Dustin Lance Black

Writing

Dustin Lance Black

Born 1974-06-10 · Sacramento, California, USA

Dustin Lance Black (born June 10, 1974) is an American screenwriter, director, producer, and LGBT rights activist. He is known for writing the film Milk, for which he won the Academy Award for Best Original Screenplay in 2009. He has also subsequently written the screenplays for the film J. Edgar and the 2022 crime miniseries Under the Banner of Heaven.

Acting credits

Milk poster
7.2

The true story of Harvey Milk, the first openly gay man ever elected to public office. In San Francisco in the late 1970s, Harvey Milk becomes an activist for gay rights and inspires others to join him in his fight for equal rights that should be available to all Americans.

Milk

2008

Mama's Boy poster
3.0

Traveling back to the places where he grew up, Dustin Lance Black explores his childhood roots, gay identity and close relationship with his mother, who overcame childhood polio, abusive marriages and Mormon dogma, while becoming Black’s emotional rock and, ultimately, the inspiration for his activism. With a wealth of personal photographs and candid memories from Black’s family, colleagues, and friends, this documentary embraces the personal to tell a universally hopeful tale of resilience and reconciliation through the power of love and shared stories.

Mama's Boy

2022

8 poster
5.3

Live chronicle of the landmark federal trial of California's Prop. 8 using the actual court transcripts and first-hand interviews.

8

2012

The Out List poster
5.9

Through the voices of Americans from all walks of life, The Out List explores the identities of the lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender community in America. In this series of intimate interviews, a diverse group of LGBTQ personalities bring color and depth to their experiences of gender and sexuality. With wit and wisdom, this set of trailblazing individuals weaves universal themes of love, loss, trial, and triumph into the determined struggle for full equality.

The Out List

2013

Hollywood to Dollywood poster
6.6

Gay twins Gary and Larry have always loved Dolly Parton. They left their small town home ten years ago to make it in Hollywood and are finally ready to get their script to Dolly. In a RV named Jolene, the boys embark on the adventure of a lifetime. This road trip is also a journey of self-discovery and an attempt to resolve mommy issues that have divided them since childhood.

Hollywood to Dollywood

2011

The Singing Forest poster
4.3

A tragic tale of two lovers from the holocaust. Fate tore them apart, destiny brought them together.

The Singing Forest

2003

The Advocate Celebrates 50 Years: A Long Road to Freedom poster
7.7

Documentary exploring The Advocate's role at the forefront of the LGBT movement in the U.S.

The Advocate Celebrates 50 Years: A Long Road to Freedom

2018

8: The Mormon Proposition poster
5.5

Filmmaker and ex-Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints member Reed Cowan examines that church's nationwide efforts to prevent the legalization of gay marriage - including California's Proposition 8, which was passed by voters in 2008. Confidential church documents, statements by high-ranking church officials and other sources detail 30 years of efforts to turn back gay rights, particularly by the Mormon-sponsored National Organization for Marriage.

8: The Mormon Proposition

2010

The Spark: The Origins of Pride poster
6.2

A story of the LGBT struggle from the 1960s to the present, after the Stonewall riot sparked the militant action in New York that was to spread around the world. From San Francisco to Paris via Amsterdam, between the first Gay Pride, the election of Harvey Milk, the French "decriminalization", the AIDS epidemic and the first homosexual marriages, these few decades of struggle are embodied through numerous testimonies of actors and actresses of this revolution rainbow.

The Spark: The Origins of Pride

2019

Compared To What: The Improbable Journey of Barney Frank poster
5.9

An intimate portrait of recently retired Congressman Barney Frank, one of our most well-known and least understood political figures, this documentary alternates between deeply personal moments and the inner workings of our political process. Rare archival material and interviews reveal the emotional pain and harmful effects of a closeted life, the relief of coming out and the triumph of love through the Congressman's historic same-sex marriage. Frank's journey is our country's journey, a classic American story about a dedicated public servant who never loses hope.

Compared To What: The Improbable Journey of Barney Frank

2014

The Case Against 8 poster
6.8

A behind-the-scenes look inside the case to overturn California's ban on same-sex marriage. Shot over five years, the film follows the unlikely team that took the first federal marriage equality lawsuit to the U.S. Supreme Court.

The Case Against 8

2014

Illegal Love poster
1.0

In 2008 French filmmaker Julie Gali traveled to the US to film the election of Barack Obama. In spite of this victory for civil rights, it soon became apparent that the rights of another minority were under threat. In California the passing of Proposition 8 marked the only time in U.S. history that a civil right was actually taken away after it had been granted. Upon seeing this, Ms. Gali decided to immerse herself in the growing grassroots struggle of the gay community, which culminated in the October 11, 2009 March for Equality in Washington DC.

Illegal Love

2011

On the Bus poster
3.8

Take six young gay guys, one bus, seven days, and ten video cameras. Add a trip to Burning Man - a festival of radical self-expression in the desert - and you get this self-aware documentary. What begins as the pilot of a reality-based internet program evolves into a longer project delving beyond the apparent stereotypes of its cast: young porn star, Jason; sexy actor-slash-waiter, Charles; brash Swedish Olympic diver, JMY; witty music composer, Damon; plus the project's permissive producer, Billy, and its at times frustrated young director, Lance. As addictive as your favorite reality TV show, but addressing much deeper questions, this is a trip you won't want to miss

On the Bus

2002

When We Rise: The People Behind The Story poster
9.0

"When We Rise: The People Behind the Story" is a one-hour documentary complementing ABC's scripted mini-series "When We Rise" by chronicling the personal and political struggles, setbacks, and triumphs of a diverse family of LGBTQ people who helped pioneer the U.S. Civil Rights struggle.

When We Rise: The People Behind The Story

2017

Behind the camera

Milk poster
7.2

The true story of Harvey Milk, the first openly gay man ever elected to public office. In San Francisco in the late 1970s, Harvey Milk becomes an activist for gay rights and inspires others to join him in his fight for equal rights that should be available to all Americans.

Milk

2008

J. Edgar poster
6.2

As the face of law enforcement in the United States for almost 50 years, J. Edgar Hoover was feared and admired, reviled and revered. But behind closed doors, he held secrets that would have destroyed his image, his career, and his life.

J. Edgar

2011

Rustin poster
6.5

Activist Bayard Rustin faces racism and homophobia as he helps change the course of Civil Rights history by orchestrating the 1963 March on Washington.

Rustin

2023

Virginia poster
5.2

A sheriff sees his state senate bid slide out onto the ice when his daughter begins to date the son of a charming but psychologically disturbed woman with whom the sheriff has engaged in a two-decade-long affair.

Virginia

2010

Virginia poster
5.2

A sheriff sees his state senate bid slide out onto the ice when his daughter begins to date the son of a charming but psychologically disturbed woman with whom the sheriff has engaged in a two-decade-long affair.

Virginia

2010

8 poster
5.3

Live chronicle of the landmark federal trial of California's Prop. 8 using the actual court transcripts and first-hand interviews.

8

2012

Becoming Men poster
2.0

Nothing equals that feeling of ultimate conquest like our first sexual experiences. It is a time of mystery, wonder and new adult responsibilities. Here are real-life stories of young men taking the final step on their journey from boyhood to manhood. Superb photography, spectacular guys and candid interviews capture the joys and fears of sexual awakening and evoke memories of those early experiences that define our lives. Tony Award winning Broadway and film star, Alan Cumming, narrates this sensitive look at the challenges and glories of youthful passion, including current information for making safer choices. A must for all men.

Becoming Men

2002

Pedro poster
5.0

An intimate biopic of Pedro Zamora, an HIV-positive Cuban-American, who was cast for the MTV reality show, The Real World: San Francisco, in 1994. Due to his experience on the Real World, Pedro became a celebrity and a sympathetic face of the AIDS epidemic for millions of Americans who had never met anyone with HIV/AIDS.

Pedro

2008

The Journey of Jared Price poster
5.8

A gay young man becomes involved with his blind employer's untrustworthy son. Jared Price is a small town boy who arrives in Hollywood with a few hundred bucks and a lifetime of dreams. See how he handles each situation he gets into and grows in his understanding of who he is. When what he thinks is his first love turns out to be false, see how he is helped and given the strength to stay in L.A. and try again. This film will remind you that love is worth waiting for and that there is always hope. A hustler for a roommate, a wealthy Hollywood executive for a boss, a lonely blind woman and a loveable new best friend make "The Journey of Jared Price" an adventure you will never forget.

The Journey of Jared Price

2000

The Journey of Jared Price poster
5.8

A gay young man becomes involved with his blind employer's untrustworthy son. Jared Price is a small town boy who arrives in Hollywood with a few hundred bucks and a lifetime of dreams. See how he handles each situation he gets into and grows in his understanding of who he is. When what he thinks is his first love turns out to be false, see how he is helped and given the strength to stay in L.A. and try again. This film will remind you that love is worth waiting for and that there is always hope. A hustler for a roommate, a wealthy Hollywood executive for a boss, a lonely blind woman and a loveable new best friend make "The Journey of Jared Price" an adventure you will never forget.

The Journey of Jared Price

2000

The Journey of Jared Price poster
5.8

A gay young man becomes involved with his blind employer's untrustworthy son. Jared Price is a small town boy who arrives in Hollywood with a few hundred bucks and a lifetime of dreams. See how he handles each situation he gets into and grows in his understanding of who he is. When what he thinks is his first love turns out to be false, see how he is helped and given the strength to stay in L.A. and try again. This film will remind you that love is worth waiting for and that there is always hope. A hustler for a roommate, a wealthy Hollywood executive for a boss, a lonely blind woman and a loveable new best friend make "The Journey of Jared Price" an adventure you will never forget.

The Journey of Jared Price

2000

The Text poster
5.1

How far would you go to protect your best friend's secret? In this promotional short film, a group of friends is spending some nice time having fun and playing video game. Part of this team, best buddies Rafael and Diego are teasing each other with their several talks while "fighting" each other in the game. But when one of them gets easily distracted and leaves the room, the other will check the friend's phone to see who is the person who keeps interrupting them from time to time. Then comes a unexpected revelation that will come as a test for these boys.

The Text

2015

The Text poster
5.1

How far would you go to protect your best friend's secret? In this promotional short film, a group of friends is spending some nice time having fun and playing video game. Part of this team, best buddies Rafael and Diego are teasing each other with their several talks while "fighting" each other in the game. But when one of them gets easily distracted and leaves the room, the other will check the friend's phone to see who is the person who keeps interrupting them from time to time. Then comes a unexpected revelation that will come as a test for these boys.

The Text

2015

On the Bus poster
3.8

Take six young gay guys, one bus, seven days, and ten video cameras. Add a trip to Burning Man - a festival of radical self-expression in the desert - and you get this self-aware documentary. What begins as the pilot of a reality-based internet program evolves into a longer project delving beyond the apparent stereotypes of its cast: young porn star, Jason; sexy actor-slash-waiter, Charles; brash Swedish Olympic diver, JMY; witty music composer, Damon; plus the project's permissive producer, Billy, and its at times frustrated young director, Lance. As addictive as your favorite reality TV show, but addressing much deeper questions, this is a trip you won't want to miss

On the Bus

2002

Rock Out poster
NR

In electric, personal, and historical ways, this riveting documentary explores whether there is, or ever was, a home for Queer in the hyper-masculine, black painted worlds of heavy metal, punk and rock & roll. Excavating the often-veiled queer lives of some of the greatest culture-defining disruptors and masterminds of music in the 1960s and 70s, Rock Out demands to know what unique value ‘gay’ brought to creating and revolutionising rock, punk, and metal – from the perspective of managers, producers, artists and fans – and why those contributions have been left buried for so long.

Rock Out

2025