Biography
Jonathan Demme has directed over 25 films including The Manchurian Candidate, The Truth About Charlie, Beloved, The Silence of the Lambs, for which he won an Academy Award, Philadelphia, Married to the Mob, Something Wild, Swimming to Cambodia and Melvin and Howard, for which he was named Best Director by the New York Film Critics. Additional producing credits include Devil in a Blue Dress, Household Saints, That Thing you Do!, Ulee’s Gold, and Adaptation. Currently, he is in pre-production on his next feature, the ensemble piece Dancing with Shiva, written by Jenny Lumet. Demme’s films have been nominated for 20 Academy Awards. The Silence of the Lambs received five Academy Awards in 1991 – for Best Picture, Best Director, Best Actor, Best Actress, and Best Screenplay Adaptation.
His films have won screenplay Oscars twice, Melvin and Howard (Best Original Screenplay, 1980) and The Silence of the Lambs (Best Screenplay Adaptation, 1991), and two of the Best Actor awards of the 1990s went to Anthony Hopkins (The Silence of the Lambs, 1991) and Tom Hanks (Philadelphia, 1993), with Jodie Foster receiving the Best Actress award (The Silence of the Lambs, 1991) as well.
A strong advocate of human rights, Demme has produced and directed a number of documentaries about the Haitian plight. He completed The Agronomist, a documentary on the Haitian radio journalist Jean Dominique, who was assassinated on the steps of his radio station. Previously, he directed Haiti: Dreams of Democracy, Haiti: Killing the Dream, Tonbe Leve, and Courage and Pain. In addition, he directed the documentary Cousin Bobby, and produced the Academy Award-nominated biography Mandela as well as Into the Rope!, about Double Dutch; The Uttmost, a portrait of producer Kenny Utt; and One Foot on a Banana Peel, the Other Foot in the Grave, about living with AIDS.
He also produced the Peabody Award-winning documentary Beah: A Black Woman Speaks, about the life of Beah Richards, a project which was also Lisa Gay Hamilton’s directorial debut. The Tavis Smiley Show recently featured Right to Return: New Home Movies from the Lower 9th Ward, a series of portraits directed and produced by Demme of New Orleans residents rebuilding their lives post- Katrina. This extensive footage took another form as a feature length documentary, New Home Movies from the Lower 9th Ward, which premiered at the Silverdocs Festival in June of 2007.
Demme’s creative talents have also lured him into the music domain. He released the acclaimed concert film Heart of Gold, in 2006, re-teaming with Neil Young, with whom he worked on The Complex Sessions. He also directed the Robyn Hitchcock concert film Storefront Hitchcock as well as the award-winning Talking Heads concert film Stop Making Sense. In addition, Demme has directed music videos for Bruce Springsteen, Les Frères Parent, The Neville Brothers, New Order, KRS-One, and the Feelies, among others. He also produced Konbit, an album of Haitian music.
Participant Productions
Director
Movies | |
---|---|
2015 |
Ricki and the Flash |
2014 |
Line of Sight (TV movie) |
2013 |
A Master Builder |
2008 |
Rachel Getting Married |
2004 |
The Manchurian Candidate |
2002 |
The Truth About Charlie |
1998 |
Beloved |
1997 |
Subway Stories: Tales from the Underground (TV movie) |
1993 |
Philadelphia |
1991 |
The Silence of the Lambs |
1988 |
Famous All Over Town |
Married to the Mob |
|
1987 |
Swimming to Cambodia |
1986 |
Something Wild |
1984 |
Swing Shift |
1982 |
Who Am I This Time? (TV movie) |
1980 |
Melvin and Howard |
1979 |
Last Embrace |
1977 |
Citizens Band |
1976 |
Fighting Mad |
1975 |
Crazy Mama |
1974 |
Caged Heat |
1973 |
Fly Me |
Series | |
---|---|
2018 |
Seven Seconds |
Brenton's Breath (E02) |
|
2017 |
Shots Fired |
Hour Six: The Fire This Time (E06) |
|
2014 |
The Killing |
Eden (S04E06) |
|
2013 |
The Killing |
Reckoning (S03E09) |
|
2011 |
A Gifted Man |
Pilot (E01) |
|
Enlightened |
|
Lonely Ghosts (S01E07) |
|
Sandy (S01E06) |
|
1987 |
Trying Times |
1984 |
Alive From Off Center |
1978 |
Columbo |
Murder Under Glass (S07E02) |
Documentaries | |
---|---|
2016 |
Justin Timberlake + the Tennessee Kids (concert) |
2015 |
Another Telepathic Thing |
The New Yorker Presents (series) |
|
What's Motivating Hayes |
|
2012 |
Enzo Avitabile Music Life |
Kenny Chesney: Unstaged |
|
2011 |
I'm Carolyn Parker |
Neil Young Journeys (concert) |
|
2009 |
Neil Young Trunk Show |
2007 |
Jimmy Carter Man from Plains |
2006 |
Neil Young: Heart of Gold (concert) |
2003 |
The Agronomist |
1998 |
Storefront Hitchcock |
1994 |
The Complex Sessions (concert) |
1992 |
Cousin Bobby |
1990 |
Red Hot and Blue (TV movie) |
1988 |
Haiti Dreams of Democracy (TV movie) |
P.O.V. (series) |
|
1984 |
Stop Making Sense |
Shows | |
---|---|
1975 |
Saturday Night Live |
Music videos | |
---|---|
1994 |
Bruce Springsteen - Streets of Philadelphia |
1985 |
Artists United Against Apartheid: Sun City |
Video compilation | |
---|---|
2005 |
New Order: A Collection |
Short | |
---|---|
2017 |
The Power of Rock |
Producer
Movies | |
---|---|
2014 |
Song One |
2008 |
Rachel Getting Married |
2004 |
The Manchurian Candidate |
2002 |
Adaptation. |
The Truth About Charlie |
|
1998 |
Beloved |
1996 |
The Wonders |
1993 |
Philadelphia |
1991 |
Women & Men 2: In Love There Are No Rules (TV movie) |
1990 |
Miami Blues |
1986 |
Something Wild |
1972 |
Hell Cats |
1971 |
Angels Hard as They Come |
Documentaries | |
---|---|
2012 |
Enzo Avitabile Music Life |
2011 |
I'm Carolyn Parker |
Neil Young Journeys (concert) |
|
2009 |
Neil Young Trunk Show |
2007 |
Jimmy Carter Man from Plains |
2006 |
Neil Young: Heart of Gold (concert) |
2003 |
Beah: A Black Woman Speaks |
The Agronomist |
|
1998 |
The Uttmost |
1996 |
Mandela |
1994 |
One Foot On a Banana Peel, the Other Foot in the Grave: Secrets From the Dolly Madison Room |
1988 |
Haiti Dreams of Democracy (TV movie) |
P.O.V. (series) |
Short | |
---|---|
2017 |
The Power of Rock |
Screenwriter
Movies | |
---|---|
2002 |
The Truth About Charlie |
1976 |
Fighting Mad |
1974 |
Caged Heat |
1972 |
Hell Cats |
1971 |
Angels Hard as They Come |
Documentaries | |
---|---|
2007 |
Jimmy Carter Man from Plains |
1988 |
Haiti Dreams of Democracy (TV movie) |
1984 |
Stop Making Sense |
Shows | |
---|---|
1975 |
Saturday Night Live |
Actor
Movies | |
---|---|
1996 |
The Wonders |
1985 |
Into the Night |
1979 |
Last Embrace |
1977 |
The Incredible Melting Man |
1976 |
Hollywood Boulevard |
Series | |
---|---|
2000 |
Oz |
Gray Matter (S04E05) |
Documentaries | |
---|---|
2022 |
The Directors (series) - a.f. |
Jonathan Demme - a.f. (S07E05) |
|
2016 |
Richard Linklater: Dream Is Destiny |
2015 |
I Thought I Told You To Shut Up!! - narrator |
2012 |
Pablo |
2011 |
Corman's World: Exploits of a Hollywood Rebel |
2010 |
Inside Story: The Silence of the Lambs (TV movie) |
Machete Maidens Unleashed! |
|
2009 |
Burning Down the House: The Story of CBGB |
2007 |
Jimmy Carter Man from Plains |
Zoom In: Stories Behind the Best Independent Films of 2007 |
|
2003 |
People Like Us: Making 'Philadelphia' |
2002 |
Biography: Tim Robbins - Playing From the Heart (TV movie) |
1999 |
Dial H For Hitchcock (TV movie) |
1998 |
The Uttmost |
1997 |
The Directors (series) |
1996 |
Blood Brothers: Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band |
1994 |
One Foot On a Banana Peel, the Other Foot in the Grave: Secrets From the Dolly Madison Room |
1987 |
Scenes Under the Midnight Sun (TV movie) |
1982 |
Chambre 666 (TV movie) |
1977 |
Roger Corman: Hollywood's Wild Angel |
Performer
Shows | |
---|---|
2004 |
At the Movies |
Tavis Smiley |
|
1996 |
Scene by Scene |
1992 |
The 49th Golden Globe Awards |
The 64th Annual Academy Awards |
|
1979 |
CBS News Sunday Morning |
Cinematographer
Documentaries | |
---|---|
2011 |
I'm Carolyn Parker |
2003 |
The Agronomist |
Fans
(108)- kacenkah01 director
- spygirl director
- thiery12 director
- Pump director
- Pinďulka director
- herr_carter director
- ClimbVibe director
- vlkuc director
- TomBar director
- MonikaHLTB director
- iwka007 director
- Knight12 director
- Koprska director
- TotalNoob director
- Ruffy director
- dipiedro director
- mliko director
- Bumlaa director
- sulek director
- Newman Paul director