Todd Haynes

TODD HAYNES: Oscar-nominated writer-director Todd Haynes’ short film, Superstar: The Karen Carpenter Story, used Barbie dolls as actors to trace the demise from anorexia of the singer, and has gone on to become an underground cult classic. Haynes’ first feature, Poison (1991), was awarded the Grand Jury Prize at Sundance in 1991. Haynes’ next film was Dottie Gets Spanked, a short film which The Village Voice hailed as “A Pop Art Vision of ‘50s suburbia.” His second feature, Safe (1995), was named Best Film of the Year by leading critics at The Boston Globe, Film Comment, and Interview Magazine, among others. The Village Voice went even further, naming it the best film of the 90s. Safe also marked the first of Haynes’ collaborations with widely celebrated actress Julianne Moore. Haynes’ third feature was the potent rock drama Velvet Goldmine (1998), starring Ewan McGregor, Jonathan Rhys-Meyers, Christian Bale and Toni Collette. The New York Times described Goldmine as “dazzlingly surreal,” and the Cannes Film Festival honored the film with an award for Best Artistic Contribution. Far From Heaven (2002), Haynes’ fourth feature, was the single best-reviewed film of 2002. Starring Julianne Moore, Dennis Quaid and Dennis Haysbert, it swept critics awards across the country, including the New York Film Critics circle. Far From Heaven was recognized with four Academy Award nominations, including a Best Actress nod for Moore and a screenwriting nomination for Haynes.