Talmage Cooley
Founder/President/Writer/Director at Kinoglaz Pictures
Screenwriter, Director, Producer and Documentary Filmmaker
New York City, New York
March 2022
> 2 weeks ago
0
About Talmage
Talmage Cooley was born February 22, 1965 in Charlottesville, Virginia. He received a BA in Foreign Affairs and MBA from the University of Virginia and an MPA from Harvard University's Kennedy School. Talmage studied Acting and Directing at NYU's Tisch School of the Arts/ Playwright's Horizons Theater School in New York with theater directors Anne Bogart (Siti Company), Kevin Kulke (NYU Experimental Theater Wing) and Brian Jucha (Via Theater). He also studied film and photography at The New School/Parsons School of Design.
Talmage's first effort as writer/director was the satirical short film Pol Pot's Birthday. The film premiered at the Sundance Film Festival and received numerous Best Film, Best Screenplay and Audience Awards. Pol Pot's Birthday was featured in American Cinematographer for its visual accomplishment in art direction and digital cinematography. Invited to over film festivals worldwide, Pol Pot's Birthday quickly became a short film standout known for its sharply awkward style of comedy often compared to the BBC version of The Office.
Cooley's second film, Dimmer, is a documentary short produced in collaboration with the band Interpol. Dimmer follows an actual gang of blind teenage boys as they roam the broken down neighborhoods and factories of Buffalo, NY, in search of trouble and girlfriends. Dimmer premiered at the Sundance Film Festival, won numerous Best Film, Jury Prize and Audience Awards at film festivals worldwide and was short-listed for the 2006 Academy Awards.
Pol Pot's Birthday and Dimmer have been included in the Sundance Film Collection at the New York Museum of Modern Art (MOMA) and exhibited at both MOMA and the Hammer Museum in Los Angeles.
His script SQUIRT was named as a Finalist in the 2008 Cinequest Screenplay Competition.
Cooley's first feature, Patriotville (2009), a low-budget comedy/drama starring Justin Long, Rob Corddry, Nick Offerman, Emmanuelle Chriqui and Keir O'Donnell, premiered at the CineVegas Film Festival and was released by Lionsgate Entertainment (who re-edited and renamed it Taking Chances). Cooley distanced himself from producers' decisions regarding casting, production and finishing of the film.
Cooley is also a prominent gun violence activist. He created the Asking Saves Kids (ASK) Campaign in 2000, which remains the only gun violence national messaging initiative proven to reduce gun violence. He recently launched The Gun Violence Project with a number of prominent entertainment industry figures to support the national relaunch and expansion of the Asking Saves Kids (ASK) Campaign.
Cooley has been profiled in magazines such as Create, Fader and Hotdog (UK), and was named by RES Magazine as one of "Ten Most Innovative Talents", and by Screen International as one of "10 Emerging Talents to Watch". His films have won over 20 Best Film and other awards at festivals worldwide. Cooley is currently writing/producing a drama/comedy historical fiction television series. He resides in New York City.
Badges
Certifications
Links
Credits
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Taking Chances (originally Patriotville) (
2009 )
Film by Lionsgate (Comedy and Drama) Writer, Director Local town historian (Justin Long) tries to stop a Native American casino from being built on a historic Civil War battlefield where he works, putting him at odds with the town leadership and local businessmen who believe the project will bring prosperity. However, the project and the Native American tribe might not be exactly who they say they are. -
Squirt (
2008 - 2009 )
by Half Shell Entertainment (Comedy and Drama) Writer A charismatic boy is plucked from an orphanage by an opportunistic producer desperate to save a failing sitcom. A young Ron Howard type gone wrong, Squirt rises to become a huge star, but struggles to find a family of his own amidst the dysfunctional misfits who portray America’s perfect family on TV. Script was named as Finalist in Cinequest Mavericks Screenplay Competition. -
Dimmer (
2005 )
Documentary by Kinoglaz Pictures (Comedy, Documentary and Short) Director, Producer A documentary look at the lives of a gang of blind teenage boys as they roam the crumbling rust belt neighborhoods and factories of Buffalo, NY, looking for trouble and girlfriends. Music by the band Interpol. Premiered at Sundance Film Festival and won numerous Best Film and other awards worldwide as well as being named a Finalist for Academy Awards. Sundance Film Festival -- Premiere Nashville Film Festival -- Special Mention Aspen Film Festival -- Silver Prize NYC Museum of Modern Art -- Special Exhibition Selection Worldwide Short Film Festival (Toronto) -- Best Film Curtas Vila Do Cordo Festival (Portugal) -- Best Film Los Angeles Hammer Museum -- Special Exhibition Selection Seattle One Reel Festival -- Best Film RESfest -- Best Film RESfest -- Special Jury Prize RiverRun Festival -- Best Documentary Short 2006 Academy Awards -- Finalist Short Documentary -
Pol Pot's Birthday (
2004 )
Film (short) by Kinoglaz Pictures (Comedy and Drama) writer, director, producer The office staff of the most brutal dictator on earth attempts to throw their boss a surprise birthday party. Premiered at the Sundance Film Festival, was featured at over 60 film festivals worldwide and won numerous Best Film and other honors.
Awards
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Cinequest Mavericks Screenplay Competition Finalist
(2008) -
Academy Awards Short Documentary Finalist
(2006) -
Sundance Film Festival Premiere - Dimmer
(2005) -
Nashville Film Festival Special Mention
(2005) -
Aspen Film Festival Silver Prize
(2005) -
NYC Museum of Modern Art Special Exhibition
(2005) -
Worldwide Short Film Festival (Toronto) Best Film
(2005) -
Curtas Vila Do Cordo Festival (Portugal) Best Film
(2005) -
Los Angeles Hammer Museum Special Exhibition
(2005) -
Seattle One Reel Festival Best Film
(2005) -
RESfest Best Film
(2005) -
RESfest Special Jury Prize
(2005) -
RiverRun Festival Best Documentary Short
(2005) -
Sundance Film Festival Premiere - Pol Pot's Birthday
(2004) -
Newport Beach Film Festival Best Screenplay
(2004) -
Dubrovnik Film Festival (Croatia) Best Film
(2004) -
Filmstock Festival (UK) Best Concept
(2004) -
Silverlake Film Festival - Festival Director's Prize
(2004) -
St Louis Film Festival Best Film
(2004) -
Asian American Film Festival Best Film
(2004)
Education
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Harvard University
(2011-2012) -
New York University Playwrights Horizons Theater School
(1992-1996) -
The New School (NYC) Film Program
(1990-1992) -
University of Virginia
(1983-1988)
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