David DeCoteau (born January 5, 1962) is an American film director and producer.

Early life

David DeCoteau was born on January 5, 1962, in Portland, Oregon, where he was raised. DeCoteau was an only child and was adopted at birth. His father was of Native American heritage. DeCoteau's mother died of cancer when he was eight years old. As a teenager, DeCoteau developed a love for film, and worked as a theater projectionist beginning at age fifteen.

Career

He has worked professionally in the movie business since he was 18. He got his start through Roger Corman, who hired him in 1980 as a production assistant at New World Pictures. In 1986, DeCoteau directed and produced his first feature film for Charles Band. He is the founder of Rapid Heart Pictures, where his films include A Talking Cat!?! and the 1313 series. He has said of his working methods, "I always wanted to make what I could sell. So I just promised myself that I would not be set in my ways. If somebody said, ‘Look, we need a horror film, we need a creature feature, we need a Western, we need a period costume drama,’ I was able to put it together pretty quickly." Throughout his career DeCoteau has been credited under a variety of pseudonyms: Ellen Cabot, Julian Breen, Victoria Sloan, Richard Chasen, Jack Reed, Martin Tate, Joseph Tennent, and Mary Crawford. DeCoteau revealed that he originally did not want his name to be associated with films that did not turn out as intended. DeCoteau has directed 102 motion pictures between 1986 and 2014.

Personal life

He resides in British Columbia and Los Angeles. DeCoteau is gay.

Acting credits

Film

Filmmaking credits

Awards and nominations