William Farley
Encyclopedia
William Farley is an American
film director
, based in San Francisco. He directed Whoopi Goldberg
in her first screen role, in the ensemble piece Citizen : I'm Not Losing My Mind, I'm Giving It Away (1981-2).
Mr. Farley's first film was made in 1970. As a graduate student majoring in sculpture he took a class on the history of film. At the end of the semester he had the choice to either write a paper about the films he saw or make a film. The film was a hit on the film festival circuit and Farley was hooked. When he received his MFA a year and a half later he had more credits in film making than sculpture.
His many short films and documentaries have won numerous awards and have been broadcast and screened at venues around the world, including the Sundance, Berlin, Chicago, Sydney and New York Film Festivals.
His first feature film, 'Citizen : I'm Not Losing My Mind, I'm Giving It Away', made on credit cards, premiered at the Sundance Film Festival
in 1983. The film is an anarchic look at society as a group of anonymous youths roam the San Francisco cityscape. Featured at the Whitney Museum of American Art, 'Citizen' included, among other West-Coast performance artists, playwright John O'Keefe and Whoopi Goldberg
in her first screen performance.
William Farley directed his second feature, Of Men and Angels, from a screenplay he co-wrote, starring Theresa Saldana
and John Molloy of Dublin's Abbey Theatre. The film tells the story of three strong-willed individuals who struggle for control of their own dreams and each other's. In 1989, Of Men and Angels premiered in the dramatic competition at the Sundance Film Festival
.
Farley's next film was broke, a meditation on street people and showed in over a dozen film festivals in the United States and Europe. In 1998, the Sundance Film Festival
screened Mr. Farley's poignant short film, Sea Space.
In the spring of 2001, he co-directed The Old Spaghetti Factory, a documentary about the last bohemian nightclub in San Francisco's North Beach. It was shown on PBS in over one hundred U.S. cities. This film was a collaboration between Mr. Farley, Mal and Sandra Sharpe.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
film director
Film director
A film director is a person who directs the actors and film crew in filmmaking. They control a film's artistic and dramatic nathan roach, while guiding the technical crew and actors.-Responsibilities:...
, based in San Francisco. He directed Whoopi Goldberg
Whoopi Goldberg
Whoopi Goldberg is an American comedian, actress, singer-songwriter, political activist, author and talk show host.Goldberg made her film debut in The Color Purple playing Celie, a mistreated black woman in the Deep South. She received a nomination for the Academy Award for Best Actress and won...
in her first screen role, in the ensemble piece Citizen : I'm Not Losing My Mind, I'm Giving It Away (1981-2).
Biography
William Farley was raised in Beverly, Massachusetts, on Boston's south shore in a working-class family. His early life included training as a commercial artist and as a sculptor. Drafted by the U.S. Army, Farley worked as an illustrator for an intelligence unit.Mr. Farley's first film was made in 1970. As a graduate student majoring in sculpture he took a class on the history of film. At the end of the semester he had the choice to either write a paper about the films he saw or make a film. The film was a hit on the film festival circuit and Farley was hooked. When he received his MFA a year and a half later he had more credits in film making than sculpture.
His many short films and documentaries have won numerous awards and have been broadcast and screened at venues around the world, including the Sundance, Berlin, Chicago, Sydney and New York Film Festivals.
His first feature film, 'Citizen : I'm Not Losing My Mind, I'm Giving It Away', made on credit cards, premiered at the Sundance Film Festival
Sundance Film Festival
The Sundance Film Festival is a film festival that takes place annually in Utah, in the United States. It is the largest independent cinema festival in the United States. Held in January in Park City, Salt Lake City, and Ogden, as well as at the Sundance Resort, the festival is a showcase for new...
in 1983. The film is an anarchic look at society as a group of anonymous youths roam the San Francisco cityscape. Featured at the Whitney Museum of American Art, 'Citizen' included, among other West-Coast performance artists, playwright John O'Keefe and Whoopi Goldberg
Whoopi Goldberg
Whoopi Goldberg is an American comedian, actress, singer-songwriter, political activist, author and talk show host.Goldberg made her film debut in The Color Purple playing Celie, a mistreated black woman in the Deep South. She received a nomination for the Academy Award for Best Actress and won...
in her first screen performance.
William Farley directed his second feature, Of Men and Angels, from a screenplay he co-wrote, starring Theresa Saldana
Theresa Saldana
Theresa Saldana is an American actress, known for her work in motion pictures and television. She is perhaps best known for her role as Rachel Scali, the wife of Police Commissioner Tony Scali, in the 1990s television series The Commish, for which she received a Golden Globe nomination for Best...
and John Molloy of Dublin's Abbey Theatre. The film tells the story of three strong-willed individuals who struggle for control of their own dreams and each other's. In 1989, Of Men and Angels premiered in the dramatic competition at the Sundance Film Festival
Sundance Film Festival
The Sundance Film Festival is a film festival that takes place annually in Utah, in the United States. It is the largest independent cinema festival in the United States. Held in January in Park City, Salt Lake City, and Ogden, as well as at the Sundance Resort, the festival is a showcase for new...
.
Farley's next film was broke, a meditation on street people and showed in over a dozen film festivals in the United States and Europe. In 1998, the Sundance Film Festival
Sundance Film Festival
The Sundance Film Festival is a film festival that takes place annually in Utah, in the United States. It is the largest independent cinema festival in the United States. Held in January in Park City, Salt Lake City, and Ogden, as well as at the Sundance Resort, the festival is a showcase for new...
screened Mr. Farley's poignant short film, Sea Space.
In the spring of 2001, he co-directed The Old Spaghetti Factory, a documentary about the last bohemian nightclub in San Francisco's North Beach. It was shown on PBS in over one hundred U.S. cities. This film was a collaboration between Mr. Farley, Mal and Sandra Sharpe.
Feature films
- Of Men and Angels (1989)
- Citizen : I'm Not Losing My Mind, I'm Giving It Away (1981–82)
Documentaries
- Shadow and Light, The life and Art of Elaine Badgley Arnoux
- John O'Keefe's adaptation of Walt Whitman's Song Of Myself (2007)
- Arianna’s Journey : a pilgrimage of faith (2007)
- Darryl Henriques Is In Show Business (2006)
- The Old Spaghetti Factory (1999–2000)
- In Between The Notes (1985-86)
Short Films
- The Stories (2005)
- broke (1995/ remastered 2004)
- Tribute (1986)
- Become An Artist (1982)
- Made For Television (1981)
- Marathain (1977-79/ remastered 2002)
- The Bell Rang To An Empty Sky (1976–77)
- Being (1974–75)
- Sea Space (1972/remastered 1997)