Noam Gonick

Born into a radical Marxist family, Gonick supplemented his education by studying filmmakers Guy Maddin and Bruce LaBruce. His survey of Maddin's life and work became the award-winning (Hot Docs) documentary WAITING FOR TWILIGHT (1998), narrated by Tom Waits. His interest in LaBruce resulted in the book Ride, Queer, Ride!

Noam's first short film, 1919 (1997), was a re-visioning of the Winnipeg General Strike set in a Chinese babershop/gay bathhouse. An mixture of contemporary sexual identity politics and early-twentieth century social movements, the film posits a more positive albeit historically inaccurate outcome for the strike. 1919 won best short at the Toronto Worldwide Short Film Festival.

HEY, HAPPY! (2001) Gonick's first feature, was an astro-camp epic set in the Winnipeg rave scene on the eve of an apocalyptic flood. DJ Sabu and Happy's meeting results in the conception an alien love child. The film premiered at Sundance and opened the NY Underground Film Festival.

STRYKER (2004) is a gang war flick with a Native power message. The film was shot by Academy Award-nominated Cinematographer Ed Lachman. STRYKER premiered at the 61st Venice Film Festival.