A pioneer in American Independent Cinema, Bette Gordon is known for her bold explorations of themes related to sexuality, violence and power. Her film?Variety?premiered at the Cannes Film Festival, where it was referred to as a "Feminist Vertigo - a daring departure into the dark, obsessional world of female fantasy." Her subsequent films have been screened theatrically in the US and abroad, as well as in all the major film festivals, including Berlin, Toronto, Locarno, Tribeca, London, Sao Paulo, Lisbon, and Warsaw.
In addition, her work is featured in the permanent collections of the Whitney Museum, The Centre Georges Pompidou, MoMA and Anthology Film Archives. Gordon's new film,?The Drowning, a psychological thriller based on the novel?Border Crossing?by Booker Prize winning British author Pat Barker, stars Josh Charles, Julia Stiles and Avan Jogia. It has recently been released theatrically at the IFC Cinema, in 2017. David Edelstein from?New York Magazine?refers to the film as "superbly evocative filmmaking and Glenn Kenny from the?NY Times?calls the film "Intriguing!! a genuinely unsettling vision!"
Gordon is best known for?Variety?(1984), a beautifully seductive film about voyeurism and pornography.?Luminous Motion?(2000), produced by Ted Hope and Anthony Bregman, premiered at The Angelica Film Center, and stars Deborah Kara Unger (Crash) in a breathtaking performance. A.O Scott calls the film funny, unnerving... visual poetry."
Gordon's film?Handsome Harry?premiered in competition at the Tribeca Film Festival (2009) and opened theatrically at IFC to rave reviews, "deeply moving with top notch performances and astute direction." The film features a stellar ensemble cast including Steve Buscemi, Aidan Quinn, Campbell Scott, Titus Welliver, John Savage and Jamey Sheridan. Her early short films, most notably?Empty Suitcases, won numerous awards and festival acclaim worldwide, including screenings at New York’s Museum of Modern Art and The Whitney Biennial, as well as prizes such as The Chicago International Film Festival and Atlanta Festival of Film and Video. Gordon has been the subject of recent retrospectives, including in Sao Paulo at the Int'l Film Festival, at The Barbican Art Center in London, in New York at the IFC Cinema and at Anthology Film Archives and in Minneapolis at The Walker Arts Center. Gordon has a BA, MA, and MFA from The University of Wisconsin-Madison.
News
FilmProfessor Bette Gordon's Classic Film 'Variety' Honored at the 2021 Lumiere Film Festival
Professor?Bette Gordon?was invited as a guest of honor to the 2021?Lumiere Film Festival?in Lyon, France to celebrate her seminal film?Variety?(1983).
Film
Criterion Channel Devotes Program to Films ‘Directed by Bette Gordon’ for Streaming
Professor of Professional Practice Bette Gordon will be the focus of Directed by Bette Gordon, a special streaming program on the Criterion Channel highlighting Gordon’s influential role in the independent cinema community on June 17.
Film
Professor Bette Gordon's film 'Variety' Screens at The Roxy as Part of 'ThrillHer'
ThrillHer, a series of female-directed thrillers curated by Film Professor Bette Gordon, will screen at The Roxy Cinema throughout the month of September.?
Film
Professor Bette Gordon's Film 'The Drowning' Screens in Portugal
The Drowning, directed by faculty member Bette Gordon and co-written by adjunct professor Stephen Molton, screened at the Lisbon and Sintra Film Festival in Portugal late last month.
Film
Professor Bette Gordon's Film The Drowning Released at IFC Cinema
Film Professor Bette Gordon’s film The Drowning will celebrate its official release on May 10 at IFC Cinema in New York, and will be shown during the 2017 Columbia University Film Festival.
Professor of Professional Practice, Film