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Wayne Kramer (filmmaker)

American film director


Summary

American film director

FieldValue
nameWayne Kramer
imageWayne Kramer (Director) at Naturalization ceremony (cropped).jpg
image_size200px
captionKramer on the set of Crossing Over in 2007
birth_date
birth_placeJohannesburg-Kew, South Africa
occupationFilm director, screenwriter, producer, storyboard artist
years_active1992–present
spouseJodi Kramer

Wayne Kramer (born 26 May 1965) is a South African filmmaker and storyboard artist. He has written and directed films such as the 2003 film The Cooler, which garnered an Oscar nomination for its star Alec Baldwin, as well as two Golden Globe nominations for Baldwin and Maria Bello. He also adapted his 1995 short film Crossing Over into a feature-length version which starred Harrison Ford, Ray Liotta, Ashley Judd and Jim Sturgess, and was released by the Weinstein Company in 2009. He also wrote the screenplay for the film Mindhunters, but the final script was heavily rewritten by others and bore little resemblance to Kramer's original work.

Career

Kramer first began directing with the 1992 film Blazeland, which was never completed. Kramer has since commented that the process was "an absolute nightmare from beginning to end" and that he has no plans to finish or release the film. His first official release, The Cooler, was selected for competition in the 2003 Sundance Film Festival. Later the same year The Cooler received a 2003 Special Mention for Excellence in Filmmaking from the National Board of Review. A year later, he was nominated for a Golden Satellite Award and an Edgar Allan Poe Award for writing the film's screenplay.

In 2006, Kramer directed the action thriller Running Scared for Media 8 Entertainment. The film starred Paul Walker and Cameron Bright. Although Running Scared did not fare well at the box office, it has gone on to become a hugely profitable DVD title for Media 8.

In 2006, Kramer was one of several filmmakers interviewed for the Kirby Dick documentary This Film Is Not Yet Rated, in which he discusses the apparent absurdity of the fact The Cooler was given an NC-17 certificate by the MPAA simply due to a few seconds long shot of its lead actress' pubic hair.

Kramer directed Pawn Shop Chronicles, which was released on 12 July 2013. The film starred Vincent D'Onofrio, Chi McBride, Paul Walker, Kevin Rankin, Matt Dillon, Elijah Wood, and Brendan Fraser.

Filmography

YearTitleDirectorWriterProducerDistribution Company199220032004200620092013
Blazeland
The CoolerLionsgate
MindhuntersThe Weinstein Company
Running ScaredMedia 8 Entertainment
Crossing OverThe Weinstein Company
Pawn Shop ChroniclesAnchor Bay Films

Recurring collaborators

CollaboratorsThe Cooler
(2003)Running Scared
(2006)Crossing Over
(2009)Pawn Shop Chronicles
(2013)TotalMichael CudlitzArthur J. NascarellaPaul Walker
3
2
2

References

References

  1. "Citizen's Arrest for Wayne Kramer's Tasteless Immigrant Drama Crossing Over". Village Voice.
  2. "10 Questions: Wayne Kramer". IGN.
  3. Berra, John. (2010). "Directory of World Cinema: American Independent". Intellect Ltd.
  4. (21 January 2003). "Sundance Notebook: 'Cooler' Feels Lucky, Fowl Play and Indecisive Party Monsters". Salt Lake Tribune.
  5. "2003: Special Recognition For Excellence In Filmmaking". National Board of Review.
  6. "2004 Edgar Award Nominees". BookReporter.
  7. (August 2025). "The Best Movie You Never Saw: Running Scared".
  8. "Max Landis on Running Scared". Trailers From Hell.
  9. (2 September 2006). "Censuring the Movie Censors". Time.
  10. Scheck, Frank. (10 July 2013). "Pawn Shop Chronicles: Film Review". The Hollywood Reporter.
  11. Spitz, Marc. (25 April 2008). "True Romance: 15 Years Later". [[Maxim (magazine).
  12. Bradshaw, Peter. (15 May 2014). "Pulp Fiction review – Tarantino's mesmeric thriller still breathtaking 20 years on". The Guardian.
  13. (25 December 1995). "Four Rooms". Chicago Sun-Times.
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