Gus is an openly gay, daring, innovative, and accomplished director. Born in Louisville, Kentucky, he graduated at Rhode Island School of Design. After a stint making commercials for an ad agency in New York, Van Sant moved to Portland, made numerous short films and a small independent feature.

His best-known work is his "trilogy of the streets," the low-budget, gay-themed Mala Noche; Drugstore Cowboy, starring Matt Dillon; and the fascinating modern gay classic My Own Private Idaho, starring the late River Phoenix and co-starring Keanu Reeves.

After breaking off from a much anticipated Hollywood project about San Francisco city supervisor Harvey Milk, Van Sant directed a disappointing adaptation of Tom Robbins' Even Cowgirls Get the Blues, then followed with the dark comedy To Die For. He also directed a Red Hot Chili Peppers music video.

In addition to being a successful film director Gus Van Sant is also a published author (his first novel Pink was published in 1997), a musician (2 solo albums Gus Van Sant and 18 Songs About Golf were released in late 1997, plus his musical/spoken word collaboration with William S. Burroughs The Elvis Of Letters was released in 1985, and a photographer - a large book of his photographs titled 108 Portraits was published in 1992 and is now something of a collectors item.