John Waters (Writer/Director)

Born in Baltimore, MD in 1946, John Waters was drawn to movies at an early age, particularly exploitation movies with lurid ad campaigns. He subscribed to Variety at the age of twelve, absorbing the magazine’s factual information and its lexicon of insider lingo. This early education would prove useful as the future director began his career giving puppet shows for children’s birthday parties. As a teen-ager, Waters began making 8-mm underground movies influenced by the likes of Jean-Luc Godard, Walt Disney, Andy Warhol, Russ Meyer, Ingmar Bergman, and Herschell Gordon Lewis.

Using Baltimore, which he fondly dubbed the "Hairdo Capitol of the World," as the setting for all his films, Waters assembled a cast of ensemble players, mostly native Baltimoreans and friends of long standing: Divine, David Lochary, Mary Vivian Pearce, Mink Stole and Edith Massey. Waters also established lasting relationships with key production people, such as production designer Vincent Peranio, costume designer Van Smith, and casting director Pat Moran, helping to give his films that trademark Waters "look."

Waters made his first film, an 8-mm short, HAG IN A BLACK LEATHER JACKET in 1964, starring Mary Vivian Pearce. Waters followed with ROMAN CANDLES in 1966, the first of his films to star Divine and Mink Stole. In 1967, he made his first 16-mm film with EAT YOUR MAKEUP, the story of a deranged governess and her lover who kidnap fashion models and force them to model themselves to death. MONDO TRASHO, Waters’ first feature length film, was completed in 1969 despite the fact that the production ground to a halt when the director and two actors were arrested for "participating in a misdemeanor, to wit: indecent exposure."

In 1970, Waters completed what he described as his first "celluloid atrocity," MULTIPLE MANIACS. The film told the story of Lady Divine and her lover, Mr. David, proprietors of a freak show who lure unsuspecting suburbanites into their tents to witness "The Cavalcade of Perversions."

In 1972 Waters created what would become the most "notorious" film in the American independent cinema of the 1970’s, PINK FLAMINGOS. Centered on the great battle to secure the title "Filthiest People Alive," PINK FLAMINGOS pitted Divine’s "Babs Johnson" against Mink Stole and David Lochary’s truly evil "Connie and Raymond Marble," while turning Waters into a cult celebrity. PINK FLAMINGOS went on to become a smash success at midnight screenings in the U.S. and all over the world.

Waters followed the success of PINK FLAMINGOS with three more pictures, spanning the remainder of the decade. In 1974 he created FEMALE TROUBLE, the story of Dawn Davenport (Divine), a criminal who wanted to be famous so badly she committed murder. 1977 marked the premier of DESPERATE LIVING, a monstrous fairytale comedy starring the notorious Mafia moll turned stripper Liz Renay. In 1981 Waters completed POLYESTER, a wide-screen comic melodrama starring Divine and Tab Hunter. Filmed in glorious "Odorama," ticket buyers were given scratch ’n’ sniff cards that allowed the audience to smell along with the characters in their fragrant search for romantic happiness.

In HAIRSPRAY (1988), Waters created "an almost big-budget comedy extravaganza about star-struck teen-age celebrities in 1962, their stage mothers and their quest for mental health." The film was a box office and critical success and starred the then unknown Ricki Lake, Deborah Harry, the late Sonny Bono, Jerry Stiller, Pia Zadora and Ric Ocasek.

The success of HAIRSPRAY brought Waters major Hollywood backing for his next feature, CRY-BABY (1990), a juvenile delinquent musical comedy satire, starring Johnny Depp. In 1994, Waters released SERIAL MOM, the well reviewed, socially un-redeeming comedy starring Kathleen Turner and Sam Waterston, which was the closing night attraction at that year’s Cannes Film Festival.

PINK FLAMINGOS, the ultimate trash masterpiece, was again in theatres for a 25th Anniversary re-release in 1997, complete with newfound footage. Commenting on the long-lasting popularity of the film, director Waters proudly boasts, "it’s hard to offend three generations, but it looks like I’ve succeeded." PECKER, a feel-good movie about lesbian strippers, pubic-hair harassment and amateur photography, was released in 1998. It starred Edward Furlong and Christina Ricci. The Japan Times called it "a Disney film for perverts."

CECIL B. DEMENTED, a comedy action-thriller about a young lunatic film director (Stephen Dorff) and his gang of film cultists who kidnap a real-life Hollywood movie goddess (Melanie Griffith) and force her to act in their own Super 8 underground movie, was released in 2000. Kevin Thomas of The LA Times, called CECIL B. DEMENTED “a fast, furious and funny fusillade of a movie.”

A DIRTY SHAME concerns head injury sufferers who, after their concussion, experience a carnal lust they cannot control. It stars Tracey Ullman, Johnny Knoxville, Selma Blair, and Chris Isaak.

In addition to writing and directing feature films, Waters is the author of: "Shock Value" and "Trash Trio" from Thunder’s Mouth Press, "Crackpot" from Scribner and "Director’s Cut" from Scalo Books. He also co-authored “Art: A Sex Book” from Thames & Hudson with art critic, Bruce Hainley.

John Waters has shown his photographs in galleries all over the world, including solo shows in New York, Hamburg, Paris, Vienna, Brussels, San Francisco, Seattle, New Orleans, Baltimore and Provincetown, Mass. From February through May of 2004, the New Museum of Contemporary Art in New York City organized and presented “John Waters: Change of Life,” which traveled to the Fotomuseum Winterthur (Switzerland) and will also be exhibited at The Andy Warhol Museum (Pittsburgh) and other international locations. A catalogue of the same title from Abrams Publishing accompanies the exhibition.

Waters is a member of The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences and is on the Wexner Center International Arts Advisory Council. In the Fall of 2002, he was appointed to the board of The Andy Warhol Foundation.

Director Filmography

2004 A DIRTY SHAME
2000 CECIL B. DEMENTED
1998 PECKER
1994 SERIAL MOM
1990 CRY-BABY
1988 HAIRSPRAY
1981 POLYESTER
1977 DESPERATE LIVING
1974 FEMALE TROUBLE
1972 PINK FLAMINGOS
1970 MULTIPLE MANIACS
THE DIANE LINKLETTER STORY
1969 MONDO TRASHO
1967 EAT YOUR MAKEUP
1966 ROMAN CANDLES
1964 HAG IN A BLACK LEATHER JACKET

Christine Vachon (Producer)

Christine Vachon produced Todd Haynes’ controversial first feature, POISON, which was awarded the Grand Jury prize at the 1991 Sundance Film Festival. Since then, she has gone on to produce some of the most acclaimed American independent films including THE COMPANY, CAMP, PARTY MONSTER, FAR FROM HEAVEN (nominated for four Academy Awards®), ONE HOUR PHOTO, HEDWIG AND THE ANGRY INCH, BOYS DON’T CRY (Academy Award® winner) HAPPINESS, VELVET GOLDMINE, SAFE, I SHOT ANDY WARHOL, GO FISH, and SWOON. Vachon runs Killer Films with partners Pamela Koffler and Katie Roumel. Killer has a first look deal with Warner Bros., which builds on an existing co-production pact with John Wells Productions.

Currently in release from Warner Independent Pictures is Michael Mayers’ A HOME AT THE END OF THE WORLD, starring Colin Farrell from the book by Michael Cunningham. Killer is currently in post-production on MRS. HARRIS, the story of the Scarsdale Diet Doctor murder starring Annette Bening and Sir Ben Kingsley, directed by Phyllis Nagy, and Mary Harron’s new film THE BALLAD OF BETTIE PAGE, starring Gretchen Mol.

In 1994, Vachon was awarded the Frameline Award for Outstanding Achievement in Lesbian and Gay Media and in 1996 was honored with the prestigious Muse Award for Outstanding Vision and Achievement by New York Women in Film and Television. She received the IFP’s 1999 Gotham Award for producing. Most recently Vachon was honored by the New York Film Critics Circle for her work on FAR FROM HEAVEN, and received the producer of the year award from the National Board of Review.

Vachon’s book, SHOOTING TO KILL: HOW AN INDEPENDENT PRODUCER BLASTS THROUGH BARRIERS TO MAKE MOVIES THAT MATTER, was published in the fall of 1998 by Avon, and was a Los Angeles Times bestseller. She is currently at work on her second book, which will be published by Simon and Schuster in 2005.

Ted Hope (Producer)

Ted Hope, together with partners Anthony Bregman and Anne Carey, runs the New York production company This is that, formed out of the production and development arms of the groundbreaking Good Machine. This is that’s initial year yielded three features: Alejandro Gonzalez Inarritu’s 21 GRAMS, (starring Sean Penn, Benicio Del Toro & Naomi Watts), Michel Gondry and Charlie Kaufman’s ETERNAL SUNSHINE OF THE SPOTLESS MIND (starring Jim Carrey & Kate Winslet) and Tod Williams’ THE DOOR IN THE FLOOR (starring Jeff Bridges & Kim Basinger, based on a novel by John Irving). In addition, This is that is currently in post-production on Mike Mills’ THUMBSUCKER (starring Tilda Swinton, Vince Vaughn, Keanu Reeves, Vincent D’Onofrio & Benjamin Bratt) which Hope executive produced with his partners at This is that.

Hope’s production AMERICAN SPLENDOR won the Grand Jury Prize at the 2003 Sundance Film Festival as well as the FIPRESCI Award at the 2003 Cannes Film Festival, the Critics prize at the 2003 Deauville Film Festival and was nominated for 5 Independent Spirit Awards including Best Feature. Based on the life and comics of Harvey Pekar and written and directed by Shari Berman and Bob Pulcini, AMERICAN SPLENDOR marked Hope’s 14th official selection to the Sundance Film Festival. Hope was repped at the 2002 Sundance Festival by Moises Kaufman’s Emmy nominated THE LARAMIE PROJECT, Todd Solondz’s STORYTELLING, and Michel Gondry’s HUMAN NATURE, written by Charlie Kaufman.

Hope’s production of Nicole Holofcener’s LOVELY & AMAZING netted six Spirit Award nominations (2003), the most of any 2002 release. Hope executive produced Todd Field’s IN THE BEDROOM, which earned five Academy Award® nominations in 2002 for Best Picture, Actress, Actor, Supporting Actress, and Adapted Screenplay. In addition it won the Best Actress (Drama) Golden Globe Award and was voted best First Feature, Best Actor and Best Actress by the New York Film Critics Circle and won three Independent Spirit Awards (2002).

Hope also produced the Cannes Critics’ Prize-winning HAPPINESS, directed by Todd Solondz and co-produced with Christine Vachon, which Hopewhich Hope and his partners at Good Machine released themselves, when its distributor dropped the film.

Hope has produced, with James Schamus, many of Ang Lee’s films including RIDE WITH THE DEVIL, THE ICE STORM, PUSHING HANDS, the Academy Award nominated THE WEDDING BANQUET and EAT DRINK MAN WOMAN. He has executive produced two Sundance Grand Jury Prize Winners: Edward Burns’ THE BROTHERS MCMULLEN (1995) and Tom Noonan’s WHAT HAPPENED WAS... (1994), and produced two films that were, according to Variety, the most commercially successful films (as a ratio to their budgets) in 1995 and 1993 respectively: Burns’ THE BROTHERS MCMULLEN and Lee’s THE WEDDING BANQUET. Hope got his start as a producer from his early collaborations with Hal Hartley, eight films in all, including AMATEUR, SIMPLE MEN, and TRUST among them.

Hope has been awarded numerous honors and citations. He takes particular joy in first features, having produced fourteen of them. Hope is credited with producing 50 films to date. Recently Hope played a key role in the organization of the successful campaign in opposition to the MPAA’s Screener Ban.

Steve Gainer, ASC (Director of Photography)

Steve Gainer has shot two projects for director Larry Clark, the telefilm TEENAGE CAVEMAN and the feature BULLY (a Best Picture winner at the Stockholm Film Festival). He recently photographed Rick Schroeder’s boxing drama BLACK CLOUD, winner of the best cinematography prize at the Phoenix Film Festival, and Gregg Araki’s MYSTERIOUS SKIN.

A former professional musician, Gainer has shot over 200 music videos to date, including Kid Rock’s "Bawitdaba" (MTV Award nominee for Best Rock Video) and Kenny Chesney’s "Young" (CMT Flameworthy Award winner for Music Video of the Year). He has filmed videos in virtually every musical genre, working with Brooks and Dunn, Jay-Z, Jane’s Addiction, Snoop Dogg and Willie Nelson, among many others.

Gainer began his film career at the age of 27 as a production assistant, and soon decided to pursue cinematography. After he working his way up through the production ranks, Gainer was hired by Roger Corman and honed his skills shooting a number of the legendary filmmaker’s ultra-low-budget films.

Vincent Peranio (Production Designer)

Vincent Peranio is a production designer for feature films and television. He began working with John Waters on PINK FLAMINGOS and has worked on every Waters film since. Peranio was the production designer on the acclaimed television series “Homicide: Life on the Streets,” as well as the 1999 Emmy Award-winning series “The Corner,” and Barry Levinson film LIBERTY HEIGHTS. Peranio’s television film credits include SOMETHING THE LORD MADE and SHOT IN THE HEART, both for HBO. He is currently working on the third season of the acclaimed HBO series “The Wire.”

Jeffrey Wolf (Editor)

DIRTY SHAME is Jeffrey Wolf’s second film with John Waters. Wolf is always happy to work with Waters who calls him, “The coolest sex addict sympathizer editor in the world.” Since editing Waters’ last film, CECIL B. DEMENTED (2000), his resume includes the film HOLES (2003), based on the 1998 Newbury Award winning novel by Louis Sachar. Currently, he is editing Les Mayfield’s THE MAN (2005), starring Samuel L. Jackson and Eugene Levy for New Line Cinema.

During much of his career, Wolf collaborated as editor on the innovative films of the late director Ted Demme, including such smart, dark comedies as THE REF (1994) and such dramatic, character driven comedies as BEAUTIFUL GIRLS (1996). Other Demme films include: MONUMENT AVE. (1998, aka SNITCH), WHO’S THE MAN? (1993) and LIFE (1999). Demme and Wolf collaborated with Jonathan Demme on SUBWAY STORIES (1997) for HBO. Wolf also edited twice for legendary filmmaker Arthur Penn on FOUR FRIENDS (1981) and PENN & TELLER GET KILLED (1989). Other great films on Wolf’s resume include: NETWORK (1976), MIKEY AND NICKY (1976), BABY, IT’S YOU (1983), HONEYSUCKLE ROSE (1980), and THE WIZ (1978).

Wolf enjoys working in multiple film genres, from the slapstick antics of BILLY MADISON (1995), to the fun and adventure of the cherished childhood favorite MADELINE (1998), to the serous ANDRE’S MOTHER (1990).

In addition to being a member of the Editor’s Guild, Wolf has been further recognized by his acceptance into some of the industry’s most prestigious organizations including the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (AMPAS) and the American Cinema Editors (A.C.E.). He has been a “Sight and Sound” course lecturer at NYU Tisch School and has also participated in their highly acclaimed Director’s Series program. He has taught an AVID Master Editors Workshop on comedy.

Van Smith (Costume Designer)

PINK FLAMINGOS marked the beginning of Van Smith’s tenure as costume designer and resident “ugly expert” on John Waters’ films, in which position he has continued through FEMALE TROUBLE, DESPERATE LIVING, POLYESTER, HAIRSPRAY, CRY-BABY, SERIAL MOM, PECKER and CECIL B. DEMENTED. Smith’s television credits include “Homicide: Life on the Street” and several PBS costume dramas. He has worked on several off-Broadway shows and independent stage productions in California.

Pat Moran (Casting/Associate Producer)

Pat Moran met John Waters in 1964. Through their long association, she has worn as many hats as the demands of their early, ultra-low budget productions have required. In recent years, she has become known as the Casting Director responsible for Waters’ unique only-in-Baltimore cast, as well as acting as Associate Producer.

Moran is a member of the Casting Society of America (C.S.A.). She has worked with numerous directors in addition to Waters, including Peter Medak, Ridley Scott, Clint Eastwood, John McNaughton, Chris Rock and Barry Levinson - for whom she cast such films as AVALON and LIBERTY HEIGHTS. She has also worked on TV series and pilots, such as HBO’s “The Wire” and “The Corner,” and NBC’s “Homicide: Life on the Street.” She has been nominated for numerous Emmy Awards©, and won for “Homicide.” She has also received C.S.A.’s ARTIOS© award for “The Wire.” Moran recently received her fifth Emmy nomination for casting the HBO television film SOMETHING THE LORD MADE.

Moran has been extremely active in her work for AIDS patients, including co-founding the patient support organization, AIDS ACTION BALTIMORE.

George S. Clinton (Composer)

George S. Clinton began his professional musical career as a songwriter, arranger, and session musician in Nashville, while earning degrees in music and drama at Middle Tennessee State University. A performance by Joe Cocker inspired Clinton to move to Los Angeles to pursue a career in rock & roll. There, he became a staff writer for Warner Brothers Music, with songs were recorded by such artists as Michael Jackson, Joe Cocker, Johnny Mathis and Smokey Robinson; continued arranging and session work.

As a recording artist, Clinton made four albums for MCA, Elektra, ABC, and Arista. The critically acclaimed George Clinton Band attracted the attention of a movie producer, giving George the opportunity to score his first film, CHEECH AND CHONG STILL SMOKIN’, and later, another Cheech and Chong film, THE CORSICAN BROTHERS. Clinton developed his craft scoring "ninja" movies for Cannon Films, network and cable television movies and miniseries, writing for a wide range of genres and musical styles. The soulful, erotic jazz for Zalman King’s Showtime anthology “Red Shoe Diaries” developed a following, and brought more public awareness.

His musical inventiveness and versatility in both orchestral and popular idioms have allowed him to contribute memorable scores to such diverse films as the hit comedy AUSTIN POWERS: INTERNATIONAL MAN OF MYSTERY and its blockbuster sequels AUSTIN POWERS: THE SPY WHO SHAGGED ME, AUSTIN POWERS IN GOLDMEMBER, and the hit martial arts fantasy MORTAL KOMBAT and its sequel. Other noteworthy projects include THE SANTA CLAUSE 2; JOE SOMEBODY; 3000 MILES TO GRACELAND; WILD THINGS; and THE ASTRONAUT’S WIFE.

In addition, Clinton has written several concert works, as well as collaborating on three musicals: “Family Love” and “Spirit of the Mountain,” both commissioned by the Cumberland County Playhouse, and “That Other Woman’s Child,” which enjoyed critical acclaim and a long run at the Callboard Theatre in Los Angeles.

Tracy McKnight (Music Supervisor)

The co-founder and president of Commotion Records, Tracy McKnight has worked in and around entertainment media for more than ten years, and in that time she has emerged as a premiere talent in music supervision for film and television.

In addition to the current slate of projects at Commotion, McKnight has overseen the musical direction for some 50 films - a good deal of them having won acclaim and awards from all corners of the industry. She also draws upon her lively "rock ’n roll years" in the record industry as a producer and associate producer for over 200 studio recordings, dating from 1992 to today, for inspiration.

Her work embraces a range and diversity of tastes, and recent projects include such musicians and filmmakers as Jim Jarmusch (COFFEE AND CIGARETTES), Guy Pearce (Music from the film A SLIPPING-DOWN LIFE), Nathaniel Kahn (the Oscar® nominated best feature documentary MY ARCHITECT), Jim McKay (EVERYDAY PEOPLE), David Holmes and Stephen Hilton’s Free Association (soundtrack to Michael Winterbottom’s CODE 46), Nathan Larson (film score compilation including music from STORYTELLING, DIRTY PRETTY THINGS, and BOYS DON’T CRY) as well as Alice Wu’s directorial debut SAVING FACE.

In the late 1990s, McKnight served as music director at Independent Pictures (SWINGERS, RUDY, SCREAM), and executive director at Good Machine Music. She also consulted on soundtrack acquisitions for Walter Yetnikoff’s Velvel label (distributed through Navarre and BMG) and for Koch Entertainment. For several years, McKnight also worked with an eclectic array of artists at New York-based musician and producer Bill Laswell’s Material, Inc, - including George Clinton, Bootsy Collins, William S. Burroughs, Ornette Coleman, Motorhead, The Jungle Brothers, Sly & Robbie and many more.

McKnight has also served as a consultant for the Independent Film Project (IFP), and has spoken on numerous panels for the BMI and ASCAP writers’ societies. She has sat on the Sundance Mentor Committee for the Mark Silverman Award, as well as participated as an Advisor for the Sundance Producer/Composer Lab. The Sundance Channel has twice profiled her career.