CineMasters

John Sayles, Writer/Director/Novelist/Actor, can be seen as one of the Kings of American Independent Cinema. Starting his career writing scripts for Roger Corman on such low budget titles as Piranha (1978), The Lady in Red (1979) and Battle Beyond the Stars (1980) he made his directorial debut with Return of the Secaucus Seven (1980) from his own screenplay – a film many claimed instigated the American Independent film movement of the 1980s. He spent the following years combining his talent as a writer for hire on more “mainstream” fare which helped support his own personal projects of a political and social nature. He even found time to direct promo videos for Bruce Springsteen, between film projects.

In his films he has used a stock of actors on and off ranging from old friends David Strathairn, Chris Cooper, Joe Morton and Maggie Renzi (his long-time companion and Producer of most of his films from Lianna (1983) onwards), alongside such talents as Frances McDormand, Kris Kristofferson, Matthew McConaughey and Alfre Woodard.

Sayles’ films have a strong sense of community in them, from the Mine Union workers of Matewan (1987), the community under threat of corruption and discrimination in City of Hope (1991), the Baseball Team members caught up in the scandal of Eight Men Out (1988), to the townsfolk of Frontera in Lone Star (1996). You can experience all four on the big screen at GFT this August.