Gus Van Sant is a filmmaker whose work moves between independent cinema, experimental narrative and major studio productions. His early films include Mala Noche, Drugstore Cowboy and My Own Private Idaho; later projects include To Die For, Good Will Hunting and Milk.
Alongside those character-led dramas, films such as Gerry and Elephant explore extended duration, movement and unconventional storytelling. Elephant received both the Palme d'Or and the directing prize at Cannes in 2003. Paranoid Park received the festival's special anniversary prize in 2007.
