Career Timeline of Sara Driver: Major Achievements and Milestones

By Popular Timelines Editorial Team · Updated: March 3, 2026

Discover the career path of Sara Driver, from the first major opportunity to industry-changing achievements.

Sara Driver is an American independent filmmaker and actress prominent in the downtown New York film scene from the late 1970s to the 1990s. She produced Jim Jarmusch's early films, *Permanent Vacation* and *Stranger Than Paradise*. Driver directed the features *Sleepwalk* and *When Pigs Fly*, and the short film *You Are Not I*. Notably, she directed the documentary *Boom for Real: The Late Teenage Years of Jean-Michel Basquiat*, capturing the pre-fame life of the artist within the evolving New York arts scene of the 1980s. She has also served as a jury member for several film festivals in the 2000s.

Sections (2)

Full Timeline Career & Achievements

1977: What the Hell - Zelda Sayre

In 1977, Sara Driver worked on the play What the Hell - Zelda Sayre as a writer and director.

1980: Permanent Vacation release

In 1980, Sara Driver gained recognition as the producer of Jim Jarmusch's early film, Permanent Vacation.

1981: You Are Not I Release

In 1981, Sara Driver directed the short film, You Are Not I.

1981: You Are Not I directorial debut

In 1981, Sara Driver made her directorial debut with "You Are Not I", a short film based on a Paul Bowles story, co-written by Jim Jarmusch. The film premiered at the Public Theater, but a warehouse fire destroyed the film's negative.

1984: Stranger Than Paradise Release

In 1984, Sara Driver gained recognition as the producer of Jim Jarmusch's early film, Stranger Than Paradise.

1986: Sleepwalk Release and Awards

In 1986, Sara Driver directed her first feature film, Sleepwalk, and it received the Prix Georges Sadoul by the Cinémathèque Française and the Special Prize at the International Filmfestival Mannheim-Heidelberg. It was also selected for the opening night of the International Critics' Week at the Cannes Film Festival.

1987: Sleepwalk at Film Festivals

In 1987, Sara Driver's film Sleepwalk was featured at the Museum of Modern Art's New Directors/New Films Festival and the Sundance Film Festival.

1990: Directed "Bed and Boar" episode of Monsters

In 1990, Sara Driver directed the "Bed and Boar" episode of the TV series Monsters.

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1990: Jazz Passengers in Egypt

In 1990, Sara Driver directed the experimental musical Jazz Passengers in Egypt, performed at La Mama, NYC.

1993: When Pigs Fly Release

In 1993, Sara Driver directed her second feature film, When Pigs Fly, starring Marianne Faithfull and Alfred Molina, with a score by Joe Strummer.

1994: Stairway to Heaven

In 1994, Sara Driver directed the play Stairway to Heaven at the Cucaracha Theatre, NYC.

1994: The Bowery - Spring, 1994

In 1994, Sara Driver wrote and directed the short documentary, The Bowery - Spring, 1994, part of Postcards from New York, an anthology program for French TV.