Rob Nilsson’s Biography
ROB NILSSON- A San Francisco based director, Rob Nilsson and co-director John Hanson won the Camera d’Or at Cannes for NORTHERN LIGHTS and Nilsson won the Grand Jury Prize at the Sundance Film Festival for HEAT AND SUNLIGHT. He is the first American film director to have won both awards. He is also the creator of the Direct Action style of digital filmmaking taught in the Tenderloin yGroup Actor’s Ensemble, San Francisco and featured in workshops conducted around the world.
Nilsson is a pioneer in the techniques of video to film transfer which led to today’s digital revolution. In 1985 SIGNAL 7 was the first small format video feature to be blown up to film and distributed around the world.
CHALK, his first feature with the Tenderloin Action Group (now the Tenderloin yGroup) a San Francisco inner city acting workshop, was featured in the Locarno and Toronto film festivals and played in theatres around the country in 2000. It was voted one of the top films of the year by the Village Voice and received critical acclaim in theatrical runs in several US cities.
Seven of Nilsson’s 9 @ NIGHT film series, nine Direct Action digital features cast from the yGroup, STROKE (2000), SINGING (2000), SCHEME C6 (2001) and NEED (2004), PAN (2006), USED (2007) and GO TOGETHER (2007 had their World Premieres at the Mill Valley International Film Festival. ATTITUDE had its World Premiere at the Hong Kong International Film Festival in 2003 and NOISE at the Virginia Film Festival in October, also in 2003.
In collaboration with studio malaparte in Japan, Nilsson completed a Direct Action digital feature film shot on Sagi Island off the coast of Hiroshima. WINTER ORANGES had its world premiere in March, 2000 at the Fukuoka Film Archives in Fukuoka and its US Premiere at the Mill Valley International Film Festival in October 2000.
In September 2000, Nilsson shot another Direct Action digital feature (SAMT) in Jordan, working with a cast of young Jordanians assembled by ZENID, a Jordanian institute for social development. SAMT had its world premiere at the Mill Valley Film Festival in 2004.
In November 2003 Nilsson, in conjunction with Resfest South Africa, shot FRANK, a Direct Action digital feature shot in Cape Town locations with a cast selected from town and township, squatter camps and arts communities.
On September 11, 2005 the Pacific Film Archive hosted the World Premiere of SECURITY, a Direct Action feature film produced during a Nilsson residency at the U. of California, Berkeley. SECURITY also won the Audience Award at the Green Cine Internet Film Festival.
On April 7, 2006 the Kansas City Filmmaker’s Jubilee presented OPENING, a Direct Action feature sponsored and produced in Kansas City by the festival, as its Opening Night film.
Nilsson has directed A TOWN HAS TURNED TO DUST, a feature film for the USA Channel from a script by Rod Serling. Rob Nilsson’s film criticism has been featured on Ifilm and the Adobe Motion Channel and in a regular editorial column in RES, the world’s leading magazine on digital filmmaking.
Nilsson is working on a book about film and received a Rockefeller Artist’s Grant in 2002. In the recent years retrospectives of Nilsson’s work have taken place at the Pacific Film Archives, Berkeley, Chicago Institute of Art, Resfest, Seoul, Korea, Digital Talkies Festival, New Dehli, India, .MOV Festival and Cinemanila, Manila, Philippines, Hong Kong International Film Festival, and the Kansas City Filmmaker’s Jubilee.
Recent awards include the Ted M. Larson Award for “outstanding contributions to the film industry” from the Fargo International Film Festival, the Indie Pioneer Award from the Kansas City Filmmaker’s Jubilee, a Filmmaker of the Year award from the Silver Lake Film Festival, Los Angeles and the Milley Award from the city of Mill Valley for achievement in the Arts. His book of poetry, FROM A REFUGEE OF TRISTAN DA CUNHA was released in September 2007 and is available at Authorhouse.com.
Production on the 9 @ Night film series was completed in 2005. PAN premiered in October, 2006 at the Mill Valley Film Festival while USED and GO TOGETHER, the final two feature films will be featured in the Mill Valley Film Festival in 2007. The World Premiere marathon screening of all 9 feature films is scheduled for the Harvard Film Archives in November, 2007.
PRESQUE ISLE, a narrative feature written and directed and shot on locations in the Santa Cruz Mountains and Northern Wisconsin will premiere at the Mill Valley Film Festival in 2007. PRESQUE ISLE is co- produced by the San Francisco School of Digital Filmmaking and Citizen Cinema.
September 28th, 2007 at 8:03 pm
I had the pleasure of seeing some of Mr. Nilsson’s work but had no idea he was a friend of my brother, Johnny Tidwell. Johnny has been in some of Rob’s films for several years. I have been on my computer for the last week reading everything about Mr. Nilsson-very positive info. I hope to see him Oct. 13,2007 at the premiere movie Used- my brother is in that one.
Email address: bettieboobta@aol.com
October 1st, 2007 at 5:02 pm
Hello Bettie,
So glad to hear from you. Johnny has always been a special man and a unique actor, one who interested international talents such as Louis Malle and John Cassavetes, and, in particular, yours truly.
Because of our friendship and professional relationship for the last 30 years, I am dedicating USED to Johnny. No one who sees John Tidwell is likely to forget him. I invite everyone who reads this to find a way to see his poignant performance in USED. He is equally compelling in SIGNAL 7, another of my Direct Action films, available on my web site.
USED will also play with the rest of the 9 9 @ Night feature films at the Harvard Film Archive on the Harvard campus in Cambridge, Massachusetts Nov. 17-19. Soon after that we plan to open the entire 9 @ Night Film Cycle in the Bay Area. Stay tuned for that event.
And I’ll look forward to seeing you, Bettie, on Oct. 13.
Best to you and all the family,
Rob
November 16th, 2007 at 3:59 am
hello there Rob,
long time! hope all is going well. i have lost your email address and thought this is the best way to reach you.
just want to see how you are doing, and say hey. miss working with you. i am currently in dubai, if you ever do visit please let me know. there is a lot of movie potential here and controversial topics. if you are interested please let me know, who knows maybe we can get to work together after all these years. please do get in touch.
have a good day.
dima
January 18th, 2008 at 5:48 am
rob,
last night at work i watched Heat & Sunlight for a second time and realized fully that you are the salt of the earth, i orginally got into your movie from being a Don Bajema fan, and was surprised at how great the film was and still is! i look forward to checking out all of your efforts, and after listening to your commentary on the film, it occured to me that i would probably want to hang out with you in a dim lit bar somewhere and have a long and in depth conversation about life and humans and art, but that won’t happen, so i just have to leave this message instead….take care, keep making art
February 28th, 2008 at 6:36 pm
This is a reply to Lisa who I didn’t realize had written in. Your words are appreciated. I included HEAT AND SUNLIGHT in a program of FILMS ABOUT LOVE last year. When I saw it again I saw the the collaboration with Don, Steve and Hildy, Consuelo, Ernie, Tom,Geoff, Henk et als was still alive for me. I’m glad that it lives for others as well. This is the year of 9 @ Night and PRESQUE ISLE. I hope you will view these as well and tell me what you think.
February 28th, 2008 at 7:04 pm
I’m still getting used to the new web site which Joel Simone put so much creative juice into creating. It seems like there’s a box here and that I can write in it whenever I have a hunch. These days hunches are a little few and far between because of everything we’re trying to create. Drow Millar and I are getting close to a coherent cut of FRANK DEAD SOULS. We’re about to shoot IMBUED a three day Direct Action feature featuring Liz Sklar and Denny Dey from an inspiration by Denny and I to be produced by Denny and directed by yours truly. Then we’re working on the Bay Area openings of the 9 @ Night films, and doing outreach with the San Francisco School of Digital Filmmaking to find distribution for PRESQUE ISLE. Our Direct Action Player’s workshops have finished their first phase with some pretty tasty scenes created by workshop members. We are contemplating a program whereby we will evolve promising work into ground level feature films produced in the Direct Action way. This will expand the meaning of the workshop experience a great deal. We’re also instituting a Direct Action based Apprenticeship/Residency program here at Citizen Cinema. This will give people a chance to work with us in the Direct Action way and to promote candid, passionate work from the ground up. Nothing fancy. Human emotion, issues, the mayhem and pandemonium, harlequin to sbylline, but mostly looking to the “ways things seem to be.” Those interested should send me an e-mail for more. So there was a box to write in and I did. Will anyone reply?
February 29th, 2008 at 1:20 am
Ah interesting Mr Rob.
I think that workshops inspire but application is the most essential facet in forming our independent creations.
I’m excited to join your group. Both the workshop and residency will definitely bring me closer to the truth.
See you in around 11 months Mr Rob. My financial state isn’t enough for the voyage to San Fransisco. Saving is the current priority.
– Raymund Cruz
May 31st, 2008 at 12:36 pm
[…] addition, there will be two guest speakers. A cinematic hero of mine, Rob Nilsson, will share words on art and cinema, and before the premier of The Doorway, Mr. Willis will present […]
June 6th, 2008 at 9:20 am
Rob,
It was a joy to meet you last night at the screening of “The Doorway.” Over a pint (or two) of ale, I came to feel I was in the presence of a truly great man - not because of his many awards, but, ultimately, because of his humility concerning his accomplishments. That quality also seems to exist in Joel. I truly hope the two of you are able to collaborate on many projects in the future. And I further hope that our paths cross more than just the one time.
I was (and am) so proud of Joel!
June 9th, 2008 at 9:34 am
Hi Jim,
I’m not sure my reply reached you so I’m trying again. Sometimes I forget how to use the tools Joel has provided for me and I hit the chaos button. Anyway, it was a great evening. Wonderful to meet you and experience some of your juju which has so inspired Joel. What a joy that we both have something to offer the sunburnt souls of this world. Hats off to you for your decision to teach. Joel fills me with hope and so do you. Let’s get together for more events like the premiere of “The Doorway.”
August 12th, 2008 at 1:49 pm
[…] Award to filmmaker Kevin Smith and the Nilsson Award to the award’s namesake, filmmaker Rob Nillson. Those awards will be preceded by a special Community Vision Award to LA Film Forum and the […]
August 26th, 2008 at 6:57 pm
Mr. Nilsson: Greetings. I am looking for a copy of your first movie, Northern Lights, but am unable to fine on either to buy or to rent. Any suggestions? The University of North Dakota library has a copy that they would allow me to copy if I had appropriate permission.
Thank you for your help.
November 5th, 2008 at 8:28 pm
Dear Rob Nilsson,
I have been thinking a great deal about your portrayal of women in Northern Lights. I find your treatment of the female characters to be thoughtful and appropriately complex. I’ve been reading about the Nonpartisan League, and am considering both the absence and presence of NPL women in relation to the movement as a whole. Could you please write about what it was like to do research on NPL women while you were making the film? Also, do you think that your sensitivity to the subject of women in the film was due in part to the social climate (i.e., the Women’s Movement) of the 1970s? Thanks for considering my questions.
November 6th, 2008 at 12:04 am
Hello Elizabeth,
We did the usual research in historical societies, universities, regional historical parks and exhibits, etc. and read the books and articles on the period. But the real research was in talking to the farmers, both men and women, who remembered that time. They told us how they experienced those times and they were the bottom line as far as we were concerned.
I’d also say that working with a woman cinematographer, (Judy Irola) a woman sound person, (Joan Musante) a woman art director, (Marianna DeFina,) and meeting prairie women like Helen Ness, who played the mother in the film, and Susan Lynch who played the female lead was strong inspiration. Also, we were part of Cine Manifest, a film collective which supported rights, freedoms and responsibilities for all people. But in the end, John and I were committed to the idea that films should explore “the way things seem to be.” And I hope we did that when thinking of and portraying the lives of both men and women. I’ve hoped to explore those mysteries in my films without seeing it as reflective of a movement. I think that I have to be an independent witness to be any good as a filmmaker so that requires me to try to report back from both experience and imagination.
Thanks for writing and I’m glad to hear that you thought our work was “thoughtful” and “complex”. I don’t always hear back from people but it is great to hear from you that our film from 30 years ago is still doing its work in the world.
November 9th, 2008 at 8:39 pm
Dear Rob:
Thank you for so kindly and generously responding to my questions about Northern Lights. You’ve given me a great deal more to think about. I wish you all the best in your current projects.
January 6th, 2009 at 9:50 am
hey Rob-
think of your ambitious endeavors from time to time as we each aparently continued to pursue our own version/vision of creativity, but hadn’t lately tried to use the virtual tools now available to hunt you down.
sorry to miss your recent screenings but glad to hear we both stuck with it.
i come thru there from time to time and would welcome the chance to smile at each other.
if this isn’t the best way to reach you, let me know how…
another happy new year to you!
your fellow co-conspirator,
RoberT.
April 21st, 2009 at 3:01 pm
Unfortunately unable to attend the Kansas City viewing of your recent play “Presque Isle” but would very much love to see it. I spent the first 16 summers of my life at Presque Isle with my family at that lovely loon lake…it is my dream retirement location, but sadly haven’t been to my native Wisconsin in ages.
Is there a convenient way to view your film in the home?
Any response would be appreciated.
Thank you,
nance
April 26th, 2009 at 7:18 pm
I like your style of writing, and directing,the intimacy with your audience.
My (Johnny L. Tidwell) was one of the actors in several of your films who knew what the audience was looking for. Johnny Tidwell was a serious, amazing actor. Bringing you (audience) front and center “not wanting to miss anything.”
Is it possible to get copies of his work, including any off camera/location shots. I need all copies including flyers as I’m catologing his work.
Thank You,
Mary Ann Tidwell Broussard
June 20th, 2009 at 12:25 am
Thanks for the info mate, just bookmarked.
June 22nd, 2009 at 8:58 am
I keep listening to the news speak about getting free online grant applications so I have been looking around for the best site to get one.
June 22nd, 2009 at 9:02 am
I don’t usually reply to posts but I will in this case. :)
June 28th, 2009 at 10:16 pm
:O So mush Info :O … THis Is he MOst AMAzing SIte DUDe… :D