Luke Gilford is a writer, director, and photographer from Evergreen, Colorado, now based in Los Angeles and New York. His photographs and films have exhibited worldwide—including at MoMA in New York and FOAM in Amsterdam—and have appeared in The New York Times, Vanity Fair, and Vogue, all distinguished by an intimate, empathetic eye.

In 2020 Gilford released his first photography monograph, National Anthem (Damiani Books), a four-year chronicle of America’s queer rodeo subculture. Hailed by Vanity Fair as “rich with tenderness…reframing the mythology of the cowboy,” the project toured museums and galleries internationally.

Building on the book’s success, Gilford wrote and directed a feature film adaptation of National Anthem, which premiered at the Toronto International Film Festival and SXSW in 2023. Roger Ebert called the debut “a blend of awe and grace…proof that Gilford is a major talent.” Whether behind a still camera or on a film set, he continues to expand American iconography through deeply human storytelling.