Gabriel Cowan

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Gabriel Cowan is a filmmaker and composer best known for his work on films such as Cheap Thrills, Bad Milo!, Extracted, The Scribbler, 3 Nights in the Desert, Just before I Go, Scream 2, Scream 3, Breathing Room, and Growth. He has also made documentaries, dramas, and comedies.

Biography

Early life

Gabriel Cowan was born Louis Gabriel Cowan at UCLA hospital in Los Angeles, CA on December 4, 1973 to Geoff Cowan and Aileen Adams.

He went to elementary, Jr. High, and High School at Crossroads school for the arts. In high school, his band, "Comfort Station", was featured on MTV. He went on to study film and composition at CalArts and USC, obtaining a bachelors degree in music composition in 2000.

In 2005, he went back to school, earning his masters degree in film directing from CalArts in 2008.

His paternal grandfather, Louis Cowan, was a radio and television producer, and the president of CBS television and radio in the 1950s. He is attributed with having created the game show, first for radio and later, on television. Gabriel's maternal grandfather, Peter Adams, was an actor best known for his roles in Jail House Rock, Bullwhip, and as Capitan Arturo Toledano in the Television series Zorro. His uncle is Peter Seitz Adams, the prominent painter and President of the California Art Club.

Cowan's great grandfather is George B. Seitz, his great uncle is acclaimed filmmaker King Vidor, and he is cousins with Adam Spiegel, also known as Spike Jonze.

Career

At the age of eighteen, Cowan was hired for his first professional recording session with Robbie Robertson (of Band fame) and the Tower of Power horns for a Barry Levinson film entitled Jimmy Hollywood.

Cowan went on to acquire a recording contract with Geffen Records, and in 1996 released "Legs and Arms" with his band "Lode". They toured America and Europe, playing at venues such as The House of Blues and the Greek Theatre in Los Angeles, CA.

"Lode" disbanded in 1998, and Cowan formed "Ear Two Thousand" with friends Sam Music and David Arquette. They too toured America and Europe and in 2000, Cowan received the first of two Platinum records for songs he wrote and recorded for the films Scream 2 and Scream 3.

In 2001, Ear Two Thousand split, and Cowan composed his first score for the Roger Corman film "Take it to the Limit". Cowan spent the next years producing and recording a series of albums and demos including performing and recording with Jackson Browne and Ry Cooder.

In 2008, Cowan earned a Masters Degree in Film Directing at CalArts. In his first two years, he wrote and directed over 20 short films, including "Remove" and "Pharmaceutical" and co-directed and co-wrote a feature film entitled Breathing Room.

In his third year at CalArts, he produced Family of Four, a feature film that delves into the hidden lives of four family members as they struggle with their desires and limitations.

He also directed, shot, and produced Flower in the Gun Barrel, a documentary that explores the complexities of forgiveness and reconciliation in post genocide Rwanda. The film is produced by Amiee Clark and Monica Forouzesh, and is narrated by Martin Sheen.

A few months after graduating, Cowan wrote and directed the film Growth, a Science Fiction thriller that examines the ways in which power, physical/mental/financial, can seduce and change people. Growth also gained international distribution through Paramount, Sony and Lionsgate, and became the #1 horror rental on iTunes.

In 2010, Cowan co-wrote and produced Extracted, a science fiction drama which premiered at SXSW 2012.

In 2011, Cowan co-wrote and produced Static, a modern thriller starring (Sara Paxton), (Milo Ventimiglia), (Sarah Shahi) and (William Mapother).

In 2012 Cowan Directed and Produced "3 Nights in the Desert" starring (Wes Bentley), (Amber Tamblyn) and (Vincent Piazza), Produced Bad Milo! with (The Duplass Brothers) The Scribbler starring (Eliza Dushku), (Katie Cassidy), (Michelle Trachtenberg), and (Gina Gershon) Cheap Thrills starring (David Koechner), (Ethan Embry), (Pat Healey) and (Sara Paxton) and "Abby in the Summer" starring (Jaime Pressly), (Robin Thicke), (Joey Lauren Adams) and (Frances Conroy).

In 2013, Cheap Thrills premiered at SXSW, opening the midnight section of the festival. It the first film sold at SXSW 2013 and won the audience award. Bad Milo! also premiered at SXSW 2013 selling to Magnolia on the final day of the festival. Of the 5 narrative features sold at SXSW 2013, 3 of them were produced by Cowan.

Later that summer, Cowan produced Just Before I Go Courteney Cox's directorial debut, Chuck Hank and The San Diego Twins the coatwolf teams follow up to Bellflower, Why Now staring [[Sam Rockwell]] and Marisa Tomei and The Ordinary World a documentary on juvenile justice issues.

Cowan, along with High School friend, Amiee Clark, and Filmmaking Partner, John Suits, founded New Artists Alliance, a production company that supports emerging filmmakers. Suits and Cowan have produced 16 feature films under the NAA banner.

Filmography

Citations

Gabriel Cowan at the Internet Movie Database

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