Quick Facts
Biography
Dan Sickles is an American documentary film director, writer, actor and producer. He is best known for his documentaries, Mala Mala and Dina. In 2015, he was named in Out magazine's OUT100.
Life and career
Sickles was born in Fort Washington, Pennsylvania. He earned his BFA from New York University's Tisch School of the Arts in 2010.
Sickles directed, wrote and produced his debut documentary, Mala Mala, along with Antonio Santini, about nine trans-identifying individuals in Puerto Rico, which premiered at the Tribeca Film Festival and won the runner-up audience award at the 2014 Tribeca Film Festival. In 2015, he directed a short film, I Ate the Cosmos for Breakfast, based on the Melissa Studdard poetry collection I Ate the Cosmos for Breakfast.
In 2017, Sickles directed and produced his second documentary, Dina, along with Antonio Santini, about a love story between a suburban woman and a Walmart door greeter, premiered at the Sundance Film Festival.
Filmography
| Year | Title | Director | Writer | Producer | Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2014 | Mala Mala | Yes | Yes | Yes | Documentary |
| 2015 | I Ate the Cosmos for Breakfast | Yes | Yes | Short film | |
| 2017 | Dina | Yes | Yes | Documentary |
As actor
- 2012 : Art Machine (Feature film)
- 2013 : High Maintenance (TV Series)
Awards and nominations
| Year | Result | Award | Category | Work | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2014 | Nominated | Tribeca Film Festival | Best Documentary Feature | Mala Mala | |
| Nominated | Audience Award | ||||
| 2015 | Won | Philadelphia QFest | First Time Director Documentary | ||
| Won | Best Documentary | ||||
| Won | Best Director Documentary | ||||
| 2017 | Won | Sundance Film Festival | Grand Jury Prize | Dina | |
| Won | International Documentary Association | Best Feature Documentary | |||
| Nominated | Sheffield Doc/Fest | Grand Jury Award |