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Jonathan Dayton Biography

Birth Name:Jonathan Dayton

Birth Place:Alameda County, California, United States

Profession Director, Producer, Cinematographer, Camera department

Fast Facts

  • Won a Grammy Award for Best Music Video - Long Form for Janet Jackson's "Rhythm Nation 1814" in 1990
  • Was nominated for a Hamburg Film Festival Art Cinema Award for "Ruby Sparks" in 2012
  • Won 11 awards for "Little Miss Sunshine," including an Independent Spirit Award in 2007
  • Won six MTV Video Music Awards for "Tonight Tonight" by The Smashing Pumpkins
  • Graduated from the UCLA Film School, where he met his future wife Valerie Faris, who was a dance student
  • He and his wife started out as music video directors, working with bands like Oasis, R․E․M․, Red Hot Chili Peppers, and Beastie Boys
  • Best known as the director of the films "Little Miss Sunshine" and "Ruby Sparks" with his wife, Valerie Faris

Awards

  • 1990Grammy-Best Music Video, Long Form: winner
  • 2006EDA Female Focus Award-Hanging in There Award for Persistence: nominated
  • 2006EDA Award-Best Comedy by or About Women: winner
  • 2006BSFC Award-Best New Filmmaker: nominated
  • 2006British Comedy Award-Best Comedy Film: nominated
  • 2006CFCA Award-Most Promising Director: nominated
  • 2006Grand Special Prize-: winner
  • 2006DFCC-Breakthrough Artist: nominated
  • 2006ICP Award-Best First Feature: nominated
  • 2006New Generation Award-: winner
  • 2006NYFCC Award-Best First Film: nominated
  • 2006NYFCO Award-Best Debut as Director: winner
  • 2006OFCC Award-Best First Film: winner
  • 2006Audience Award-: winner
  • 2006Audience Award-: winner
  • 2006Tokyo Grand Prix-: nominated
  • 2006Best Director Award-: winner
  • 2006Audience Award-: winner
  • 2006TFCA Award-Best First Feature: nominated
  • 2007Award of the Argentinean Academy-Best Foreign Film (Mejor Película Extranjera): nominated
  • 2007Silver Condor-Best Foreign Film, Not in the Spanish Language (Mejor Película Extranjera): winner
  • 2007David Lean Award for Direction-: nominated
  • 2007César-Best Foreign Film (Meilleur film étranger): winner
  • 2007David-Best Foreign Film (Miglior Film Straniero): nominated
  • 2007DGA Award-Outstanding Directorial Achievement in Motion Pictures: nominated
  • 2007Independent Spirit Award-Best Director: winner
  • 2007Silver Ribbon-Best Non-European Director (Regista del Miglior Film Non-Europeo): nominated
  • 2007OFTA Film Award-Best First Feature: winner
  • 2007OFCS Award-Best Breakthrough Filmmaker: winner
  • 2007Chairman's Vanguard Award-: winner
  • 2008Cinema Brazil Grand Prize-Best Foreign-Language Film (Melhor Filme Estrangeiro): nominated
  • 2012Black Pearl Award-New Horizons Competition: nominated
  • 2012Art Cinema Award-: nominated
  • 2012Variety Piazza Grande Award-: nominated
  • 2017Grand Prize Chéries-Chéris-Feature Film: nominated
  • 2018Cinema for Peace Award-Cinema for Peace Award for the Most Valuable Film of the Year: nominated
  • 2023Primetime Emmy-Outstanding Limited or Anthology Series: nominated