After attending Chicago's DePaul University, Paul Gordon worked various jobs, including Habitat for Humanity and finished the graduate film program at the University of Texas at Austin in 2005. During film school he made three short films that he subsequently brought together in Motorcycle, presented in competition at the 2006 Slamdance Film Festival. His short film Good played at the 2001 SXSW and Chicago international film festivals. This year, in addition to writing, directing, producing, editing and starring in The Happy Poet, Gordon has a lead role in the animated film Mars.