Dustin Lance Black

Director and screenwriter Dustin Lance Black escaped a repressive childhood to explore the reality of gay life in a variety of film projects, including On the Bus (2001) and the acclaimed Milk (2008). Black found an escape from his strict religious upbringing in theater, which in turn introduced him to film production, where he began his career as a filmmaker with the critically praised Journey of Jared Price (2000) and On the Bus, both of which examined identity and relationships among gay men with sensitivity and skill. He returned to his roots as a writer and co-producer on Big Love (HBO, 2006- ) before penning Milk, a biographical feature on the life of San Francisco politician and activist Harvey Milk, whose life and tragic death inspired generations of gay adults to seek respect and representation for their own lives. The outpouring of praise from critics and award organizations for Black’s script was a clear indication that he was soon to enter the top echelon of Hollywood writers.

Born in Sacramento, CA in 1979, Black was raised in a devoutly Mormon military family in San Antonio, TX before relocating to Salinas, CA after his mother’s remarriage. The religious and political atmosphere of his early years clashed mightily with his sexuality; Black knew he was gay from an early age, but kept his true nature secret for fear of abuse at the hands of others. As a result, his childhood was a secretive and deeply painful one; reportedly, Black considered suicide during this formative period.

He found solace in the local theater, and delved deeply into every aspect of that world –from acting and technical work to apprenticing with local directors. Black’s passion for performance took him to UCLA’s School of Theater, Film and Television, from which he graduated with honors. After college, he found work in film production, first as an art director, and later as the director on various commercials and music videos. He made the transition to dramatic feature work in 2000 with The Journey of Jared Price, an independent drama about a young gay man’s sexual awakening which he shot over a period of five days for $30,000. It was followed by a similarly-themed short film Something Close to Heaven (2000) and a documentary, On the Bus (2001). Originally intended as a six-part reality series for the Digital Entertainment Network, the latter project took its initial premise – a group of six gay men of diverse personalities travel by bus to partake in the hedonism of the Burning Man festival – and inverted its exploitative elements to become an incisive commentary on gay stereotypes. Critically acclaimed by gay and straight press alike, On the Bus helped to put Black on the map as a filmmaker.

In 2003, Black produced and directed My Life with Count Dracula, a documentary about Dr. Donald Reed, a horror movie fan whose dedication to the genre led to the creation of the Academy of Fantasy, Science Fiction and Horror Film, as well as the Saturn Awards. The gentle biopic, which examined Reed’s contributions to fantasy filmmaking as well as the financial toll it took on his life, further increased Black’s profile as a documentary filmmaker and led to work as a producer and director on the BBC series Faking It (Channel 4, 2000-03, 2006). The program – a combination of game show and reality series – followed individuals as they were trained in a job completely outside of their day-to-day existence, after which they were judged alongside professionals in their new line of work by a panel who tried to determine who the “faker” in the group was. A popular and award-winning series in the UK, it led to several spin-offs, including an American version for The Learning Channel in 2003.