Wash West

Wash Westmoreland (b. March 4, 1966) has recently emerged as a nationally-known independent film director with his 2006 release, "Quinceañera", which had a double Sundance win (Audience Award and Grand Jury Prize), and also picked up the Humanitas Prize, and the John Cassavetes Spirit Award. In his career he has worked in television, documentaries, independent films. Westmoreland's route into film-making was an unusual one, having cut his teeth in the adult film world of the late-nineties making deliberately ironic post-modern porn that gained attention from academics and consumers alike.

Biography

Wash Westmoreland was born Paul Westmoreland in Leeds, England on March 4, 1966.Prestigiacomo, Jennifer (February 21, 2002). "Fluffer" explores most difficult job in porn industry". "University Wire".] His father was a maintenance engineer for the CEGB and his mother worked as a receptionist at a local hair salon. He was named "Paul" after a member of the The Beatles but received the nickname "Wash" as a child. He finished high school intending to pursue science at university level, but after a short disruptive spell in a religious cult changed his direction to study social science. Westmoreland earned his college degree in Politics and East Asian Studies at the University of Newcastle-upon-Tyne and Fukuoka University in Japan graduating in 1990. He emigrated to America in 1992, initially living in New York, then moving to New Orleans where he survived by doing menial work, washing dishes and cleaning houses. In 1995 he moved to Los Angeles to pursue a career in film.

Early career

After working as a camera assistant on Bruce LaBruce's movie Hustler White, Westmoreland decided to enter the Adult Entertainment world to make what he described as "post-modern pornography" and research material for a feature film project "The Fluffer." He managed to land a job directing for BIG Video, a minor label and directed under the name Wash West. "Toolbox" and "Dr Jerkoff and Mr Hard" were his first significant films .

In 1997 he wrote and directed "Naked Highway" for BIG Video. This film starred "Jim Buck" and received high praise from many critics and was filled with daring music, deep saturated color alternating with washed out sections and black and white sequences. It was also released in a softcore edit and made available in more mainstream outlets. The movie swept both the 1997 Adult Erotic Gay Video Awards and the 1998 AVN Awards.

It was also during this time that Westmoreland started to make his presence in mainstream films felt. He appeared briefly in "Velvet Goldmine" by director Todd Haynes. Haynes would go on to work with Westmoreland as a producer on "Quinceañera".

Westmoreland went on to direct the cat-and-mouse thriller "Animus" for All Worlds Video, which channelled the millennium fears of the time (1999) and featured performances from Blake Harper and Thomas Lloyd, who both won GayVN Awards for their work.

Taking a different direction, he began to direct a series of comic videos for All Worlds Video under the name of Bud Light. Of these, "The Devil is a Bottom" won the 2001 GayVN Award as Best Sex Comedy and was surprisingly listed as one of the LA Weekly Critic's Top Ten Movies of the year.cite web |title=Wonder Boys and Girls |date=December, 2000 |url=http://www.laweekly.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=11205&Itemid=9 |accessdate=2007-06-27 |work=LA Weekly]

His work in the adult industry culminated in 2001 independent film The Fluffer which was loosely based on many real events and characters. Around this time he gave a candid interview to Terri Gross on NPR's Fresh Air. After this he only made two more Adult movies; "Seven Deadly Sins Gluttony" for All Worlds Video, based on Oscar Wilde's "The Picture of Dorian Gray" and a parody of the horror film "The Ring" called "The Hole" for Jet Set Productions which dealt with a videotape that would turn those who watched it gay in seven days. Westmoreland picked up many GayVN Awards for both titles. "The Hole" was also released in a softcore edit for more mainstream outlets.

Mainstream

Westmoreland's first mainstream film "The Fluffer", was an exploration of obsession and power relations set with the adult video industry. The film received generally favorable reviews and was successful enough that West proved he could helm more mainstream films. He co-directed this film with his professional and personal partner, Richard Glatzer.cite web |title=The Fluffer |first=Michael |last=O'Sullivan |url=http://www.washingtonpost.com/ac2/wp-dyn/A31737-2002Mar28 |work=The Washington Post |date=2002-03-28 |accessdate=2007-06-29]

After this Westmoreland segued into television work, making a successful VH1 show called Totally Gay which charted the evolution of mainstream gay culture from 1993-2003.

Then, Westmoreland made a documentary called "Gay Republicans" about the Log Cabin Republican reaction to Bush's support for a constitutional amendment banning gay marriage in the 2004 election campaign. The doc premiered on Trio cable network on election night. Shortly after, a longer version was shown at the 2004 American Film Institute festival where it picked up the Audience Award for best documentary.

Then came another collaboration with Glatzer -- "Quinceañera" -- about a 14 year old Hispanic girl discovering she is pregnant and being kicked out of the house. The film also received generally favorable reviews, reaching 86% on RottenTomatoes.com and has won awards at various film festivals including the Sundance Film Festival where it picked up the audience award for best narrative feature as well as the Grand Jury Prize.

Quinceañera also received the Humanitas prize for best screenplay of an independent film and the John Cassavetes Prize at the Independent Spirit Award for best low-budget independent movie.

Filmography

As Wash Westmoreland
* (2006) "Quinceañera" writer, director
* (2004) "Gay Republicans" writer, director
* (2003) "Totally Gay" director (for VH-1)
* (2001) "The Fluffer" writer, director
* (1998) "Velvet Goldmine" actor
* (1996) "Hustler White" actor, assistant camera

As Wash West
* (2003) "The Hole" writer, director
* (2002) "Rubber is Natural" (short) director
* (2001) "Seven Deadly Sins: Gluttony" aka "The Porno Picture of Dorian Gray" writer, director, videographer
* (1999) "Animus" writer, director, videographer
* (1999) "Technical Ecstasy" writer, director
* (1997) "Naked Highway" writer, director, videographer
* (1998) "Toolbox" writer, director
* (1996) "Dr Jerkoff and Mr Hard" writer, director, videographer
* (1996) "Taking the Plunge!"director, writer
* (1995) "Squishy Does Porno" writer, director

As Bud Light
* (2005) "Jet Set Direct: Take Two" writer, director (one scene only)
* (2004) "Jet Set Direct: Take One" writer, director (one scene only)
* (2002) "Porn Academy" writer, director
* (2000) "Brothers in Arms" writer, director
* (2000) "The Devil is a Bottom" writer, director
* (2000) "Florida Erection" writer, director
* (1999) "Lost Exit" videographer
* (1998) "Red Hot and Safe" writer, director

Awards

* 1997 Adult Erotic Gay Video Award Best Director - "Naked Highway", BIG Video
* 1997 Adult Erotic Gay Video Award Best Screenplay - "Naked Highway", BIG Video
* 1997 Adult Erotic Gay Video Award Best Cinematography - "Naked Highway", BIG Video
* 1998 AVN Award Best Director (Gay Video) - "Naked Highway", BIG Video
* 1998 AVN Award Best Screenplay (Gay Video) - "Naked Highway", BIG Video
* 1998 AVN Award Best Videography (Gay Video) - "Naked Highway", BIG Video
* 1998 AVN Award Best Editing (Gay Video) - "Dr Jerkoff and Mr Hard", BIG Video
* 1999 Adult Erotic Gay Video Award Best Screenplay (Fantasy) - "Animus", All Worlds Video
* 2001 Adult Erotic Gay Video Award Best Screenplay - "Seven Deadly Sins: Gluttony", All Worlds Video
* 2002 GayVN Award Best Director - "Seven Deadly Sins Gluttony", All Worlds Video
* 2002 GayVN Award Best Screenplay - "Seven Deadly Sins Gluttony", All Worlds Video
* 2002 GayVN Award Best Videography - "Seven Deadly Sins Gluttony", All Worlds Video
* 2002 GayVN Award Best Editing (with Andrew Rosen) - "Seven Deadly Sins Gluttony", All Worlds Video
* 2003 Adult Erotic Gay Video Award Best Director - "The Hole", Jet Set Productions
* 2003 Adult Erotic Gay Video Award Best Screenplay - "The Hole", Jet Set Productions
* 2004 GayVN Award Best Director - "The Hole", Jet Set Productions
* AFI Festival 2004 Audience Award for best documentary, Gay Republicans
*2006 Sundance Film Festival Awards Grand Jury Prize: Dramatic - "Quinceañera"
*2006 Sundance Film Festival Awards Audience Award: Dramatic - "Quinceañera"
* Newport International Film Festival 2006 Audience Award for Best Narrative feature "Quinceañera."
* Atlanta International Film Festival 2006 Audience Award for Best Narrative Feature "Quinceañera."
* Provincetown International Film Festival 2006 Best Feature Film "Quinceañera."
* Humanitas Award for the Best Independent Screenplay "Quinceannera."
* National Gay and Lesbian Task Force Leadership Award 2006
* John Cassavetes Spirit Award 2007 for Best Low-Budget Feature "Quinceanera."

In addition, Wash West directed the following winners for Best Gay Video:
* 1997 Adult Erotic Gay Video Award "Naked Highway", BIG Video
* 1998 AVN Award "Naked Highway", BIG Video
* 1999 Adult Erotic Gay Video Award Fantasy Video - "Technical Ecstasy", Men of Odyssey
* 2000 Adult Erotic Gay Video Award Comedy Video - "The Devil is a Bottom", All Worlds Video (as Bud Light)
* 2001 GayVN Award Comedy Video - "The Devil is a Bottom", All Worlds Video (as Bud Light)
* 2002 GayVN Award "Seven Deadly Sins Gluttony", All Worlds Video
* 2003 Adult Erotic Gay Video Award - "The Hole", Jet Set Productions
* 2004 GayVN Award "The Hole", Jet Set Productions

He also directed the following Best Sex Scene Winners:

* 2000 GayVN Award Sex Scene (Duo) - Sam Crockett & Chad Kennedy - "Technical Ecstasy", Men of Odyssey
* 2000 GayVN Award Sex Scene (Threesome) - Tanner Hayes, Zach Richards, Jack Simmons - "Animus", All Worlds Video
* 2004 GayVN Award Sex Scene (Solo) - Tag Eriksson - "The Hole", Jet Set Productions

Trivia

*Wash West's brother Micko Westmoreland often writes the music for West's films; usually credited as "Bowling Green".
*Wash West often includes references to gay culture in his films. These include:
* In "Seven Deadly Sins: Gluttony", Tanner Hayes wears a The Smiths t-shirt during his opening narration. The Smiths were a notoriously ambiguous/gay rock group.
*In "The Hole", Tag Eriksson pulls the mysterious videotape off the shelf from between the titles "Velvet Goldmine" and "Boys Don't Cry". Other titles on the shelf are "Trash" (1999), "Arlington Road" and "Artemesia".
*In "The Fluffer", some of the fictional porn titles are "Citizen Cum", "Poke-A-Hot-Ass" (the lead character is dressed as a Native American on the cover), "Cocky III" (as a boxer) and "Tour De Ass" (as a bicyclist). Also a series of films with titles that knowingly parody porn star Ryan Idol film titles "Rebel Army", "Rebel Inferno" and "Rebel Rebel".

References

External links

Caution: many of these websites contain graphic pornographic images
*imdb name|0922903
* [http://www.nightcharm.com/habituals/video/wash/index.html Interview by Benjamin Scuglia on Nightcharm.com]
* [http://www.mannet.com/cgi-bin/ultimatebb.cgi?ubb=next_topic&f=3&t=000095&go=newer Profile and Interview on ManNet.com]
* [http://www.hole-themovie.com/ Official The Hole movie site]
* [http://www.indiewire.com/people/2006/01/by_indiewire_ja_4.html Indie Wire Interview with Wash Westmoreland] Includes some biographical data
* [http://www.gayvn.com/index.php?Primary_Navigation=Reviews&Secondary_Navigation=Title_Review&Action=Show_Review&Content_ID=45712 Naked Highway review on GayVN]
* [http://www.dailytexanonline.com/media/storage/paper410/news/2002/02/21/Entertainment/More-fluffer.Less.Nutter-503725.shtml?norewrite200701121115&sourcedomain=www.dailytexanonline.com Jennifer Prestigiacomo Interview with Wash West and review of The Fluffer]