Scott Sanders

Scott Sanders (born June 10, 1968) is an American screenwriter and film director. He is best known for his work on the films Black Dynamite and Thick as Thieves.

Early life Sanders was born in Elizabeth City, North Carolina and raised in Washington, DC. His father, John Thomas Sanders (deceased), was an employee of IBM and also owned and operated a popular D.C. area barbecue pit, Scott's BBQ, which he named after his son.

Sanders attended Sidwell Friends School where he graduated in 1986. He attended the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, graduating in 1991 with a degree in radio, TV, and Motion Pictures.

One of Scott's closest childhood friends is actor Ben Shenkman. He went to middle school with Saturday Night Live cast member Ana Gasteyer; they had a scene together in a 7th-grade production of the play Auntie Mame.

Career

Television Sanders first job upon arrival in Hollywood was working at United Talent Agency. He also did a commercial for Motorola.

Thick as Thieves Sanders' film directorial debut came in 1998 with Thick as Thieves, starring Alec Baldwin, Michael Jai White, Rebecca De Mornay, and Janeane Garofalo. One reviewer noted "the distinctive contribution of young, gifted writer-director Scott Sanders." Scott Sanders directed the film and co-wrote the screenplay along with its star Michael Jai White and Byron Minns.

In addition to Sundance, Black Dynamite appeared in many film festivals throughout 2009, including Seattle International, Tribeca, Karlovy Vary International, Munich, Edinburgh International, Copenhagen Film Festival, Melbourne International, and Deauville American. At the 2009 Seattle International Film Festival, Black Dynamite won the 2009 Golden Space Needle Award for Best Film.

Aztec Warrior In 2012, Sanders directed the comedy-action film Aztec Warrior starring Luis Guzman as a washed-up Lucha Libre wrestler who comes out of retirement. The script was co-written by Sanders and Don Handfield, based on a story. Aztec Warrior was expected to be released in 2013, but "details on the Lionsgate project have been mum: production got underway in June of 2012, there is no release date and not much news in the in what should have been its year of release."

Filmography As writer/director: Thick as Thieves (1999) Black Dynamite (2009) Black Dynamite (TV series, 2012–2014) Aztec Warrior (unreleased)