World Literary Awards

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Alan Brown

アラン・ブラウン

Alan Brown

Profile

Gender
Male
Nationality
United States
Languages
English
Residence History
United States (birth/ residence) → Japan (Fulbright residency, ~7 years)

Career

Occupations
Film director, Author
Active Years
2002-

Education

Fulbright Fellowship (Journalism)
Period: 在日フルブライト（年不詳、約7年滞在）
Country: Japan
Received a Fulbright Fellowship in Journalism; lived in Japan for an extended period.

Awards

Future Filmmaker Award
2002
Work: O Beautiful
Organization: Palm Springs International Short Film Festival
Result: 受賞
Feature Filmmaker’s Award
2007
Work: Superheroes
Organization: Avignon/New York Film Festival
Result: 受賞
Maverick Spirit Award
2008
Work: Superheroes
Organization: Cinequest Film Festival
Result: 受賞
Grand Jury Prize
2011
Work: Private Romeo
Organization: Outfest
Result: 受賞
Pacific Rim Book Prize
Work: Audrey Hepburn's Neck
Organization: Pacific Rim Book Prize (organization)
Result: 受賞

Awards & Nominations

Works

Major Works

O Beautiful

2002 Short film

A half-hour narrative short film exploring gay themes; received festival recognition.

LGBTQrelationships

Book of Love

2004 Feature film (drama)

Feature debut; premiered in the Dramatic Competition at the Sundance Film Festival.

romancehuman relationships

Superheroes

2007 Drama

Tells the story of an Iraq War veteran with PTSD; won multiple festival prizes.

post-war traumarecovery

Private Romeo

2011 Drama (Shakespeare adaptation)

A contemporary adaptation of Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet set in an all-male military academy; a NYT Critic's Pick and Outfest Grand Jury Prize winner.

homosexualityidentityreinterpretation of classics
Adaptations
  • [Film] Private Romeo / Alan Brown (2011)

Five Dances

2013 Drama (dance film)

Set in the downtown modern dance world, featuring choreography by Jonah Bokaer.

danceartyouth struggle

Audrey Hepburn's Neck

Novel

A novel by Brown, translated into eight languages and recipient of the Pacific Rim Book Prize.

identityreferences to pop culture
Translations
  • Translated into eight languages

Bibliography

  • O Beautiful (short, 2002)
  • Book of Love (feature film, 2004)
  • Superheroes (feature film, 2007)
  • Private Romeo (feature film, 2011)
  • Five Dances (feature film, 2013)
  • Audrey Hepburn's Neck (novel)

Adaptations

  • O Beautiful → included in Boys Life 4 anthology (2003)
  • Private Romeo (modern adaptation of Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet, 2011)
  • Five Dances (dance film, 2013)

Translations of Works

  • Audrey Hepburn's Neck translated into eight languages

Style & Themes

Literary Style
Cinematic, visual descriptionsDelicate character portrayals and restrained narration
Recurring Motifs
identityloneliness and recoverysexuality and gender

Legacy

Alan Brown is recognized as a filmmaker and author whose independent films and queer-themed works — including bold reinterpretations of Shakespeare — have earned critical praise. His novel has been translated internationally and he has received fellowships including a Fulbright residency in Japan.

In Popular Culture

  • Private Romeo was a New York Times Critic's Pick and became a noted work in indie queer cinema.

Quotes

  • "hugely adventurous and highly liberated"
    Source: Jeannette Catsoulis (The New York Times) (2012)

Trivia

  • Audrey Hepburn's Neck was translated into eight languages.
  • Received a Fulbright Fellowship and lived in Japan for about seven years.
  • Short film O Beautiful won the Future Filmmaker Award at Palm Springs and was an official selection at Sundance.