Adam Wingard
Encyclopedia
Adam Wingard is an American film director, editor, cinematographer, and writer whose films are known for their emphasis on horror, extreme violence, and psychedelic imagery. His dark and sometimes abrasive directing/editing style has been compared to directors such as David Lynch, Darren Aronofsky, and Shinya Tsukamoto. Constantly redefining genre with each new film, Wingard’s work is challenging and visually rich while giving its subjects and characters time to breathe and reflect. Blending violence with pitch-black humor and palpable sadness, we can see different genres intersecting and infecting each other in Wingard’s films. Along with frequent collaborator screenwriter/producer Simon Barrett, Wingard is one of the new trailblazers in the seismic shift taking place in the genre world of filmmaking.
Wingard graduated from Full Sail University in 2002. His first feature, the horror-comedy HOME SICK, starring genre icon Bill Moseley and screen queen Tiffany Shepis, proved to be a stepping stone to his second feature, the psychotropic ghost story thriller POP SKULL, that immediately garnered him as an exciting talent to watch. Made on a total budget of $2,000, POP SKULL, which he shot in high definition video in Alabama, had its international premiere at the Rome Film Festival and its domestic premiere at the AFI Film Festival in 2007. Variety, Hollywood Reporter, LA Weekly and a host of other outlets and reviewers took note of POP SKULL, showering it with positive praise, and in Wingard it was apparent that something big was brewing that would have repercussions for the way we look at horror films. A HORRIBLE WAY TO DIE (2010) and WHAT FUN WE WERE HAVING (2011) saw those predictions play out. The former, the serial killer love story thriller A HORRIBLE WAY TO DIE, premiered at the 2010 Toronto International Film Festival in the ‘Vanguard’ section. The film played to packed crowds, received rave reviews, and was acquired by Starz/Anchor Bay at the festival for a North American theatrical releases, as well as VOD and DVD. The latter, WHAT FUN WE WERE HAVING, is a 4-part anthology dealing with the taboo subject of date rape. The anthology had its premiere at the 2011 Fantastia Film Festival in Montreal where Wingard was honored by the festival with his very own sidebar section: “Medicated Monsters - A Spotlight on Filmmaker Adam Wingard”. Not only were Wingard’s feature films presented in the spotlight, but also highlighted were a selection of his genre bending award winning short films - "Cerebella," "Laura Panic," and "Paradox Mary”.
This past year allowed us to see a different side of Wingard when he co-directed AUTOEROTIC along side mumblecore icon (and frequent actor in Wingard films) Joe Swanberg. The film, which was acquired by IFC Films, had a theatrical run this past summer. Also in the pipeline Wingard has been selected, along with many other genre and horror masters, to participate in the ABC’S OF DEATH, a 26-chapter horror anthology for Drafthouse Films and Magnet. He will direct one chapter.
However, it is Wingard's most recent solo directorial effort, entitled YOU’RE NEXT, that premiered at the 2011 Toronto International Film Festival as part of the ‘Midnight Madness’ section that everyone is talking about. YOU’RE NEXT, a home invasion thriller, that he directed for Keith Calder’s Snoot Entertainment and HanWay Films is a step up for Wingard budgetary wise and is poised to launch his career to a new level. The film was acquired by Lionsgate in a heated bidding war after the screening and was arguably the most coveted acquisition title at the 2011 Toronto International Film Festival. Lionsgate, which beat out such companies as Summit, Weinstein/Dimension, CBS Films, Film District, and Paramount/Indian Paintbrush, is planning a wide release for YOU’RE NEXT in 2012. Nikki Finke’s Deadline Hollywood claimed that YOU’RE NEXT has the “box-office breakout potential of 2010 Toronto’s Insidious.”
in Austin, Texas.
Wingard's A Horrible Way to Die won Best Screenplay (Simon Barrett), Best Actor (AJ Bowen) and Best Actress (Amy Seimetz) at the 2010 Fantastic Fest
in Austin, Texas.
Wingard's critically acclaimed film Pop Skull won the Best Feature Film award at the Indianapolis International Film Festival
and the Jury award at the Boston Underground Film Festival
Reviews
Wingard graduated from Full Sail University in 2002. His first feature, the horror-comedy HOME SICK, starring genre icon Bill Moseley and screen queen Tiffany Shepis, proved to be a stepping stone to his second feature, the psychotropic ghost story thriller POP SKULL, that immediately garnered him as an exciting talent to watch. Made on a total budget of $2,000, POP SKULL, which he shot in high definition video in Alabama, had its international premiere at the Rome Film Festival and its domestic premiere at the AFI Film Festival in 2007. Variety, Hollywood Reporter, LA Weekly and a host of other outlets and reviewers took note of POP SKULL, showering it with positive praise, and in Wingard it was apparent that something big was brewing that would have repercussions for the way we look at horror films. A HORRIBLE WAY TO DIE (2010) and WHAT FUN WE WERE HAVING (2011) saw those predictions play out. The former, the serial killer love story thriller A HORRIBLE WAY TO DIE, premiered at the 2010 Toronto International Film Festival in the ‘Vanguard’ section. The film played to packed crowds, received rave reviews, and was acquired by Starz/Anchor Bay at the festival for a North American theatrical releases, as well as VOD and DVD. The latter, WHAT FUN WE WERE HAVING, is a 4-part anthology dealing with the taboo subject of date rape. The anthology had its premiere at the 2011 Fantastia Film Festival in Montreal where Wingard was honored by the festival with his very own sidebar section: “Medicated Monsters - A Spotlight on Filmmaker Adam Wingard”. Not only were Wingard’s feature films presented in the spotlight, but also highlighted were a selection of his genre bending award winning short films - "Cerebella," "Laura Panic," and "Paradox Mary”.
This past year allowed us to see a different side of Wingard when he co-directed AUTOEROTIC along side mumblecore icon (and frequent actor in Wingard films) Joe Swanberg. The film, which was acquired by IFC Films, had a theatrical run this past summer. Also in the pipeline Wingard has been selected, along with many other genre and horror masters, to participate in the ABC’S OF DEATH, a 26-chapter horror anthology for Drafthouse Films and Magnet. He will direct one chapter.
However, it is Wingard's most recent solo directorial effort, entitled YOU’RE NEXT, that premiered at the 2011 Toronto International Film Festival as part of the ‘Midnight Madness’ section that everyone is talking about. YOU’RE NEXT, a home invasion thriller, that he directed for Keith Calder’s Snoot Entertainment and HanWay Films is a step up for Wingard budgetary wise and is poised to launch his career to a new level. The film was acquired by Lionsgate in a heated bidding war after the screening and was arguably the most coveted acquisition title at the 2011 Toronto International Film Festival. Lionsgate, which beat out such companies as Summit, Weinstein/Dimension, CBS Films, Film District, and Paramount/Indian Paintbrush, is planning a wide release for YOU’RE NEXT in 2012. Nikki Finke’s Deadline Hollywood claimed that YOU’RE NEXT has the “box-office breakout potential of 2010 Toronto’s Insidious.”
Critical acclaim
Wingard's You're Next won Best Picture, Best Director, Best Screenplay (Simon Barrett), and Best Actress (Sharni Vinson) at the 2011 Fantastic FestFantastic Fest
Fantastic Fest is an annual film festival in Austin, Texas. It was founded in 2005 by Tim League of Alamo Drafthouse, Harry Knowles of Ain't It Cool News, Paul Alvarado-Dykstra, and Tim McCanlies, writer of The Iron Giant and Secondhand Lions. The festival focuses on genre films such as horror,...
in Austin, Texas.
Wingard's A Horrible Way to Die won Best Screenplay (Simon Barrett), Best Actor (AJ Bowen) and Best Actress (Amy Seimetz) at the 2010 Fantastic Fest
Fantastic Fest
Fantastic Fest is an annual film festival in Austin, Texas. It was founded in 2005 by Tim League of Alamo Drafthouse, Harry Knowles of Ain't It Cool News, Paul Alvarado-Dykstra, and Tim McCanlies, writer of The Iron Giant and Secondhand Lions. The festival focuses on genre films such as horror,...
in Austin, Texas.
Wingard's critically acclaimed film Pop Skull won the Best Feature Film award at the Indianapolis International Film Festival
Indianapolis International Film Festival
-Mission & General Information:Founded in 2004, the Indianapolis International Film Festival seeks to create a shared experience by championing films that entertain, challenge and expand perspectives in Indianapolis and beyond...
and the Jury award at the Boston Underground Film Festival
Boston Underground Film Festival
The Boston Underground Film Festival is an annual event held in the Boston, Massachusetts area that specializes in alternative film and video. The Boston Underground Film Festival, also known as BUFF, is the largest underground film festival in New England, spotlighting short films and feature...
Reviews
- DreadCentral.com reviews Home Sick: "Twists my brain".
Filmography (as director)
| Year | Title | Genre |
|---|---|---|
| You're Next | Horror | |
| A Horrible Way to Die | Horror | |
| Little Sister Gone | short film | |
| Paradox Mary | short film | |
| 1000 Year Sleep | short film | |
| Home Sick | ||
| Laura Panic | short film | |
| Pop Skull | Horror | |
| The Girlfriend | short film | |
| The Little One | short film |