Get Movie Showtimes & Tickets

Go
Go
Search
Celebs
Photos
Fan Sites
Apply
Directory
Support
MyHollywood
Sign In
Sign Up
Forums
Hot List

Home Celebs Charles Burnett
Bullet Arrow Photos
Bullet Arrow News
Bullet Arrow Interviews
Bullet Arrow Premieres
Bullet Arrow Forums
Bullet Arrow Meet Fans
Bullet Arrow Fan Sites
Bullet Arrow Get a Poster at AllPosters.com
Advertisement
Highly acclaimed, award-winning African-American independent filmmaker whose "Killer of Sheep" (made in 1973, first shown 1977) about the emotional and behavioral effects of his job on a Los Angeles slaughter-house worker, won multiple awards and, although it never received commercial release, was added to the National Film Registry by the Library of Congress.

Completed on a budget of less than $1.5 million Burnett's first theatrical release, "To Sleep With Anger", concerning a tightly-knit middle-class black family in Los Angeles that begins to unravel when a long-absent relative (Danny Glover) returns, thrust him into the limelight....

Full Bio , Awards & Milestones

Filmography

Man of Cinema: Pierre Rissient - ( - Cast / 2007 / Lensing/Awaiting Release / )
Namibia: The Struggle for Liberation - ( Director / / Lensing/Awaiting Release / )
Namibia: The Struggle for Liberation - ( Screenplay / / Lensing/Awaiting Release / )
Nat Turner, A Troublesome Property - ( Director / / Lensing/Awaiting Release / )
Nat Turner, A Troublesome Property - ( Screenplay / / Lensing/Awaiting Release / )
Where Others Wavered - ( Director / / Lensing/Awaiting Release / )
Where Others Wavered - ( Screenplay / / Lensing/Awaiting Release / )
The Annihilation of Fish - ( Director / 2000 / Released / )
Guests of Hotel Astoria - ( Director of Photography / 1997 / Released / Melior Films )
The Glass Shield - ( Director / 1995 / Released / )
The Glass Shield - ( Screenplay / 1995 / Released / )
When It Rains - ( Director / 1995 / Released / )
Young at Hearts - ( Cinematographer(- cinematography) / 1994 / Released / )
Daughters of the Dust - ( / 1992 / Released / )
Daughters of the Dust - ( Other(- Walla group member) / 1992 / Released / )
My Brother's Wedding - ( Director / 1991 / Released / )
My Brother's Wedding - ( Producer / 1991 / Released / )
My Brother's Wedding - ( Screenplay / 1991 / Released / )
My Brother's Wedding - ( Director of Photography / 1991 / Released / )
To Sleep With Anger - ( Screenplay / 1990 / Released / Cinephile )
To Sleep With Anger - ( Director / 1990 / Released / Cinephile )
Bless Their Little Hearts - ( Screenplay / 1984 / Released / )
Bless Their Little Hearts - ( Cinematographer(- cinematography) / 1984 / Released / )
Bush Mama - ( Photography / 1979 / Released / )
Killer of Sheep - ( Director / 1977 / Released / )
Killer of Sheep - ( Producer / 1977 / Released / )
Killer of Sheep - ( Screenplay / 1977 / Released / )
Killer of Sheep - ( Director of Photography / 1977 / Released / )
Killer of Sheep - ( Editor / 1977 / Released / )
TV Credits
The Blues ( 2003 / Released ): Director / Writer
Warming by the Devil's Fire ( 2003 )
TV Episode Writer

Warming by the Devil's Fire ( 2003 )
TV Episode Director

American Family ( 2002 / Released ): Director
The Night Sun ( 2004 )
TV Episode Director

The Burning Fire ( 2004 )
TV Episode Director

Victory ( 2004 )
TV Episode Director

The Child ( 2004 )
TV Episode Director

The Searchers ( 2004 )
TV Episode Director

(7 more)
Delroy Lindo in Conversation With Charles Burnett ( 2000 / Released ): Actor
Finding Buck McHenry ( 2000 / Released ): Director
Silence Broken: Korean Comfort Women ( 2000 / Released ): Co-Producer / Director of Photography / Editor
Selma, Lord, Selma ( 1999 / Released ): Director
The Wedding ( 1998 / Released ): Director
Nightjohn ( 1996 / Released ): Director
America Becoming ( 1991 / Released ): Director / Cinematographer
Relative Stranger ( Lensing/Awaiting Release ): Director
Full Biography (Back to top)

Highly acclaimed, award-winning African-American independent filmmaker whose "Killer of Sheep" (made in 1973, first shown 1977) about the emotional and behavioral effects of his job on a Los Angeles slaughter-house worker, won multiple awards and, although it never received commercial release, was added to the National Film Registry by the Library of Congress.

Completed on a budget of less than $1.5 million Burnett's first theatrical release, "To Sleep With Anger", concerning a tightly-knit middle-class black family in Los Angeles that begins to unravel when a long-absent relative (Danny Glover) returns, thrust him into the limelight.


Profession(s):
director, screenwriter, director of photography, film editor, producer
Sometimes Credited As:
Horizontal Line
Family
wife:Gaye Burnett (Had two sons together)

Horizontal Line
Education
Los Angeles City College Los Angeles, CA AA electronics 1966
University of California, Los Angeles Los Angeles, CA BA writing, languages 1971
University of California, Los Angeles Los Angeles, CA MFA theater arts, film 1977
Awards (Back to top)
New York Film Critics Circle Award Special Critics' Award "Killer of Sheep" 2008
National Society of Film Critics Award "Nightjohn" 1997
American Film Institute 1991
Independent Spirit Award Best Director "To Sleep with Anger" 1990
Independent Spirit Award Best Screenplay "To Sleep with Anger" 1990
Los Angeles Film Critics Association Special Citation 1990
National Society of Film Critics Award Best Screenplay "To Sleep with Anger" 1990
Sundance Film Festival Special Jury Prize (Dramatic) "To Sleep with Anger" 1990
Berlin Film Festival Critics Prize "Killer of Sheep" 1981

Milestones (Back to top)
2007 "Killer of Sheep" was given a belated wide release
2000 Helmed "The Annihilation of Fish," a love story about two mentally unstable people played by Lynn Redgrave and James Earl Jones
1998 Helmed the ABC TV-movie "Oprah Winfrey Presents 'The Wedding'"
1997 Directed the Disney Channel TV-movie "Nightjohn" (received a limited theatrical release)
1990 Won praise for his helming of "To Sleep With Anger"
1977 Directed first feature, "Killer of Sheep"; also wrote, edited and shot; made in 1973, while a graduate student at UCLA
1969 Directing debut, "Several Friends"
Taught film for a year and a half during graduate school
Worked as script reader, synopsis writer for Chasin-Park-Citron Agency
Lectured on independent filmmaking at colleges, film centers and museums

•To suggest updates to this information, click here

Advertisement