Damion Dietz
| Damion Dietz | |
|---|---|
| Born | California, USA |
| Alma mater | University of Southern California |
| Occupation | Writer/Director |
| Website | www.damiondietz.com |
Damion Dietz is a writer and film director known for his award-winning underground/indie films. Dietz' films have screened at film festivals around the world and have now gained cult popularity with alternative/LGBT audiences.
Background
A graduate of the School of Cinematic Arts at the University of Southern California,[1] Dietz' debut feature film Fag Hag (1998), a politically incorrect, low-budget satire for Troma Entertainment, was described as "a punk, underground trash cinema classic" (New York Post / Page Six), "a savagely funny, deranged comedy of manners" (Chicago Tribune), and "rollicking, trashy and clever" (Variety). The film stars Dietz, Stephanie Orff and features Wil Wheaton.
Dietz' subsequent films have also skewered popular culture and/or dealt with characters on the fringe. The award-winning Neverland (2003), a surreal and modern retelling of the classic J.M. Barrie play Peter Pan, stars Rick Sparks, Melany Bell, Gary Kelley, and anime voice actress Kari Wahlgren. The film also features appearances from Wil Wheaton and Scott Mechlowicz. Other films include Beverly Kills (2005), a campy farce about a terrorist cult of failed Hollywood actors and Love Life (2006), a melodrama about the marriage of convenience between a closeted former athlete and his lesbian wife, which premiered at the Frameline Film Festival in San Francisco and was selected as the benefit film for the Human Rights Campaign.
Dietz' film Dog Tags (2008), financed and distributed theatrically in the US and UK by TLA Releasing, is a sharp departure from his satirical earlier work, prompting the Village Voice to note "in 'Dog Tags', Dietz gets serious and is all the better for it... he has freed himself as a writer". The acclaimed drama centers around a Marine on leave and the sexually confused man with whom he develops an intense bond. The film stars Paul Preiss (as Nate Merritt), Bart Fletcher (as Andy Forte), Amy Lindsay and Academy Award nominee Candy Clark.
Dietz is a member of Writers Guild of America, West (WGAw).
Awards
- 2003: Director Damion Dietz won Q Award at Fort Worth Gay and Lesbian International Film Festival for his film Neverland
- 2003: Dietz also won Honorable Mention at the Dances With Films festival for the same film
Filmography
Director
- 1998: Fag Hag
- 2001: The Virgin Larry
- 2003: Neverland
- 2005: Beverly Kills
- 2006: Love Life
- 2008: Dog Tags
Writer
- 1998: Fag Hag
- 2001: The Virgin Larry
- 2003: Neverland
- 2005: Beverly Kills
- 2006: Love Life
- 2008: Dog Tags
Producer
- 1998: Fag Hag (producer)
- 2001: The Virgin Larry (producer)
- 2003: Neverland (producer)
- 2005: Beverly Kills (producer)
- 2006: Love Life (executive producer)
Actor
- 1990: Welcome Home, Roxy Carmichael as Whipped Cream Boy
- 1998: Fag Hag as Scott 'Bushey' Bushey
- 2001: The Virgin Larry as Larry Gantry