blue River. As of the 2020 c ...

and raised in nearby Wamego, Kansas until the age of twelve, when his family moved to Manhattan. Balderson attended

Manhattan High School Manhattan High School is a public high school in Manhattan, Kansas, United States, serving students in grades 9-12. It is part of the Manhattan–Ogden USD 383. For the 2013–2014 school year, Manhattan High had an enrollment of 1,920 students. ...

." Balderson attended film school at

California Institute of the Arts The California Institute of the Arts (CalArts) is a private art university in Santa Clarita, California. It was incorporated in 1961 as the first degree-granting institution of higher learning in the US created specifically for students of both ...

, where he directed six full-length digital movies, including a screen adaptation of Anne Rice's novel The Vampire Lestat. At the end of his third year at CalArts, Balderson realized he'd never had a mid-residency review. When he asked his dean, Hartmut Bitomsky, Bitomsky answered, "Master's students don't have mid-residency reviews." When Bitomsky learned Balderson was an undergrad, he instructed Balderson to stop going to his classes and instead, to do independent study with him. Once a week the two would meet and dissect

Alfred Hitchcock Sir Alfred Joseph Hitchcock (13 August 1899 – 29 April 1980) was an English filmmaker. He is widely regarded as one of the most influential figures in the history of cinema. In a career spanning six decades, he directed over 50 featur ...

films and Steve learned how to focus his vision. After months of working one-on-one with his dean, Balderson decided he was ready to leave CalArts without graduating.

Films

*''Pep Squad'': After leaving CalArts in 1996, Balderson returned to

Kansas Kansas () is a U.S. state, state in the Midwestern United States, Midwestern United States. Its Capital city, capital is Topeka, Kansas, Topeka, and its largest city is Wichita, Kansas, Wichita. Kansas is a landlocked state bordered by Nebras ...

and directed his debut feature film. ''Pep Squad'' satirized and predicted American school violence prior to the horrific series of school shootings. In November 2009, Balderson sold distribution rights for ''Pep Squad'' to his mentor

Lloyd Kaufman Stanley Lloyd Kaufman Jr. (born December 30, 1945) is an American film director, screenwriter, producer and actor. Alongside producer Michael Herz, he is the co-founder of Troma Entertainment film studio, and the director of many of their featur ...

. Kaufman's company Troma Entertainment will handle the DVD re-release. *''Firecracker'': '' Firecracker'', was released theatrically in 2005 to sold-out audiences in a first-ever "Freak Show Tour" supervised by Landmark Theatres, the nation's largest art house chain. Film critic

Roger Ebert Roger Joseph Ebert (; June 18, 1942 – April 4, 2013) was an American film critic, film historian, journalist, screenwriter, and author. He was a film critic for the ''Chicago Sun-Times'' from 1967 until his death in 2013. In 1975, Ebert beca ...

called it "Brilliant" and gave ''Firecracker'' a Special Jury Award on his list of the year's best films. ''

Film Threat ''Film Threat'' is an online film review publication, and earlier, a national magazine that focused primarily on independent film, although it also reviewed videos and DVDs of mainstream films, as well as Hollywood movies in theaters. It first ...

'' called the film a "masterpiece" that is "told by a story teller who has a nascent finger on the pulse of contemporary cinema," ''Firecracker'' features the acting debut of alternative music icon Mike Patton and the critically acclaimed comeback of Academy Award nominee Karen Black. Also starring are

Susan Traylor Susan Traylor is an American actress. She was nominated for the Independent Spirit Award for Best Female Lead for her performance in '' Valerie Flake'' (1999). Traylor's starring role in ''Valerie Flake'' also won the inaugural best feature a ...

Pleasant Gehman Pleasant Gehman is an American author, writer, poet, actress, dancer and musician from Los Angeles. Career In the 1980s, she was the singer for the punk rock band Screamin' Sirens. Her articles on rock 'n' roll, American pop culture, sex, ...

, Jane Wiedlin,

Selene Luna In ancient Greek mythology and religion, Selene (; grc-gre, Σελήνη , meaning "Moon"''A Greek–English Lexicon's.v. σελήνη) is the goddess and the personification of the Moon. Also known as Mene, she is traditionally the daughter of ...

, The Enigma, George the Giant, Jak Kendall, Brooke Balderson, Amy Kelly, and Lobster Girl Cathy Berry, daughter of Lobster Boy

Grady Stiles Grady Franklin Stiles Jr. (June 26, 1937 – November 29, 1992) was an American freak show performer and murderer. His deformity was the genetic condition ectrodactyly, in which the fingers and toes are fused together to form claw-like extremities. ...

. ''Firecracker'' premiered at London's

Raindance Film Festival Raindance is an independent film festival and film school that operates in major cities including London, Los Angeles, New York, Vancouver, Toronto, Montreal, Budapest, Berlin, and Brussels. The festival was established in 1992 by Elliot Grove t ...

, where it won a Jury Prize nomination for Best Picture. It also won numerous awards on the festival circuit worldwide including: Best Picture, Best Cinematography, Best Actress for Karen Black, and Steve Balderson won the 2005 Domani Vision Award for emerging talent at Tribeca's Visionfest. *''Watch Out'': '' Watch Out'' is based on a novel of the same name by

Joseph Suglia Joseph Suglia is an American screenwriter, novelist, and producer. Career In 2008, Suglia wrote the screenplay for Steve Balderson’s film '' Watch Out'' in collaboration with the director. The film, which was based on Suglia’s novel ''Wa ...

. ''Watch Out'' is the story of Jonathan Barrows, a man who falls in love with himself. He is attracted to his own body, carries out an erotic relationship with a blow-up doll that resembles him, and takes pleasure in rejecting the advances of male and female admirers. He descends into a world of carnivorous priests and Prozac-popping Polish prostitutes and eventually assassinates the world's most popular pop diva. The film was shot without permits on location in Kansas. Starring

Matt Riddlehoover Matt Riddlehoover (born July 26, 1985) is an American filmmaker. He is best known for the 2020 documentary '' My Darling Vivian''. ''My Darling Vivian'' Riddlehoover produced, directed, and edited ''My Darling Vivian'', a biographical document ...

and co-starring

Peter Stickles Peter Stickles (born October 8, 1976) is an American actor. He is best known for his role as the voyeuristic Caleb in the John Cameron Mitchell film ''Shortbus'' and as Damian, leader of a gay vampire cult, in the Here TV original series ''The La ...

( Shortbus), B-movie actor Jeff Dylan Graham, Amy Kelly, Jon Niccum and burlesque performer Lady Monster. ''Watch Out'' premiered at the Raindance Film Festival in London. It was released theatrically in the "Stop Turning Me On" world tour in New York (Coney Island Film Festival), Nashville, Chicago, Washington D.C (Reel Affirmations Festival), Seattle (Lesbian & Gay Film Festival), San Francisco, Asheville, Charlottesville (Virginia Film Festival), Kansas City, Lawrence KS, Austin (Alamo Drafthouse), and Los Angeles. *''Stuck!'': ''Stuck!'' is Balderson's homage to film noir women-in-prison films. The movie, photographed in black and white, was produced in Macon, Georgia, during April and May 2009. The film stars Karen Black,

, Jane Wiedlin,

Mink Stole Nancy Paine Stoll (born August 25, 1947), known professionally as Mink Stole, is an American actress from Baltimore, Maryland. She began her career working for director John Waters, and has appeared in all of his feature films to date (a distinc ...

, Stacy Cunningham, Starina Johnson and

. It's the story of Daisy, an innocent young woman framed for killing her mother. Condemned by the press and the public, Daisy is found guilty of murder and sentenced to die by hanging. The screen play was written by Frankie Krainz. ''Stuck!'' premiered at the 2009 Raindance Film Festival in London, England. Currently on the festival circuit, the film is an official selection of the following film festivals: Skeive Filmer in Oslo Norway; The Southwest Gay and Lesbian Film Festival; The

Seattle Lesbian & Gay Film Festival Seattle Queer Film Festival (formerly known as the Seattle Lesbian & Gay Film Festival) is an annual film festival in Seattle. The 25th Annual Seattle Queer Film Festival will take place October 14–24, 2021. It is the largest LGBTQ film festiv ...

; 2009's REELING (the Chicago GLBT Film Festival), 2010 Macon Film Festival and the 2010 Boston Underground Film Festival. On February 3, 2010, ''Stuck!'' premiered at

Grauman's Egyptian Theatre Grauman's Egyptian Theatre is a historic movie theater located at 6706 Hollywood Blvd. in Hollywood, California. Opened in 1922, it is an early example of a lavish movie palace and is noted as having been the site of the first-ever Hollywood ...

in Los Angeles. The special event was hosted by the

American Cinematheque The American Cinematheque is an independent, nonprofit cultural organization in Los Angeles, California, United States dedicated exclusively to the public presentation of the moving image in all its forms. The Cinematheque was created in 1981 as ...

. In grand Hollywood tradition, the after party and dinner was held at Musso & Frank Grill. *''The Casserole Club'': The film stars Susan Traylor, Jane Wiedlin, Kevin Richardson,

Daniela Sea Daniel Sea (born January 7, 1977) is an American filmmaker, actor and musician. They rose to prominence through their role as Max Sweeney on Showtime's drama series '' The L Word''. Personal life Daniel grew up in Malibu, California, raised by ...

Michael Maize Michael Maize (born Michael Meyer; December 1, 1974) is an American motion picture and television actor, perhaps best known for his role of Daniel in the film '' National Treasure: Book of Secrets''. Biography Born and raised in Milwaukee, Wisc ...

, Starina Johnson, Garrett Swann and

, among others. It was filmed in the fall of 2010 on location in Wamego, Kansas and Indio, California. The screen play was written by Frankie Krainz. The film premiered in New York City at Visionfest`11 in June collecting 9 Independent Vision Award nominations and winning 5 for Best Picture, Best Director, Best Actor for Kevin Richardson, Best Actress for Susan Traylor, and Best Production Design for Steve Balderson. The other award nominations were Best Writing for Frankie Krainz, Best Original Score for Rob Kleiner, The Jack Nance Breakthrough Performance Award for Jennifer Grace, and The Abe Schrager Award for Cinematography for Steve Balderson. *''Culture Shock'': This was the third collaboration between Steve and screenwriter Frankie Krainz. The film was produced in October 2011 entirely without permits in Kansas City and in London, England. The story centers around four twenty-somethings, played by Starina Johnson, Mark Booker, Nic Roewert and Holly Hinton who travel to the UK for a backpacking holiday only to be caught up in a murder. They are followed by a detective, played by Damien Gerard, who is trying to solve the case. However, all is not as it seems. *''Far Flung Star'': The fourth collaboration between Steve and screenwriter Frankie Krainz. The film was produced in early 2013 on location in Los Angeles and Hong Kong. It premiered at the Raindance Film Festival in 2013. The film is an action-adventure and was released exclusively on

Vimeo Vimeo, Inc. () is an American video hosting, sharing, and services platform provider headquartered in New York City. Vimeo focuses on the delivery of high-definition video across a range of devices. Vimeo's business model is through software as ...

. *''Occupying Ed'': Filmed in 2013, ''Occupying Ed'' is the first collaboration between Balderson and screenwriter Jim Lair Beard. The film premiered at London's Raindance Film Festival in 2014. *''Hell Town'': Co-directed with Texas native Elizabeth Spear, ''Hell Town'' is a melodrama and soap opera style horror film. Was released in limited theaters on Aug 23, 2016. *''El Ganzo'': Produced entirely on location in

Los Cabos LOS, or Los, or LoS may refer to: Science and technology * Length of stay, the duration of a single episode of hospitalisation * Level of service, a measure used by traffic engineers * Level of significance, a measure of statistical significanc ...

, Mexico, in 2014, the experimental drama stars Susan Traylor, Anslem Richardson and Mark Booker. El Ganzo was winner of Best Film, Best Actor, and Best Cinematography at the Salento International Film Fest and was released in limited theaters in the US on September 9, 2016 *''The Wamego Trilogy'': ''Wamego'' was a three-part documentary series. ''Wamego: Making Movies Anywhere'' was released in 2004 on DVD, ''Making Movies Anywhere'' won Best Film at the 2005 Fox Film Festival and the 2004 Kan Festival Award. ''Wamego Strikes Back,'' the sequel to ''Making Movies Anywhere'', was released in 2007. The third installment, ''Wamego: Ultimatum'' chronicles the making of ''Watch Out''. To celebrate its 10-year anniversary, ''Wamego: Making Movies Anywhere'' was re-released on Vimeo in September 2014. *''Alchemy of the Spirit'': Dark gothic supernatural love story starring Xander Berkeley, Sarah Clarke, Whip Hubley, and

. About a man (Berkeley) who wakes up to find his wife has died during the night.

Filmography

Film director

* ''Bloody Famous'' (currently filming 2021-2022) * ''Alchemy of the Spirit'' (feature, 2022) * ''Elvis Lives'' (feature, 2017) * ''El Ganzo'' (feature, 2015) * ''Hell Town'' (feature, 2015) * ''Occupying Ed'' (feature, 2014) * ''The Far Flung Star'' (feature, 2014) * ''Culture Shock'' (feature, 2013) * ''

The Casserole Club ''The Casserole Club'' is a 2011 American drama film, directed by Steve Balderson. The film won five awards at the 2011 New York Visionfest. In this film set against the backdrop of the 1969 moonwalk, a group of suburban housewives hold dinner pa ...

'' (feature, 2011) * ''Stuck!'' (feature, 2010) * ''Wamego: Ultimatum'' (documentary feature, 2009) * ''Watch Out'' (feature, 2009) * ''Underbelly'' (documentary feature, 2008) * ''Wamego Strikes Back'' (documentary feature, 2007) * ''Phone Sex'' (feature, HD, 2006) * '' Firecracker'' (feature, Super 35mm film, 2005) * ''Wamego: Making Movies Anywhere'' (documentary feature, 2004) * ''Pep Squad'' (feature 35mm film, 1998) * ''Eleven Eleven'' (feature digital film, 1996) * ''Pep Squad'' (feature digital film, 1995) * ''By the Light of the Moon'' (digital feature film, 1994) * ''Children of Darkness/The Vampire Lestat'' (digital feature film, 1993) * ''Videorotica'' (music video, 1992) * ''Bus Stop Goodbyes'' (video feature film, 1992) * ''The Visionaries'' (video feature film, 1991)

Awards

* Winner Best Feature Film Award - Salento International Film Festival 2015 Italy (''El Ganzo'') * Winner Best Cinematography Award - Salento International Film Festival 2015 Italy (''El Ganzo'') * Winner Best Feature Film - Colorado HorrorCon USA 2015 (''Hell Town'') * Winner Best Feature Film - Crimson Screen Film Fest USA 2015 (''Hell Town'') * Winner Best Director Independent Vision Awards - Visionfest 2011 (''The Casserole Club'') * Winner Best Picture Independent Vision Awards - Visionfest 2011 (''The Casserole Club'') * Winner Best Production Design Independent Vision Awards - Visionfest 2011 (''The Casserole Club'') * Winner Special Jury Award -

's Best Films of the Year 2005 (''Firecracker'') * Winner Independent Filmmaker Award - KAN Film Festival 2004 (''Wamego: Making Movies Anywhere'') * Winner Killer-B Award Best Screenplay 2000 B-Movie Film Festival (''Pep Squad'') * Nominated Best International Feature Film - Raindance Film Festival 2008 (''Watch Out'') * Nominated Best International Feature Film - Fantasporto 2005 (''Firecracker'')

References

External links

*
''Stuck!'' movie site
* * {{DEFAULTSORT:Balderson, Steve Living people LGBT film directors American gay writers 1975 births People from Manhattan, Kansas People from Wamego, Kansas Film directors from Kansas