Paul Schrader

Paul Schrader, an active figure in the film industry since 1974, has had an illustrious career as an American screenwriter and film director. He gained recognition early on for his work on the screenplay of "Taxi Driver," which won the Palme d'Or at the Cannes Film Festival and was nominated for an Oscar for Best Picture. Schrader's collaboration with Martin Scorsese on projects such as "Raging Bull" and "The Last Temptation of Christ" further cemented his reputation in the industry. His directorial debut, "Blue Collar," was released in 1978, followed by a series of notable works including "American Gigolo," "Mishima: A Life in Four Chapters," and "First Reformed." The latter earned him his first Academy Award nomination and was part of a loosely connected trilogy with his recent films "The Card Counter" and "Master Gardener."

Schrader's career has been marked by a series of accolades and recognitions, including the Laurel Award for Screenwriting Achievement and the AFI Franklin J. Schaffner Award. In 1998, he received the Austin Film Festival's Distinguished Screenwriter Award, and a decade later, he was honored with the inaugural Lifetime Achievement in Screenwriting award at the ScreenLit Festival in Nottingham, England. Schrader's innovative approach to filmmaking was demonstrated in 2013 when he used Kickstarter for crowdfunding his film, "The Canyons." His filmography is diverse, with upcoming projects such as "Oh, Canada," an adaptation of Russell Banks' novel "Foregone," and a western titled "Three Guns at Dawn" for Antoine Fuqua to direct. Furthermore, he has written for the stage, with plays like "Berlinale" and "Cleopatra Club" to his credit.

Schrader completed another feature film, "The Basics of Philosophy." Schrader's contribution to cinema over the past five decades has been recognized with several awards, including the Golden Lion for Lifetime Achievement at the Venice Film Festival in 2022. His film, "Oh, Canada," was released in 2024.