Age: 65
male
Todd Haynes (/heɪnz/; born January 2, 1961; Los Angeles) is an American filmmaker. His films span four decades with themes examining the personalities of well-known musicians, dysfunctional and dystopian societies, and blurred gender roles. Haynes first gained public attention with his controversial short film Superstar: The Karen Carpenter Story (1987), which chronicles singer Karen Carpenter's life and death, using Barbie dolls as actors. Superstar became a cult classic. Haynes's feature directorial debut, Poison (1991), a provocative exploration of AIDS-era queer perceptions and subversions, established him as a figure of a new transgressive cinema. Poison won the Sundance Film Festival's Grand Jury Prize and is regarded as a seminal work of New Queer Cinema. Haynes received further acclaim for his second feature film, Safe (1995), a symbolic portrait of a housewife who develops multiple chemical sensitivity. Safe was later voted the best film of the 1990s by The Village Voice Film Poll. His next feature, Velvet Goldmine (1998), is a tribute to the 1970s glam rock era. The film received the Special Jury Prize for Best Artistic Contribution at the 1998 Cannes Film Festival. Haynes gained acclaim and a measure of mainstream success with Far from Heaven (2002) earning his first Academy Award nomination for Best Original Screenplay. He continued to direct critically lauded films such as I'm Not There (2007), Carol (2015), Wonderstruck (2017) and Dark Waters (2019). He directed his first feature-length documentary, The Velvet Underground (2021). Haynes directed and co-wrote the HBO mini-series Mildred Pierce (2011) for which he was nominated for three Primetime Emmy Awards.
Todd Haynes
Director
for Director in Electric Warrior: The Marc Bolan Story
Suggested by kamsismith
Electric Warrior is a dynamic, vibrant journey through the life of Marc Bolan—a musical pioneer, poet, and style icon whose glittering charisma and inventive sound carved the path for the glam rock movement of the '70s. This film captures Marc's relentless ambition and creative evolution: his humble beginnings as a young dreamer in post-war London, his early days as an underground folk artist, and his transformation into the charismatic frontman of T. Rex. Through the iconic music that sparked "T. Rextasy," Electric Warrior brings Bolan's world to life—the euphoric highs of fame, the ecstatic energy of live performances, and the dizzying allure of his hedonistic lifestyle. But as he climbs higher, we see the struggles beneath his glittering exterior: the pressure of constant reinvention and the deep, private fears he fought to keep hidden. Ultimately, the film leads up to Bolan's tragic end, celebrating the legacy he left behind—a legacy that continues to echo in music, fashion, and culture today. With scenes set to the unforgettable beats of “Get It On,” “20th Century Boy,” and “Children of the Revolution,” Electric Warrior is as much a sensory explosion as it is a story of one man’s passionate pursuit of artistry. Through bold cinematography and an electrifying soundtrack, the film will transport audiences back to the golden age of glam, delivering an emotional tribute to a rock icon whose music and style still resonate.
