Steve Balderson

Steve Balderson is a film director. He was born Stephen Clark Balderson on January 19, 1975, in Manhattan, Kansas, USA. He was raised in nearby Wamego until the age of twelve, when his family moved to Manhattan. Steve attended Manhattan High School. Though his class attendance was poor, Steve graduated a semester early, ahead of his peers. He refused to walk the stage and accept his diploma, opting out of the graduation ceremony altogether. The administration asked if he would like his diploma mailed to him. He responded, "I'll never need it." [cite book | author=Schaefer Jr., Joseph | title=Conversations-Steve Balderson, Dreams and Firecracker | year=2006 | ISBN=9780595387175 | pages= 6–12 ]

Balderson attended film school at California Institute of the Arts, where he directed six full-length digital movies, including a screen adaptation of Anne Rice's novel The Vampire Lestat. At the end of his third year at CalArts, Steve realized he'd never had a mid-residency review. When he asked his dean, Hartmut Bitomsky, Hartmut answered, "Master's students don't have mid-residency reviews." When Hartmut learned Steve was an undergrad, he instructed Steve to stop going to his classes and instead, to do independent study with him. Once a week the two would meet and dissect Alfred Hitchcock films and Steve learned how to focus his vision. After months of working one-on-one with his dean, Steve decided he was ready to leave CalArts without graduating. [cite book | author=Schaefer Jr., Joseph | title=Conversations-Steve Balderson, Dreams and Firecracker | year=2006 | ISBN=9780595387175 | pages= 13–23 ]

Pep Squad

After leaving CalArts in 1996, Steve returned to Kansas and directed his debut feature film. "Pep Squad" satirized and predicted American school violence prior to the horrific series of school shootings. After the era of school violence ended in the United States, "Pep Squad" was released on DVD.

Firecracker

Balderson’s award-winning second feature film, "Firecracker", was released theatrically in 2005 to sold out audiences in a first-ever "Freak Show Tour" supervised by Landmark Cinemas, the nation’s largest art house chain. Preeminent film critic Roger Ebert called it "Brilliant" and named "Firecracker" on his list of the year's best films " [http://rogerebert.suntimes.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20051218/COMMENTARY/512180302 Source] ".

Hailed as a "masterpiece" (Film Threat " [http://www.filmthreat.com/index.php?section=reviews&Id=7771 Source] ") and "told by a story teller who has a nascent finger on the pulse of contemporary cinema" (Aftertaste magazine), Firecracker features the acting debut of alternative music icon Mike Patton and the critically acclaimed comeback of Academy Award nominee Karen Black. Also starring are Susan Traylor, Pleasant Gehman, Jane Wiedlin, Selene Luna, The Enigma, George the Giant, Jak Kendall, Brooke Balderson, Amy Kelly, and Lobster Girl Cathy Berry, daughter of the infamous Lobster Boy Grady Stiles.

Firecracker premiered at London’s Raindance Film Festival, to sold out crowds, where it won a Jury Prize nomination for Best Picture. It also won numerous awards on the festival circuit worldwide including: Best Picture, Best Cinematography, Best Actress for Karen Black, and Steve Balderson won the 2005 Domani Vision Award for emerging talent at Tribeca’s Visionfest.

Watch Out

"Watch Out" is based on the controversial novel of the same name by Joseph Suglia.

"Watch Out" is the story of Jonathan Barrows, a man who falls in love with himself, literally. He is secretly attracted to his own body, carries out an erotic relationship with a blow-up doll that resembles him, and takes pleasure in rejecting the advances of his many admirers, both male and female. He descends into a world of carnivorous priests and Prozac-popping Polish prostitutes and eventually assassinates the world's most popular pop-diva. "You strange creatures," Barrows declares, "you are nothing more to Me than a meal at the fast-food restaurant of life." But who will end up being devoured?

The film was shot guerilla-style, without permits, in March and April on location in Wamego, Kansas. Starring Matt Riddlehoover (the actor/director and MySpace sensation best known for his award-winning comedy TO A TEE) and co-starring Peter Stickles (Shortbus), B-movie superstar Jeff Dylan Graham, Amy Kelly, Jon Niccum and burlesque sensation Lady Monster.

The 1-minute "teaser" trailer for "Watch Out" was launched on June 17, 2008 and within 11 days had more than 23,000 views on YouTube.

Misc

Steve is also the subject of a new book written and published by author Joe Schaefer. [cite book | author=Schaefer Jr., Joseph | title=Conversations-Steve Balderson, Dreams and Firecracker | year=2006 | ISBN=9780595387175 ] In Conversations, the author writes, "Having a dream and actually sitting down and hashing out how one will achieve it are two different things. Steve Balderson longed to be a filmmaker, so he made it happen. This writer/director/producer just may be the personification of the new American dream." [cite book | author=Schaefer Jr., Joseph | title=Conversations-Steve Balderson, Dreams and Firecracker | year=2006 | ISBN=9780595387175 | page= 6 ]

Balderson’s attention to detail and strong work ethic is chronicled in the award-winning documentary series WAMEGO. "Wamego: Making Movies Anywhere" was released in 2004 on DVD, "Making Movies Anywhere" won Best Film at the 2005 Fox Film Festival and the 2004 Kan Festival Award. [cite journal | author=Sterneker, Leah | title= Film Fest | journal= Hutchinson Collegian | date=April 22, 2005 | volume=45 | pages=2 ] "Wamego Strikes Back," the sequel to "Making Movies Anywhere", was released in 2007. The third installment, out in 2009, chronicles the making of "Watch Out".

Filmography

As film director
* "Watch Out" (feature, 2009)
* "Underbelly" (documentary feature, 2008)
* "Wamego Strikes Back" (documentary feature, 2007)
* "Phone Sex" (feature, HD, 2006)
* "Firecracker" (feature, Super 35mm film, 2005)
* "Wamego: Making Movies Anywhere" (documentary feature, 2004)
* "Pep Squad" (feature 35mm film, 1998)
* "Eleven Eleven" (feature digital film, 1996)
* "Pep Squad" (feature digital film, 1995)
* "By the Light of the Moon" (digital feature film, 1994)
* "Children of Darkness/The Vampire Lestat" (digital feature film, 1993)
* "Videorotica" (music video, 1992)
* "Bus Stop Goodbyes" (video feature film, 1992)
* "The Visionaries" (video feature film, 1991)

Awards

* 2008 Raindance Film Festival - Nominee Best International Feature (Watch Out)
* 2005 Visionfest - Winner Domani Vision Award (Firecracker)
* 2005 Visionfest - Winner Best Film (Firecracker)
* 2005 Visionfest - Winner Best Cinematography (Firecracker)
* 2005 Fantasporto - Nomination Best Film (Firecracker)
* 2004 Raindance Film Festival - Jury Prize Nomination Best Film (Firecracker)
* 2004 Fox Film Festival - Winner Best Film (Wamego: Making Movies Anywhere)
* 2004 KAN Film Festival - Winner Independent Filmmaker Award (Wamego: Making Movies Anywhere)
* 2000 B-Movie Film Festival - Winner Killer-B Award Best Screenplay (Pep Squad)
* 2000 B-Movie Film Festival - Nomination Killer-B Best Director (Pep Squad)
* 2000 B-Movie Film Festival - Nomination Killer-B Best Picture (Pep Squad)
* 2000 B-Movie Film Festival - Nomination Killer-B Best Cinematography (Pep Squad)
* 2000 B-Movie Film Festival - Nomination Killer-B Best Editing (Pep Squad)
* 2000 B-Movie Film Festival - Nomination Killer-B Best Set Design (Pep Squad)
* 1999 Great Plains Film Festival - Best Film Nomination (Pep Squad)
* 1999 Fantasporto - Nomination Best Film (Pep Squad)
* 1998 Cannes Film Festival - World Premiere Marché du Film (Pep Squad)

References

External links

* [http://www.dikenga.com www.DIKENGA.com] - Official website
* [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w2KoETwpZjk Watch Out teaser trailer] - YouTube
* [http://www.filmthreat.com/index.php?section=reviews&Id=9410 Film Threat] - review of "Phone Sex"
* [http://www.arefuge.com/articles/55/Steve_Balderson A.Refuge Magazine] - Interview with Steve
* [http://www.mjsimpson.co.uk/reviews/phonesex.html MJ Simpson U.K.] - review of "Phone Sex"
* [http://www.myspace.com/dikengafilms Steve Balderson on MySpace]
* [http://rogerebert.suntimes.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20050817/REVIEWS/508170301 Roger Ebert's website] - Firecracker review
* [http://www.startribune.com/1553/v-print/story/67328.html Star Tribune] - Colin Covert on Firecracker
* [http://www.offscreen.com/biblio/phile/essays/firecracker_interview Offscreen] - interview with Steve Balderson
* [http://www.filmthreat.com/index.php?section=reviews&Id=6120 Film Threat] - review of "Wamego: Making Movies Anywhere"
* [http://www.filmthreat.com/index.php?section=interviews&Id=755 Film Threat] - interview with Steve Balderson
* [http://www.filmthreat.com/index.php?section=reviews&Id=7771 Film Threat] - review of Firecracker
* [http://www.aint-it-cool.com/display.cgi?id=16616 Ain't It Cool News] - interview with Steve
* [http://www.einsiders.com/features/interviews/stevebalderson.php E-insiders] - interview with Steve Balderson
* [http://www.cjonline.com/stories/070303/kan_murdermystery.shtml Topeka Capital Journal] - feature story on Steve Balderson
*imdb name|id=0003931|name=Steve Balderson
* [http://www2.ljworld.com/news/2005/nov/04/exploding_firecracker/ Lawrence Journal-World] - interview with Steve Balderson