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Zach Helm | |
|---|---|
| Born | Zachary E. Helm[1] (1975-01-21)January 21, 1975 (age 50) Santa Clara, California, United States |
| Education | DePaul University(BFA) |
| Occupation(s) | Film director,film producer,screenwriter |
| Spouse | |
Zach Helm (born January 21, 1975) is an American film director, producer, and screenwriter. He's known for his work on the filmsStranger than Fiction (2006) andMr. Magorium's Wonder Emporium (2007), as well as the stage playGood Canary and its 2009 screen adaptation.
In 1996, Helm graduated fromDePaul University, where he trained as an actor.[2] After being chosen for a writer's program byFox 2000 Pictures, he spent several years doing uncredited rewrites for film scripts.[2][3]
He wrote the 2006 fantasy comedy-drama filmStranger than Fiction.[4] He won theNational Board of Review Award for Best Original Screenplay[5] and the PEN Center USA West Literary Award in the Screenplay category. He was also nominated for theCritics Choice Award for Best Writer,[6] theWriters Guild of America Award for Best Original Screenplay[7] and theSaturn Award for Best Writing.
In 2006, Helm was approached to directMr. Magorium's Wonder Emporium, for which he had previously written a screenplay.[3] In 2013, he described the movie as a "Technicolor train-wreck" as reported by online tabloid news sourceTMZ.[8]
He beganInterviewing the Audience in 2008, a revival of one ofSpalding Gray's performance pieces which he had seen while in college. As the title suggests, audience members are brought onto stage and interviewed, their personal stories and insights extracted in long-form conversations meant to create a sense of communal intimacy but challenge the convention of theater and story. Helm's approach differed from Gray's in that Helm's conversations were entirely extemporaneous, without any prepared questions, and the audience members were drawn at random. Helm tended to find and illuminate themes and connections within the interviews, thereby creating a through-line for each performance as it happened.[9]
Helm wroteLe Bon Canari (Good Canary), which was produced in France in 2007, then translated into Spanish (El Buen Canario) and produced in Mexico. It was translated into English in 2016 for the Rose Theatre Kingston. Drawn from Helm's personal experiences, the play is known for its dark humor, coarse language, and views on sexism and misogyny as well as its use of Brechtian devices.[10]
In 2015, Helm directedCulo Quasars Cocaine Chaos, which he adapted from the true story of Paul Frampton.[11] He adapted theEpic Magazine article "The Mercenary" for Fox in 2016, collaborating with journalists Josh Davis and Josh Bearman.[12]
Helm was married to actressKiele Sanchez[13] from 2001 to 2008.[14]
TV movies
| Year | Title | Writer | Executive Producer |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2003 | Other People's Business | Yes | Yes |
| 2009 | Good Canary | Yes | No |
Feature films
| Year | Title | Director | Writer |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006 | Stranger than Fiction | No | Yes |
| 2007 | Mr. Magorium's Wonder Emporium | Yes | Yes |
| 2022 | Deep Water | No | Yes |
