Dennis Foon | |
|---|---|
| Born | November 18, 1951 |
| Nationality | Canadian |
| Alma mater | University of Michigan |
| Occupation(s) | playwright, producer, screenwriter and novelist |
| Years active | 1976–present |
| Spouse | Jane Howard Baker (1975–1984) Elizabeth Dancoes (1984–present) |
| Children | Rebecca Foon, Aliayta-Foon-Dancoes |
| Website | dennisfoon |
Dennis Foon (born 18 November 1951)[1] is a Canadian playwright, producer, screenwriter and novelist.[2]
He was co-founder and artistic director for 12 years of Green Thumb Theatre in Vancouver, British Columbia. There he wrote and produced a body of plays that continue to be produced internationally in numerous languages. He has received the British Theatre Award, two Chalmers awards, the Jesse Richardson Career Achievement Award, a Governor General's nomination for Skin, and the International Arts for Young Audiences Award for these. In 2007, he was made a lifetime member of the Playwrights Guild of Canada for “his outstanding contribution to Canadian Playwriting and Theatre.”
Foon's screenplays have continued his exploration into the psyche of youth: Little Criminals (1995), produced as a CBC movie about an 11-year-old gang leader, won multiple national and international awards; Life, Above All (2011), is a feature that received a ten-minute standing ovation at Cannes; it was shortlisted for a 2011 best foreign language Oscar. He has won a Gemini Award, two Writers Guild of Canada Awards, two Leos, and numerous other international awards for his screenplays.
Foon was born and raised in Detroit, Michigan, and graduated from the University of Michigan. He has worked and resided in Vancouver, Canada since 1973, and has Canadian citizenship.