Princess Grace Statue Award, 2005

Princess Grace Award
Graduate Film Scholarship, 1992
Columbia University

Mark Christopher Writer/Director Mark Christopher’s debut feature film, 54, starred Ryan Phillippe, Mike Myers, Mark Ruffalo and Salma Hayek. In addition to writing and directing 54, Christopher produced the film’s soundtrack, along with the number one single “Read My Mind.” Christopher’s festival comedy hit Pizza (IFC/InDigEnt) won a 2007 Independent Spirit Award after receiving excellent reviews. It is currently in release on DVD by the Weinstein Company. Christopher’s award-winning short films are theatrically distributed by Strand Releasing, Frameline, Saltzgeber Intl, and the BFI. These shorts have been screened at all major international film festivals, including Sundance, Toronto, New York and Berlin. Christopher’s latest short, Heartland, will be released by Strand Releasing as part of Boys Life VI at the end of November, 2007. Alkali, Iowa, starring Mary Beth Hurt, won the Golden Teddy for best short at Berlin, and took top prizes at various American film festivals. Christopher’s first short, The Dead Boys’ Club, won several awards at international festivals and is regarded as an influential film in the New Queer Cinema of the early 90s. In addition to writing for the screen, Christopher has written both comedy and drama one-hour television pilots for CBS, Spelling and Logo/MTV. Christopher’s work has screened at MoMA, and he has received grants from the Paul Robeson Fund, the Jerome Foundation, NYFA, and is the 2005 recipient of the Princess Grace Statue Award for excellence in filmmaking. He has been an artist-in-residence at the Ucross Foundation, VCCA and others. He has lectured at Columbia University, New York University and has served on various international film festival juries. Christopher, who speaks fluent Portuguese, is originally from Fort Dodge, Iowa. He received a BA from the University of Iowa in 1984 and an MFA from Columbia University in 1995 after living in Portugal and Brazil.