{{short description|American film director}} {{use mdy dates|date=November 2020}} {{Infobox person | name = Theo Anthony | image = | image_size = | alt = | caption = | birth_name = | birth_date = <!-- {{Birth date and age|YYYY|MM|DD}} --> | birth_place = United States | death_date = <!-- {{Death date and age|YYYY|MM|DD|YYYY|MM|DD}} (death date then birth date) --> | death_place = | education = | alma_mater = | occupation = Filmmaker | known_for = | awards = | website = {{url|theoanthony.net}} | footnotes = }} '''Theo Anthony''' is an American film director, editor, and cinematographer from Baltimore, Maryland known for his documentary films, including 2016's ''Rat Film''.<ref>{{cite web|last=Kohn |first=Eric |url=http://www.indiewire.com/2016/08/rat-film-review-theo-anthony-locarno-film-festival-2016-1201715583/ |title=Chris Marker Meets Werner Herzog In Brilliant, Quirky Rodent Documentary 'Rat Film'|work=Indiewire |date=2016-08-11|accessdate=2020-11-02}}</ref> Anthony's work draws inspiration from the experimental film essays of directors such as Harun Farocki and Chris Marker.<ref>{{cite web|last=Du Graf |first=Lauren |url=http://www.filmcomment.com/blog/interview-theo-anthony |title=Interview: Theo Anthony |work=Film Comment |date=2017-04-20 |accessdate=2020-11-02}}</ref>
==Life and career== Anthony grew up in Baltimore, Maryland, and studied cinema theory and creative writing at Oberlin College.<ref name=Ebert>{{cite web|last=Fagerholm |first=Matt|url=https://www.rogerebert.com/interviews/hot-docs-2017-interview-theo-anthony-on-rat-film |title=Hot Docs 2017 Interview: Theo Anthony on "Rat Film" |work=Roger Ebert.com |date=2017-04-28 |accessdate=2020-11-02}}</ref>
In 2014, he attended Werner Herzog's Rogue Film School, and released his breakthrough short film ''Chop My Money''.<ref>{{cite web|last=Fritz |first=Fantavious|url=http://the-editorialmagazine.com/presenting-chop-my-money/ |title=Chop My Money: A short film by Theo Anthony |work=The Editorial Magazine |date=2014-09-08 |accessdate=2020-11-02}}</ref> ''Chop My Money'', Anthony's first short to play film festivals, was shot in the Eastern Congo, featured music by Dirty Beaches, and premiered at the Toronto International Film Festival<ref name=Ebert /> before being named a Vimeo Staff Pick and being featured by ''The Atlantic.''<ref>{{cite web|last=Ajaka |first=Nadine|url=https://www.theatlantic.com/video/index/414457/a-day-in-the-life-of-three-street-kids-in-eastern-congo/|title=The Atlantic Selects: A Day in the Life of Three Street Kids in Eastern Congo |work=The Atlantic |date=2015-11-12 |accessdate=2020-11-02}}</ref>
In 2015, Anthony was named one of the "25 New Faces of Independent Film" by ''Filmmaker Magazine'',<ref>{{cite web|last=Bazos |first=Simone|url=https://filmmakermagazine.com/people/theo-anthony/#.X6BNr5NKii4|title=25 New Faces of Independent Film: Theo Anthony |work=Filmmaker |date=July 23, 2015 | accessdate=2020-11-02}}</ref> and completed the short film ''Peace in the Absence of War'', which premiered at the 2016 International Film Festival Rotterdam and immersed the viewer in the 2015 Baltimore protests following the police killing of Freddie Grey.<ref>{{cite web|title=Peace in the Absence of War|url=https://iffr.com/en/2016/films/peace-in-the-absence-of-war| work=International Film Festival Rotterdam|date=2016-01-27 |accessdate=2020-11-02}}</ref>
Anthony made his feature-film debut in 2016 with ''Rat Film'', which had its world premiere at the 2016 Locarno Film Festival and its U.S. premiere at the 2017 True/False Film Festival. ''Rat Film'' used the issue of rat infestation in Baltimore as a window into a non-fiction exploration of the city's history of racial segregation and redlining and persistent systemic issues of inequality.<ref>{{cite web|last=Cronk |first=Jordan|url=https://cinema-scope.com/spotlight/rat-film-theo-anthony-us/|title=Locarno: Rat Film (Theo Anthony, US) |date=2017-11-03|work=Cinema Scope |accessdate=2020-11-02}}</ref> The film went on to screen at festivals such as the 2017 International Film Festival Rotterdam, the 2017 South by Southwest Film Conference & Festival, and the 2018 Copenhagen International Documentary Festival, and had its television premiere as part of the PBS series Independent Lens on February 26, 2018.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.baltimoresun.com/entertainment/movies/bs-fe-rat-film-20180226-story.html|title='Rat Film' documentary about Baltimore's rodent fight to air on PBS tonight|author=Chris Kaltenbach |date=2018-02-26|work=The Baltimore Sun |accessdate=2020-11-02}}</ref> Anthony was nominated for Outstanding Achievement in a Debut Feature Film and ''Rat Film'' composer Dan Deacon was nominated for Outstanding Achievement in Original Music Score at the 2018 Cinema Eye Honors.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.indiewire.com/2017/11/cinema-eye-honors-announce-2018-nominees-1201894168/|title=Cinema Eye Honors Announces Nominees|author=Kate Erbland |date=2017-11-03|work=Indiewire |accessdate=2020-11-02}}</ref> “Rat Film” was also nominated for Best Documentary and the Audience Award at the 2017 Gotham Awards.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://gotham.ifp.org/past-recipients/|title=Gotham Awards Past Recipients|author=IFP Gotham Awards | date=November 2017|work=Gotham IFP |accessdate=2020-11-12}}</ref>
Anthony's next film, the ESPN 30 for 30 documentary ''Subject to Review'', premiered at the 2019 New York Film Festival and examined the Hawk-Eye computer-vision system's use in officiating the sport of tennis.<ref>{{cite web|last=Saito |first=Stephen |url=http://moveablefest.com/theo-anthony-subject-to-review/ |title=Interview: Theo Anthony on Reading Between the Lines in "Subject to Review"'|work=The Moveable Fest |date=2019-12-20|accessdate=2020-11-02}}</ref> ''Subject to Review'' continued the ongoing collaboration between Anthony and composer Dan Deacon which began with ''Rat Film''.<ref>{{cite web|last=Lang |first=Brent |url=https://variety.com/2020/film/news/sandbox-films-documentary-werner-herzog-penny-lane-1234763600/ |title=Dan Deacon Scored a New Movie About Competitive Dog Grooming|work=Exclaim! |date=2019-12-17|accessdate=2020-11-02}}</ref>
In 2020, it was announced that Anthony's next feature film would be entitled ''All Light, Everywhere'' and explore issues of subjective perception and fallibility in both human and technological modes of surveillance.<ref>{{cite web|last=Thiessen |first=Brock |url=http://exclaim.ca/film/article/dan_deacon_scored_a_new_movie_about_competitive_dog_grooming0/ |title=Sandbox Films, Documentary Maker, Launches With Projects from Werner Herzog, Penny Lane, and More|work=Variety |date=2020-09-10|accessdate=2020-11-02}}</ref> ''All Light, Everywhere'' was selected to premiere at the 2021 Sundance Film Festival in its U.S. Documentary Competition slate.<ref>{{cite web|last=Debruge |first=Peter |url=https://variety.com/2020/film/news/sundance-film-festival-announces-2021-lineup-1234854059/ |title=Sundance Film Festival Lineup Features 38 First-Time Directors, Including Rebecca Hall and Robin Wright|work=Variety |date=2020-12-15|accessdate=2021-01-19}}</ref>
==Filmography==
;Short Films * ''Chop My Money'' (2014) - director, writer, editor, cinematographer * ''Peace in the Absence of War'' (2015) - director, writer, editor, cinematographer * ''Subject to Review'' (2019) - director, writer, editor, cinematographer
;Feature films * ''Rat Film'' (2016) - director, writer, editor, cinematographer * ''All Light, Everywhere'' (2021) - director, writer, editor
==References== {{Reflist}}
==External links== * {{IMDb name|6263733|Theo Anthony}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Anthony, Theo}} Category:Artists from Baltimore Category:Living people Category:Film directors from Maryland Category:Oberlin College alumni Category:Year of birth missing (living people) Category:Sundance Film Festival award winners