Guy Maddin Biography

Born in Winnipeg, Manitoba, Guy Maddin studied economics at the University of Winnipeg, then earned his living as a house painter and as a bank teller. His love for silent films propelled him to produce, direct, edit and write his first film short, The Dead Father (1986), which dealt with the strained relationship between a young man and his father. He went on to write and direct his first feature length film, Tales from Gimli Hospital (1988), which played for a year at New York's legendary Quad Theatre and was nominated for a Genie award for Best Original Screenplay. His 1992 feature length film Careful, won Best Canadian Film at the Sudbury Cinefest.

He has continued to create both feature length and short films, winning awards all around the world, including a Genie for his short The Heart of the World (2000). Maddin's films are unique, black comedies that have been described as playful, complex and a perfect mix of high art and camp. Maddin was awarded a lifetime achievement award at the 1995 Telluride Film Festival. Married to Elise Moore from 1995 to 2002, he is now divorced and continues to live and work in Winnipeg.

Following his work on the film Keyhole (2012) starring Jason Patric, Isabella Rossellini and Kevin McDonald, he worked on several more features and shorts before teaming up with Galen Johnson and Evan Johnson for the surreal comedy horror film Rumours (2024), their biggest production to date.