Allison Anders facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Allison Anders
Allison Anders at the 61st Annual Peabody Awards (2002)
Born	Mary Allison Anders (1954-11-16) November 16, 1954 (age 70) Ashland, Kentucky, U.S.
Alma mater	UCLA School of Theater, Film and Television
Occupation	Director, screenwriter
Years active	1987–present
Known for	Gas Food Lodging Mi Vida Loca Grace of My Heart
Children	3

Allison Anders (born November 16, 1954) is an American independent film director and writer. She is known for movies like Gas Food Lodging, Mi Vida Loca, and Grace of My Heart. Allison Anders has worked with UCLA School of Theater, Film and Television graduate Kurt Voss. She has also directed many TV shows. Her films have been shown at famous events like the Cannes International Film Festival and the Sundance Film Festival. She has won important awards, including a MacArthur Genius Grant and a Peabody Award.

Early Life and Education

Allison Anders was born in Ashland, Kentucky. Her mother was Alberta "Rachel" Anders, and her father was Robert "Bob" Anders. She has two sisters. One of her sisters, Luanna Anders, acted in Allison's first movie, Border Radio.

When Allison was four years old, her father left the family. Her parents divorced when she was five. As a child, Allison moved around a lot, so she didn't have a steady education. She spent much of her time watching TV and movies. When she was 12, she had a difficult experience that later influenced some of her films. At 15, after moving to Los Angeles, she went through a tough time and needed help. She was placed in foster care but ran away. She traveled across the country and faced many challenges.

After turning 17, Allison left high school in Los Angeles and moved back to Kentucky. Later, she moved to London with the father of her first child. In her early 20s, Allison returned to Los Angeles with her daughter. She went to Los Angeles Valley College and worked different jobs.

Inspired by films from directors like Wim Wenders, Allison applied to UCLA Film School. While at UCLA, she made her first sound film. Wim Wenders even attended the screening! She graduated from UCLA in 1986 with a degree in Motion Picture-Television.

Film Career

In 1986, Allison Anders won an award for a script she wrote called Lost Highway. This script was about her father. She shared it with him, and it helped them build a relationship again.

Early Films and Recognition

Allison's first movie was Border Radio. She co-wrote and co-directed it with Kurt Voss and Dean Lent while they were at UCLA. This film was about three musicians who stole money and ran away to Mexico. It showed the Los Angeles punk-rock scene of the 1980s. The filmmakers used a small budget by filming in local places and casting friends. Allison's sister, Luanna Anders, and her daughter, Devon Anders, were in the movie. In 2007, Border Radio was released on DVD as part of the Criterion Collection. It was praised as an important independent film.

Her second movie, Gas Food Lodging (1992), brought her more awards. She won for Best New Director from the New York Film Critics Circle and the National Society of Film Critics. The film was about a truck stop waitress and her two daughters in a small Western town. It was based on a book by Richard Peck.

Allison's next film was Mi Vida Loca (My Crazy Life). It was about girl gangs in the Echo Park neighborhood of Los Angeles, where Allison lived. The movie showed a female view of growing up in the inner city. It premiered at the Cannes Film Festival in 1993.

Musical Dramas and Collaborations

In 1996, Allison directed Grace of My Heart, a musical drama. Martin Scorsese was an executive producer for this film. It followed a songwriter's career over many years, including her work in the music industry in the 1960s. The film's soundtrack had new songs written in the styles of that time. Elvis Costello and Burt Bacharach worked together for the first time on a song for the movie, "God Give Me Strength," which was nominated for a Grammy Award.

Allison became friends with members of the pop group Duran Duran in the late 1980s. She often put small references to the band in her movies. In 1999, she and Kurt Voss co-wrote and co-directed Sugar Town. This movie was about the film and music industry in Los Angeles. It starred several musicians, including John Taylor from Duran Duran. The film received two Independent Spirit Award nominations.

Her 2001 film, Things Behind the Sun, explored the long-term effects of a difficult experience. It was shown on the Showtime cable TV network. The film earned an Emmy nomination for actor Don Cheadle. Allison filmed some parts of the movie in the same place in Cocoa Beach, Florida, where her childhood experience happened.

In 2012, Allison co-directed Strutter with Kurt Voss. This black-and-white road movie was the last in a series of films about Southern California musicians. It featured Luanna Anders and music by Ariel Pink and J Mascis.

In 2013, Allison directed Ring of Fire, a TV movie for Lifetime. It was a story about June Carter Cash, starring the musician Jewel.

Television Work

Allison Anders started directing TV shows in 1999. She directed several episodes of ... and the City (formerly "Sex and the City"). She also directed episodes for shows like Cold Case, The L Word, The Mentalist, and Orange Is the New Black.

In 2011, she directed an episode of Southland that included a car chase. In 2015, she directed an episode of Turn: Washington's Spies. This was special to her because she has distant relatives who were spies for George Washington.

Other Projects

In 2013, Allison interviewed the famous actress Marge Champion. This interview was included in the special features of a Blu-ray/DVD release of the 1968 film The Swimmer.

Allison and her musician daughter, Tiffany Anders, started the Don't Knock the Rock Film and Music Festival in Los Angeles in 2003.

In 2013, Allison bought a rock and roll record collection that used to belong to the actress Greta Garbo. She created a website called "Greta's Records" to share this collection.

Teaching and Mentorship

Since 2003, Allison Anders has been a professor at the University of California Santa Barbara. She teaches in the Film And Media Studies Department for one quarter each year. She teaches courses on topics like writing about your own life, rock and roll films, and music in movies.

Allison considers filmmaker Wim Wenders a mentor. She was a fan of his work and sent him letters and music. They have been friends for over 30 years.

Awards and Achievements

Allison Anders has received many awards for her work:

• 1986: Nicholl Fellowships in Screenwriting – for Lost Highway
• 1992: New York Film Critics Circle for Best New Director – for Gas Food Lodging
• 1992: National Society of Film Critics for Best New Director – for Gas Food Lodging
• 1995: MacArthur Fellows Program (also known as a "Genius Grant")
• 2002: Peabody Award – for Things Behind the Sun
• 2013: Primetime Emmy Award nomination for Outstanding Directing of a Drama – for Ring of Fire

Personal Life

Allison Anders has three children. Her two daughters are Tiffany Anders, who is a musician and music supervisor, and Devon Anders. Her son, Ruben Goodbear Anders, was adopted by the Anders family after his mother passed away. Tiffany was named after the film Breakfast at Tiffany's.

Filmography

Film

Television

• 1999: ... and the City – director, 4 episodes
• 2004: Cold Case – director, 1 episode
• 2006: The L Word – director, 1 episode
• 2011: Southland – director, 2 episodes
• 2013: The Mentalist – director, 1 episode
• 2014: Orange Is the New Black – director, 1 episode
• 2014–2015: Murder in the First – director, 4 episodes
• 2015: Turn: Washington's Spies – director, 1 episode
• 2017: Riverdale – director, 2 episodes
• 2019–2023: Mayans MC – director, 2 episodes

See also

In Spanish: Allison Anders para niños