David Lowery

Lowery worked across film director, actor, screenwriter, cinematographer and film editor and 3 further recorded occupations. This article rests on 14 published texts, 2 digitised documents and 27 scholarly references drawn from named institutional registers. Every statement below returns to a source shown in the evidence panel; where the record is silent or divided, the article says so instead of resolving it.

• Name — David Lowery • Born — 26 December 1980 • Birthplace — Milwaukee, Wisconsin, U.S. • Occupation — Filmmaker, actor • Years Active — 2000–present

Born in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, on December 26, 1980, David Lowery is the eldest of nine children born to Madeleine and Mark Lowery. When he was seven, his family moved to Irving, Texas, for his father's work. Lowery attended Irving High School. At the age of 19, Lowery wrote and directed his first film, a short entitled Lullaby.

• Illustration — Lowery at the Deauville Film Festival, 2013 Lowery's first feature film, St. Nick, which follows two runaway children abandoned by their guardians, premiered at the 2009 South by Southwest festival. It won the Texas Filmmaker Award at the 2009 AFI Dallas International Film Festival. In 2011, Lowery started his own production company, Sailor Bear. That same year, he wrote and directed the short film entitled Pioneer, which played at the Sundance Film Festival that year. In 2013, Lowery wrote, directed and edited his second feature film, Ain't Them Bodies Saints, starring Casey Affleck and Rooney Mara. The film was nominated for the Grand Jury Prize at the 2013 Sundance Film Festival. It was selected to compete at the Critics' Week section of the 2013 Cannes Film Festival. Lowery has said that he drew from great directors and their works for this film, citing Claire Denis's 35 Shots of Rum, Robert Altman's McCabe & Mrs. Miller, and Paul Thomas Anderson and David Fincher as influences. In addition to having edited films such as Amy Seimetz's Sun Don't Shine and Shane Carruth's Upstream Color, Lowery co-wrote Pit Stop with director Yen Tan. At the 2014 Cannes Film Festival, it was announced that Lowery would write and direct the film adaptation of the novel The Yellow Birds, written by Iraq War veteran Kevin Powers; it was a 2012 National Book Award finalist. The film was eventually directed by Alexandre Moors and stars Jack Huston, Tye Sheridan, Alden Ehrenreich and Jennifer Aniston. In April 2016, Lowery directed a remake of Disney's Pete's Dragon, which was met with positive reviews. Lowery also co-wrote the screenplay alongside Toby Halbrooks. In July 2016, it was announced Lowery would direct an episode of Breakthrough for National Geographic Channel. In November 2016, it was announced Lowery had shot a new film, A Ghost Story, over the summer with Rooney Mara and Casey Affleck as a secret project. Lowery next directed the 2018 drama film The Old Man & the Gun, starring Robert Redford as bank robber, Forrest Tucker, and Casey Affleck.

Lowery followed up The Old Man and the Gun with the medieval fantasy The Green Knight which stars Dev Patel, Alicia Vikander, Joel Edgerton, Barry Keoghan, Ralph Ineson and Sean Harris. The film was scheduled to world premiere at South by Southwest in March 2020, and be released on May 29, 2020, but the premiere and release were cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic. It was released on July 30, 2021. Lowery directed a segment of the anthology film The Year of the Everlasting Storm which premiered at the Cannes Film Festival in July 2021 and was released in theatres on 3 September 2021. After working with Disney on Pete's Dragon, Lowery signed on to direct a live-action adaptation of their 1953 animated film Peter Pan in April 2016. The film, titled Peter Pan & Wendy and starring Alexander Molony as Peter Pan, Jude Law as Captain Hook, and Ever Anderson as Wendy Darling, was released on Disney+ on April 28, 2023. In March 2023, it was announced Lowery would write and direct the music drama film Mother Mary for A24, with Anne Hathaway and Michaela Coel starring and Jack Antonoff and Charli XCX writing original songs for the project.

Lowery married filmmaker Augustine Frizzell in 2010. As of 2013, they live in Dallas. Lowery identifies as an atheist, and has been a vegan since approximately 1996.

• Year — Title — Director — Executive producer — Writer — Episode(s) • 2014 — Rectify — "Donald the Normal" • 2017 — Breakthrough — "Addiction: A Psychedelic Cure?" • 2018 — Strange Angel — "Augurs of Spring" and "Ritual of Abduction" • 2021 — Cinema Toast — "The Gunshot Heard 'Round the World" • 2024 — Star Wars: Skeleton Crew — "Way, Way Out Past the Barrier" and "Very Interesting, As An Astrogation Problem"

• Year — Award — Category — Work — Result • 2005 — Texas Film Festival — Best Feature Narrative — Deadroom • 2008 — SXSW Film Festival — Grand Jury Award — A Catalog of Anticipations — • 2009 — Dallas International Film Festival — Grand Jury Prize — St. Nick • Sidewalk Film Festival — Special Jury Award • St. Louis International Film Festival — New Filmmakers Forum Award • Thessaloniki Film Festival — Golden Alexander — • 2011 — 24fps International Short Film Festival — Best Short Film — Pioneer • Ashland Independent Film Festival — Best Short Film • Eastern Oregon Film Festival — Best Short Film — • Hamptons International Film Festival — Golden Starfish Award — • Philadelphia Film Festival — Special Jury Award • Sundance Film Festival — Short Filmmaking Award — • SXSW Film Festival — Competition Award • Grand Jury Award • 2013 — Chicago Film Critics Association Awards — Best Editing — Upstream Color — • Los Angeles Film Critics Association Awards — Best Editing — • Deauville Film Festival — Grand Special Prize — Ain't Them Bodies Saints — • Gotham Awards — Best Feature — • Palm Springs International Film Festival — Directors To Watch — • Sundance Film Festival — Grand Jury Prize — • Nashville Film Festival — Best Screenplay — Pit Stop • 2014 — Independent Spirit Awards — John Cassavetes Award — • Best Editing — Upstream Color — • 2016 — Heartland Film Festival — Truly Moving Picture Award — Pete's Dragon • 2017 — Boston Society of Film Critics — Best Film Editing — A Ghost Story • Deauville Film Festival — Revelation Prize • Critics Prize • Jury Prize • Grand Special Prize • Fantasia Film Festival — Camera Lucida Award • Sitges Film Festival — Carnet Jove Jury Award • Sundance Film Festival — Audience Award • Utah Film Critics Association Awards — Best Director — • 2018 — Independent Spirit Awards — John Cassavetes Award • International Online Cinema Awards — Best Film Editing — • London Film Festival — Best Film — The Old Man & the Gun — • San Diego Film Critics Society Awards — Best Adapted Screenplay — • 2021 — Cannes Film Festival — Golden Eye — The Year of the Everlasting Storm • Chicago Film Critics Association Awards — Best Director — The Green Knight — • Best Adapted Screenplay — • Critics' Choice Super Awards — Best Science Fiction/Fantasy Movie • Detroit Film Critics Society Awards — Best Director • Best Adapted Screenplay • Gotham Awards — Best Feature • Best Screenplay • International Online Cinema Awards — Best Adapted Screenplay — • National Board of Review Awards — Top Independent Films • Saturn Awards — Best Fantasy Film • Seattle Film Critics Society — Best Director — • Best Screenplay — • Washington DC Area Film Critics Association Awards — Best Film • Best Director

David Lowery was born on 26 December 1980 in Milwaukee. Lowery held the nationality of United States. Lowery was educated at Irving High School. Lowery worked as film director, actor, screenwriter and cinematographer, and the authority record catalogues a further 4 occupations under the same name, among them film editor, film producer, director and film actor. Lowery was active from 2000. Lowery worked in English.

Lowery worked for the screen, as film director, screenwriter, cinematographer and film producer. 15 films survive in the institutional catalogues, spanning 2005 to 2026. Among them are Deadroom (2005), Ain't Them Bodies Saints (2013), Donald the Normal (2014), Pete's Dragon (2016), A Ghost Story (2017) and The Old Man & the Gun (2018). The whole run is set out in the catalogue below.

• Year — Title — Director — Writer — Editor — Producer • 2005 — Deadroom • 2009 — It Was Great, But I Was Ready to Come Home • St. Nick • 2013 — Ain't Them Bodies Saints • Pit Stop • 2016 — Pete's Dragon • 2017 — A Ghost Story • The Yellow Birds • 2018 — The Old Man & the Gun • 2021 — The Green Knight • 2023 — Peter Pan & Wendy • 2026 — Mother Mary Executive producer • Minor Setback (2013) • Person to Person (2017) • Never Goin' Back (2018) • Light from Light (2019) • Miss Juneteenth (2020) • We're All Going to the World's Fair (2022) Short films • Year — Title — Director — Writer — Producer — Editor — DoP — Notes • 2000 — Lullaby — Also camera operator • The Knocker • 2003 — Still — Executive • Looking for Love • 2006 — G.D.M.F. • Some Analog Lines • 2007 — The Outlaw Son • 2008 — A Catalog of Anticipations • Coda • Merrily, Merrily • 2009 — The Crane House • Boycrazy Promo — Executive • Boycrazy in Bed — Executive • Boycrazy Gets a Job — Executive • Boycrazy Bikini Mishap — Executive • Boycrazy at the Drug Store — Executive • 2011 — Pioneer • My Daily Routine — Documentary short • 2014 — Until We Could • 2021 — Dig Up My Darling — Segment of The Year of the Everlasting Storm • 2022 — Oak Thorn & The Old Rose Of Love • 2024 — An Almost Christmas Story Additional credits • Year — Title — Role • 2008 — Blood on the Highway — Second unit director and assistant camera • Ciao — Editor and co-producer • 2009 — Alexander the Last — Additional editor and sound recordist • St. Nick — Editor • 2010 — Lovers of Hate — Cinematographer • Audrey the Trainwreck • Shadowboxing — Editor • 2011 — Bad Fever • Uncertain, TX • Universal Squadrons • 2012 — Sun Don't Shine • Reconvergence — Cinematographer • Nor'easter — Editor • 2013 — Upstream Color • 2014 — Listen Up Philip — Producer • Empire Builder — Editor and cinematographer Acting roles • Year — Title — Role — Notes • 2002 — Happy Birthday — Videographer • 2008 — Blood on the Highway — Vampire • 2009 — Alexander the Last — Stagehand • 2017 — A Ghost Story — Neighbor's Ghost — Uncredited • 2022 — Lynch/Oz — Narrator/Contributor — Chapter 6: Dig • 2024 — Queer — Jim Cochan • An Almost Christmas Story — Additional voices — Short film