Yann Gonzalez

Yann Gonzalez (born 1977 in Nice, Alpes‑Maritimes, France) is a French film director and screenwriter whose work has become synonymous with lush visual storytelling and bold explorations of queer identity. Born and raised in the coastal town of Antibes, he is the older brother of Anthony Gonzalez, the front‑man of the acclaimed electronic band M83, and the two siblings have forged a long‑standing creative partnership in which Anthony frequently composes scores for Yann’s films while Yann directs several of M83’s music videos, blurring the line between cinema and music. After experimenting with a series of short films throughout the early 2000s, Gonzalez broke through with his debut feature You and the Night (original title Les Rencontres d’après minuit) in 2013, a romantic thriller that premiered at Cannes and earned a nomination for the Queer Palm, cementing his reputation as a daring voice in contemporary French cinema. His short film Islands (Les Îles) won the Queer Palm for short films at the 2017 Cannes Festival, confirming his knack for concise yet powerful narratives. In 2018, Gonzalez captured further critical attention with his second feature Knife+Heart, a stylistic homage to 1970s giallo cinema that also competed for the Queer Palm and ultimately secured the prestigious Prix Jean Vigo, underscoring his status as an auteur of international relevance. Beyond feature work, he continued to push boundaries with the 2022 short Hideous for Oliver Sim’s debut album Hideous Bastard, which premiered at Cannes and was later streamed exclusively on Mubi, showcasing his ability to merge horror, music, and avant‑garde aesthetics. Throughout his career, Gonzalez has remained committed to elevating marginalized voices, employing vibrant color palettes, meticulous set design, and emotive soundscapes—elements that have earned him a devoted following and positioned him as a leading figure in modern French queer cinema.