Monte Hellman

Monte Hellman (b. 1932, New York City) studied drama at Stanford University and film at UCLA. Like a number of filmmakers from the New Hollywood generation, he gave his debut under the patronage of producer Roger Corman (the low-budget horror Beast from Haunted Cave, 1960). He became a legend of the American independent scene thanks to the road movie Two-Lane Blacktop (1971), which acquired cult status and was screened at KVIFF in 2007 in the New Hollywood section. He also directed the war film Back Door to Hell (1964), featuring Jack Nicholson in one of his early roles, whom he also cast in the antiwestern Ride in the Whirlwind (1965) and the western The Shooting (1969). Hellman was executive producer on Quentin Tarantino’s Reservoir Dogs (1992). In 2010 he was awarded a Special Lion at the Venice IFF for his life’s work.

46. IFF Karlovy Vary