Biography
American film director, screenwriter and producer. In the period 1978 to 1980, he made his debut as a "fringe" producer, and collaborated with the independent director Marcus Reichert, casting rock stars such as Mick Jagger, for the role of Antonin Artaud in Wings of Ash: Pilot for a Dramatization of the Life of Antonin Artaud, and Deborah Harry (Blondie), for a femme fatale role in Union City. In 1981, alongside Kathryn Bigelow, he co-wrote, co-directed and produced the independent film The Loveless, a dark story of a 1950's motorcycle gang, with Willem Dafoe starring in his first major film role.
In 1986, with his partners Steve Golin and Joni Sighvattson, he became one of the founding forces of Propaganda Films, among the most successful and well-known independent production companies, responsible for thousands of music videos for all the major pop icons, commercials and movies such as Madonna documentary Truth or Dare, Being John Malkovich and the pilot for Beverly Hills 90210. In 1989, he was a producer on the pilot movie of the television series Twin Peaks, directed by David Lynch. Again with Lynch, Montgomery produced Wild at Heart (winner of the Palme d'Or at Cannes, 1990), three television episodes of Hotel Room (which he created with Lynch, 1993), numerous commercials, public service announcements and short films. In 1996 he produced The Portrait of a Lady, adapted from the Henry James novel, and directed by Jane Campion, with the leading role played by Nicole Kidman.
With David Lynch and Heidrun Reshoeft Montgomery produced "Lux Vivens," The Music of Hildegard Von Bingen, a musical album performed by Jocelyn Montgomery in 1997. Monty Montgomery appeared for the first time on screen as the mysterious Cowboy in David Lynch's Mullholland Drive (2001). He was a founder of the American Cinematheque, has served on the Hollywood branch advisory committee of the Natural Resource Defense Council, served as a Grand Jury member in 2003 for the International Venice festival, the head juror for the inaugural International Baccaularet Schools Film Festival, N.Y.C., 2003 and a member of the Grand Jury Istanbul Film Festival, 2005.
Montgomery is a full-time special emissary for Desert Ventures, Inc.
