Anna Biller

Biller was born in Los Angeles{{cite tweet |last=Biller |first=Anna |user=missannabiller |number=979169332193247232 |date=March 28, 2018 |title=I was born and raised in Los Angeles, so me making movies about the history of movies is like someone who grows up in a coal mining town making movies about coal miners. It's my form of naturalism. |access-date=March 25, 2019}} to a Japanese-American mother who is a fashion designer and a Caucasian father who is a visual artist.{{cite news|last=Turner|first=Gustavo|date=November 10, 2016|url=https://www.laweekly.com/l-a-bred-filmmaker-anna-biller-made-a-witchy-retro-masterpiece-that-straight-guys-will-misread/|title=L.A.-Bred Filmmaker Anna Biller Made a Witchy Retro Masterpiece That Straight Guys Will Misread|work=LA Weekly|access-date=August 28, 2020}}{{cite web|url=http://www.rosamundfelsen.com/artists/les-biller|title=Les Biller: Rosamund Felson Gallery|website=RosamundFelsen.com|access-date=August 28, 2020}} She grew up watching her mother design clothes, watching her father paint with a bright color palette, and watching classic cinema, all of which has had a big influence on her filmmaking practice.{{cite web|last=Borders|first=Meredith|date=November 7, 2016|url=https://birthmoviesdeath.com/2016/11/07/birth.movies.interview.-writer-director-anna-biller-on-the-love-witch|title=Birth.Movies.Interview.: Writer/Director Anna Biller On THE LOVE WITCH|work=Birth.Movies.Death|access-date=August 28, 2020}} She has a B.A. in art from UCLA and an MFA in art and film from the California Institute of the Arts. During her time at CalArts, she studied both art and film and began making 16 mm films, and was mentored by Morgan Fisher and Paul McCarthy.{{cite news |author= |date=October 29, 2009 |title=Calendar |work=Deerfield Review |location=Illinois |url=https://infoweb.newsbank.com/resources/doc/nb/news/12BA4A71ADB30150?p=AWNB |at=Entertainment section |access-date=August 15, 2018 |via=online NewsBank |url-access=subscription}} She started making 8 mm films while she was living in New York.

At the beginning of her career, Biller was known for her short films and staged musicals,{{cite news |last=French |first=Philip |date=May 17, 2009 |title=Review: Critics: Other films: Anyone for another helping of papal bull? The Da Vinci Code sequel is all very well, says Philip French, but for a real treat, catch Eric Cantona instead: Angels & Demons (140 mins, 12A) Directed by Ron Howard; starring Tom Hanks, Ewan McGregor, Ayelet Zurer, Stellan Skarsgard, Armin Mueller-Stahl |work=Observer |location=London |url=https://link.galegroup.com/apps/doc/A199985244/STND?u=pl2668r&sid=STND&xid=7c13f559 |page=15 |access-date=August 3, 2018 |via=Infotrac Newsstand}} which played with old Hollywood genres and tropes from the 1930s to the 1950s.{{cite journal |last1=Gorfinkel |first1=Elena |date=2011 |title="Dated Sexuality": Anna Biller's Viva and the Retrospective Life of Sexploitation Cinema |url=https://www.academia.edu/5423827 |journal=Camera Obscura |volume=26 |issue=3 78 |pages=95–135 |doi=10.1215/02705346-1415443 |access-date=August 3, 2018 }} She made her first short film, Three Examples of Myself as Queen, while studying at CalArts.{{cite magazine|last=Macmanus|first=Robert|date=September 22, 2009|title=A Rush on Anna Biller|url=https://www.vice.com/da/article/5gaq88/a-rush-on-anna-biller|magazine=Vice|access-date=August 28, 2020}} In the film, Biller plays Pointsettia, a teenager who turns into a princess and has the power to transform men into dogs.{{cite web |last=Klorfein |first=Jason |title="Myself as Queen": A Profile and Interview with Anna Biller |work=Bright Lights Film Journal |date=January 31, 2010 |url=https://brightlightsfilm.com/wp-content/cache/all/myself-as-queen-a-profile-and-interview-with-anna-biller/ |archive-url=https://archive.today/20240528085446/https://www.webcitation.org/71QkpkLtY?url=https://brightlightsfilm.com/wp-content/cache/all/myself-as-queen-a-profile-and-interview-with-anna-biller/ |archive-date=May 28, 2024 |url-status=live }} The film screened at small venues and film festivals. Lane Relyea of Artforum International wrote "the film's humor and graceful perplexity may not have caused any sudden shifts in the local fault lines but did crack a glorious smile on this audience member's face."{{cite news |author= |date=December 1994 |title=Best & worst: 1994 |work=Artforum International |url=https://link.galegroup.com/apps/doc/A16547732/ITOF?u=pl2668r&sid=ITOF&xid=5207b51d |page=64+ |access-date=August 3, 2018 |via=General OneFile}} John Hartl of The Seattle Times called it a "bizarre, Warholian musical fantasy."{{cite news |last=Hartl |first=John |date=September 17, 1995 |title=Asian-American Film Fest Rivals 1994 with Roster of Not-to-be-missed Movies |work=The Seattle Times |url=https://infoweb.newsbank.com/resources/doc/nb/news/0F4B9C1DD37EE987?p=AWNB |page=M4 |access-date=August 15, 2018 |via=online NewsBank |url-access=subscription}}

In 2001, she directed two short films: The Hypnotist, a melodrama written by her frequent collaborator Jared Sanford, and A Visit from the Incubus, a Western horror musical. A Visit from the Incubus tells the story of a woman who is raped by an incubus, and decides to get back at him by challenging him to a singing competition. Robert Nott of The Santa Fe New Mexican called it a "must-see".{{cite news |last=Nott |first=Robert |date=November 29, 2002 |title=THE NEW WEST |work=Santa Fe New Mexican |url=https://link.galegroup.com/apps/doc/A180348722/STND?u=pl2668r&sid=STND&xid=2541fa88 |page=65 |access-date=August 3, 2018 |via=General OneFile}}

Her 2007 debut feature film, Viva, tells the story of a bored housewife who goes out in search of sexual adventure in the 1970s. Viva offers a satirical perspective on the adult film industry, exploring women's agency and empowerment within this context. Biller's approach combines elements of satire, horror, and genre filmmaking, blending camp with feminist critique to create visually captivating and thematically rich narratives.{{Cite web |title=The Love Witch — Filmism.net |url=https://filmism.net/2024/05/the-love-witch/ |access-date=2025-03-21}} It premiered at the International Film Festival Rotterdam,{{cite news |last=Modenessi |first= Jennifer |date=9 Feb 2007 |title=IndieFest ventures back to the East Bay - Aspiring filmmakers welcome Q&A sessions; film fans just want to watch as many as they can |work=Contra Costa Times |location=Walnut Creek, CA |url=https://infoweb.newsbank.com/resources/doc/nb/news/1173F514E58FF398?p=AWNB |page=f3 |access-date=August 15, 2018 |via=online NewsBank |url-access=subscription}} and won the Best of Fest Award at the Boston Underground Film Festival. The film was also entered into the main competition at the 29th Moscow International Film Festival.{{cite web|url=http://www.moscowfilmfestival.ru/miff34/eng/archives/?year=2007 |title=29th Moscow International Film Festival (2007) |access-date=April 22, 2013 |work=MIFF |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130421051129/http://www.moscowfilmfestival.ru/miff34/eng/archives/?year=2007 |archive-date=April 21, 2013 }} Reason magazine called Viva an "uncannily precise rendition of the look, sound, mood, and arch dialogue" of seventies sexploitation films, with "high-key, pseudo-Technicolor lighting and spare, colorful set design."{{cite magazine|last=Cavanaugh|first=Tim|date=July 24, 2008|url=https://reason.com/2008/07/24/win-free-sex/?print=|title=Win Free Sex! The never-ending charm of sexual revolution nostalgia|magazine=Reason|access-date=August 28, 2020}} Viva had a very limited theatrical release.

Biller's second feature film, The Love Witch, premiered in 2016 at the International Film Festival Rotterdam. The film is a twist on classic serial killer films, featuring a woman who kills through calculated sexuality and "love magic," causing her male victims to fall too much in love.{{cite web|last=Perry|first=Joseph|date=April 16, 2016|url=http://gruesomemagazine.com/2016/04/16/love-witch-2016-serial-killing-meets-sexual-politics-occult-thriller/|title='The Love Witch' (2016): Serial Killing Meets Sexual Politics In Occult Thriller|website=GruesomeMagazine.com|access-date=August 28, 2020}} In The Love Witch, Samantha Robinson portrays the protagonist, Elaine, whose quest for love serves as a critique of patriarchal ideals and the objectification of women. Biller describes the film as addressing "how being a woman in our society can drive you crazy."{{Cite web |last=Marshall |first=Kingsley |date=2021-06-14 |title='Witchcraft is just a way of concentrating energy': An Interview with Anna Biller |url=https://maifeminism.com/witchcraft-is-just-a-way-of-concentrating-energy-an-interview-with-anna-biller/ |access-date=2025-03-21 |website=MAI: Feminism & Visual Culture |language=en-GB}} It evokes the sexploitation of women in Hammer horror films, and was shot entirely on film in order to recreate the old Hollywood style.{{Cite web|date=2022-01-11|title=The Love Witch's Plush Female Gaze|url=https://25yearslatersite.com/2022/01/11/the-love-witchs-plush-female-gaze/|access-date=2022-01-11|website=25YL|language=en-US}} The film took Biller seven years to complete because of her attention to detail in directing, writing, costume and set design, and work with her cinematographer.

Richard Brody of The New Yorker said of The Love Witch, "Biller puts genre to the test of do-it-yourself artistry, and puts feminist ideology itself to the test of style. The film pulsates with furious creative energy throughout, sparking excitement and giddy amazement that it even exists."{{cite magazine | url=https://www.newyorker.com/culture/richard-brody/the-state-of-independent-film-in-2016 |title=The State of Independent Film in 2016 |last=Brody|first=Richard|date=May 9, 2016|magazine=The New Yorker|access-date=August 28, 2020}} In May 2016, The Love Witch was acquired for distribution by Oscilloscope Laboratories.{{cite web|last=Erbland|first=Kate|date=May 18, 2016|url=https://www.indiewire.com/2016/05/oscilloscope-laboratories-picks-up-anna-billers-spellbinding-the-love-witch-exclusive-290314/| title=Oscilloscope Laboratories Picks Up Anna Biller's Spellbinding 'The Love Witch' – Exclusive|publisher=IndieWire|access-date=August 28, 2020}} The Love Witch was included in many lists for the best films of 2016, including those of The New Yorker and IndieWire.{{cite magazine|url=https://www.newyorker.com/culture/cultural-comment/the-best-movies-of-2016|title=The Best Movies of 2016|last=Brody|first=Richard|date=December 9, 2016|magazine=The New Yorker|access-date=August 28, 2020}}{{cite web|last=Ehrlich|first=David|date=December 6, 2016|url=https://www.indiewire.com/2016/12/best-movies-2016-david-ehrlich-memorable-moments-1201753085/|title=The 25 Best Movie Moments of 2016, According to IndieWire Critic David Ehrlich|publisher=IndieWire|access-date=August 28, 2020}} It won in a tie for the Trailblazer Award and Best Costume Design at the Chicago Indie Critics Awards,{{cite news|last=Jevens|first=Darel|date=January 8, 2017|url=https://chicago.suntimes.com/2017/1/8/18409622/top-chicago-critics-circle-awards-go-to-moonlight-la-la-land|title=Top Chicago Critics Circle awards go to 'Moonlight,' 'La La Land'|work=Chicago Sun-Times|access-date=August 28, 2020|url-access=subscription}} and also won the Michael Cimino Best Film Award at the American Independent Film Awards.{{cite web|last=Raup|first=Jordan|date=February 19, 2017|url=https://thefilmstage.com/krisha-sweeps-the-inaugural-american-independent-film-awards/|title='Krisha' Sweeps the Inaugural American Independent Film Awards|website=TheFilmStage.com|access-date=August 28, 2020}}

In 2019, she became a member of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences.{{cite magazine |last1=Hayden |first1=Eric |title=Academy Invites 842 New Members |url=https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/new-academy-members-2019-revealed-full-list-1221972 |date=July 1, 2019 |magazine=The Hollywood Reporter |access-date=August 28, 2020}}

Biller said in 2017 that her next film will be a Bluebeard story. She stated that "I want to make this film because I have a yearning to see more quality films for women, like the ones that were made in Hollywood’s golden age."{{Cite web|url=https://www.lifeofastar.com/Bluebeard_Movie.html|title=Anna Biller Filmmaker and Author - Bluebeard}}

On December 5, 2021, Biller announced she had completed her first novel, Bluebeard's Castle. The book was published in October 2023 by Verso Books.{{cite web|url=https://www.thebookseller.com/rights/verso-snaps-up-glorious-debut-from-independent-filmmaker-biller|title=Verso snaps up 'glorious' debut from independent filmmaker Biller}} Bluebeard's Castle was listed as one of the best fiction books of 2023 by The Telegraph, who said it was, "A stylised retelling of the old fable that mixes self-reference and gaudy excess...the sex, death and pricy cognac are of a wildly enjoyable piece."{{cite news |title=The best (and worst) fiction books of 2023, from Eleanor Catton to Zadie Smith |first=Cal|last=Revely-Calder |newspaper=The Telegraph |date=November 23, 2023 |url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/books/what-to-read/best-worst-fiction-books-2023/}} The Times Literary Supplement also praised it, calling it "Both a fantasy and a nightmare, with the film-maker Biller employing the same sense of celluloid artifice and lusciously heightened reality that characterized her retro horror masterpiece The Love Witch."{{cite web |title=Wishful thinking; A shy novelist is bedazzled by a mysterious lover |first=Elizabeth |last=Dearnley |url=https://www.the-tls.co.uk/articles/bluebeards-castle-anna-biller-book-review-elizabeth-dearnley/}}

In July 2022, Biller announced her next film, the horror film The Face of Horror.{{cite web|url=http://annabillersblog.blogspot.com/2022/07/the-face-of-horror.html|title=The Face of Horror|website=Anna's Blog|date=July 27, 2022}}

Biller lives in Los Angeles with her partner, author Robert Greene.{{cite news|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2012/11/08/garden/robert-greene-on-renovating-like-a-master.html|title=Robert Greene on Renovating Like a Master|first=Steven|last=Kurutz|newspaper=The New York Times|date=November 7, 2012|publisher=|access-date=August 28, 2020|url-access=registration}}

Biller served as director, producer, writer, editor, production designer, and costume designer on all films listed.

Awards that Biller has won throughout the years.

{{reflist}}

{{Wikiquote}}

• {{Official website}}
• [https://annabillersblog.blogspot.com/ Biller's blog]
• {{IMDb name}}

{{authority control}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Biller, Anna}}

Category:21st-century American women

Category:American film directors of Japanese descent

Category:American film editors

Category:American women film directors

Category:American women film editors

Category:American women screenwriters

Category:Feminist artists

Category:Feminist musicians

Category:Film directors from Los Angeles

Category:American horror film directors

Category:Living people

Category:Screenwriters from California

Category:Year of birth missing (living people)