Ira Sachs

Ira Sachs is an acclaimed American filmmaker with a career spanning more than three decades. Sachs started creating short films like Vaudeville (1991) and Lady (1993) before debuting with the feature film The Delta (1997). This kicked off his illustrious career, garnering praise for independent drama films such as Forty Shades of Blue (2005), Keep the Lights On (2012), Love Is Strange (2014), Little Men (2016), and Passages (2023). Sachs was born in Memphis, Tennessee, attended Yale University, and graduated in 1988 with a degree in literature focused on film studies and theory. Moving to New York City that same year, he began working in the film industry which continued to date. Sachs's work revolves around complex themes of sexuality, desire, and identity such as in his debut The Delta. He continued to explore unique narratives, later making films that touch on issues of addiction (Keep the Lights On) and unique relationships (Love Is Strange, Passages). Praised for his nuanced storytelling and riveting character studies, he's known for his collaborations with notable actors and filmmakers. Sachs is also actively involved in socio-political issues, signing an open letter calling for an end to conflict in Gaza in 2023.

In his personal life, Sachs is openly gay and Jewish. His sexuality has influenced his semi-autobiographical work, particularly on Keep the Lights On. Sachs married artist Boris Torres in 2012; the couple co-parents their twins with documentary filmmaker Kirsten Johnson. Sachs's cultural leverage extends beyond filmmaking: he has contributed to the queer arts scene and has a deep love for cinema, seen in the list of his favourite films submitted for the Sight & Sound poll. These films, according to Sachs, deeply affected him and significantly influenced his career as a filmmaker. Sachs's approach to filmmaking, intricate storytelling and representation of complex human experiences have made him a prominent figure in the independent film scene.