John Dahl
Dahl at a screening forYou Kill Me in San Francisco, California, June 14, 2007
Born	(1956-06-15)June 15, 1956 (age 69) Billings, Montana, U.S.
Education	Montana State University (BFA) American Film Institute (MFA)
Occupation(s)	Film director,television director,screenwriter
Years active	1989–present
Spouse	Beth Friedberg
Children	4

John Dahl (born June 15, 1956) is an Americanfilm andtelevision director andwriter, best known for his work in theneo-noir genre.^[1]

John Dahl was born and raised inBillings, Montana,^[2][3][4] the second of four children (his brother is filmmaker Rick Dahl).^[5] His father worked as an insurance salesman, and his mother was a homemaker.^[6] He graduated fromBillings Senior High School in 1974.^[7][8]

His interest in film began at the age of seventeen, when he first sawA Clockwork Orange at a Billingsdrive-in theater,^[8] as told toRobert K. Elder in an interview forThe Film That Changed My Life.

This film captured my imagination so much. It was the first film that I saw that made me realize that somebody has to make this stuff. Somebody has to build those sets. Somebody has to paint those paintings. All of a sudden it became accessible. The movie was so compelling and interesting to me on so many levels. The one thing that struck me was that somebody made a movie, and that it was something that maybe, possibly, I could do.^[9]

He first attended theMontana State University, and then transferred to Montana State University'sSchool of Film and Photography, where he received a degree in film. While at MSU, Dahl was a student ofBill Pullman. His first feature film at MSU was titledThe Death Mutants made for $12,000. While at Montana State he played guitar in the punk rock band "The Pugs". He also met his wife, Beth Friedberg at MSU, and after graduation they both left Montana to attend theAFI Conservatory inLos Angeles.^[7] He entered the directors program and she entered the cinematography program.

Dahl started his career as astoryboard artist andassistant director. He continued through the eighties making short films and directingmusic videos forKool & the Gang andJoe Satriani. Dahl's first two films wereKill Me Again andRed Rock West.^[10] His third feature film was the crime thriller,The Last Seduction starringLinda Fiorentino.^[10] Fiorentino's performance in the film, although critically acclaimed, was not eligible to receive an Oscar nomination because it aired on cable television before its theatrical release.The Last Seduction also starred Dahl's former college professor,Bill Pullman.^[10]

Dahl and his wife, Beth, have four children.^[6] As of 2007, they resided in Los Angeles.^[6]

Wikimedia Commons has media related toJohn Dahl.

• John Dahl atIMDb

• 1956 births
• American male screenwriters
• American storyboard artists
• American television directors
• Living people
• Montana State University alumni
• AFI Conservatory alumni
• Writers from Billings, Montana
• University of Montana alumni
• Film directors from Montana
• Screenwriters from Montana

• Pages containing links to subscription-only content
• Articles with short description
• Short description matches Wikidata
• Articles with hCards
• Commons category link from Wikidata