| Luke Gilford | |
| Birth Date: | 1986 |
| Birth Place: | Denver, Colorado, USA |
| Occupation: | Director, writer, photographer |
| Notable Works: | The Future of Flesh, Connected, National Anthem: America’s Queer Rodeo, National Anthem (film) |
Luke Gilford (born 1986) is a director, writer, and photographer based in New York City and Los Angeles.[1] [2] He has directed several short films, including The Future of Flesh, which showcased Prada collection narrated by Jane Fonda, and Connected, starring Pamela Anderson and Dree Hemingway.[3] Gilford has directed music videos for Blood Orange, Troye Sivan, Christina Aguilera, and Kesha and has collaborated with Mercedes Benz and Maison Martin Margiela. Gilford's first monograph, National Anthem: America’s Queer Rodeo, documents America’s queer rodeo and members of the International Gay Rodeo Association (IGRA).[4] [5] In 2023, he made his feature film debut by directing and co-writing National Anthem, which premiered at the 2023 SXSW Festival, inspired by his monograph.[6]
Gilford was born in Denver, Colorado and raised in Evergreen, Colorado and the San Francisco Bay Area. His father is a former rodeo champion and judge, and Gilford recollects growing up surrounded by an extensive collection of snakeskin boots, Stetson hats, and giant silver and gold champion belt buckles.[5]
He studied fine art and photography under Barbara Kruger at the University of California, Los Angeles.[7]
Gilford has documented and photographed a breadth of Americana and beauty from the Miss America pageant and the model Hari Nef to queer rodeos and R&B stars. In 2013, Gilford released The Future of Flesh, a short featuring Prada-clad models, a voice-over from Jane Fonda, and an original score by Jake Shears and Steven Stoner to launch Prada's F/W 2013 collection. His second short released in 2015, titled Connected, is a 10-minute film starring Pamela Anderson, features as "a woman grappling with aging, self-perception and transformation in a technologically optimized world."[7]
In 2023, Gilford made his feature film debut by directing and co-writing National Anthem, inspired by his National Anthem America's Queer Rodeo monograph, which premiered at the 2023 SXSW Festival on March 10, 2023,[8] to positive critical reviews.