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Ari Aster is born into a Jewish family in New York City, New York. He is the son of a poet mother and jazz musician father. He has one younger brother. -
When he was four years old, Ari saw "Dick Tracy (1990)". During a scene where the main character fired a Tommy gun in front of a wall of fire, Ari was scared and ran out of the theater and "six New York City blocks" before his mother caught him. -
At six years old, Ari and his family moved to Chester, England, where is father opened a nightclub. -
Around ten years old, Ari and his family return to the United States, this time settling in Santa Fe, New Mexico, where he attended and was eventually kicked out of Santa Fe Preparatory. -
A Middle Eastern terrorist group attacks the World Trade Center in Aster's birthplace of New York City. -
Ari attends Santa Fe University of Art and Design, where he began to write short film screenplays and wrote for the "Weekly Alibi" arts magazine. -
Ari Aster graduates with a Film and Media Degree from Santa Fe University of Art and Design. -
Ari debuted as a writer and director with his film, "A Tale of Two Tims", which he submitted to the American Film Institute (AFI). -
Ari is accepted into the American Film Institute's Class of Fellows, following his submission of "A Tale of Two Tims". -
Aster is accepted into AFI Graduate Program, and graduates with his Master's in Fine Arts. -
Ari Aster writes, directs and produces his first short film "Strange Thing About the Johnsons". The story tells about a the mental struggles of a man while in an incestuous relationship with his abusive son. The short film received mixed reviews, some enjoying Aster's "envelope push" project, while some just simply finding it "too weird". -
Aster wrote and directed "Munchausen", a short film depicting a mother plagued with Munchausen Syndrome, that then shows the life of her son, who is the victim of Munchausen Syndrome By Proxy. -
Ari Aster was the winner and recipient a "Rondo Hatton Classic Horror Award" in the "Best Film" category for his film, "Hereditary" in 2018. -
In 2018, Aster founds his own production company, "Square Peg" with friend and collaborator, Lars Knudson. This production company would go on to produce many of Aster's, as well as Knudson's early pieces of work. -
"Hereditary" became Ari Aster's first full-length feature film to debut. A psychological horror film, focusing on the loss of a family's matriarch and their journey through grief and vulnerability. Due to Aster's high accolades from his film school days and short films, he was able to cast big Hollywood names like Toni Colette and Alex Wolff. -
Ari Aster won a Fangoria Chainsaw Award in the "Best Film" category for his film, "Midsommar" in 2019. His second feature film was beginning to show mirroring success to his first, "Hereditary". -
Aster won a Saturn Award in the "Legion M. Breakout Director" category for his film, "Hereditary". His many accolades and awards for his first feature film grew his name and success rapidly. -
After the rave reviews of "Hereditary", Aster went on to write and direct his second feature film, "Midsommar". A folk horror that shows another story of loss, grief and vulnerability, but purely in broad daylight. The film went on to star Florence Pugh and received great reviews of Aster's choice of portraying such disturbing images in such a colorful world. -
Ari Aster wrote, directed and released his third feature film, "Beau is Afraid". This highly anticipated film starred Joaquin Phoenix, who portrayed a man struggling with paranoia. The story follows him as he wrestles with the tasks of daily life under his chronic condition. -
Aster's fourth film, "Eddington", released just this year in 2025. Ari ended up working once again with Joaquin Phoenix, while working with actors new to his films like, Emma Stone, Pedro Pascal and Luke Grimes. The story is a Western, set during the 2020 COVID-19 pandemic in New Mexico, where Aster himself spent much of his life.