Mike Cahill (director)
Encyclopedia
Mike Cahill is an American film director and screenwriter.
on 5 July 1979. His first forays into filmmaking were with Fisher-Price and VHS camcorders when he was young. After high school, Cahill studied economics at Georgetown University
, graduating in 2001. While a student there he formed a close relationship with professional colleague and friend Brit Marling
, whom he met at a Georgetown film festival, and the two began working on short films together where Marling would act and Cahill would direct.
, soon becoming their youngest field producer, editor and cinematographer. He and Marling collaborated on Boxers and Ballerinas (2004), an exploration of the U.S.–Cuba conflict through the lives of four characters, while living in Cuba
. Cahill next moved to Los Angeles
. There he was taken on as editor for two Sundance
features, Leonard Cohen: I'm Your Man
and Everyone Stares: The Police Inside Out.
2011 was Cahill's pivotal year. His first feature film as director and screenwriter, Another Earth
, about a parallel Planet Earth, was a success at the Sundance Film Festival and was picked up for distribution by Fox Searchlight Pictures
.
Cahill currently resides in Brooklyn
, New York. He has begun working on his next two projects – one a film about reincarnation and the other about "a fashion designer who lives at the bottom of the sea."
as a significant influence on his work. He considers Krzysztof Kieslowski
one of his favorite filmmakers, specifically citing The Double Life of Véronique
as having a profound impact on him. Cahill, who has a casual interest in astronomy, was also influenced by the work of astronomer Richard Berendzen – in particular, Berendzen's audiobook Pulp Physics. He is also an admirer of Carl Sagan
and Isaac Asimov
.
Background
Mike Cahill was born in New Haven, ConnecticutNew Haven, Connecticut
New Haven is the second-largest city in Connecticut and the sixth-largest in New England. According to the 2010 Census, New Haven's population increased by 5.0% between 2000 and 2010, a rate higher than that of the State of Connecticut, and higher than that of the state's five largest cities, and...
on 5 July 1979. His first forays into filmmaking were with Fisher-Price and VHS camcorders when he was young. After high school, Cahill studied economics at Georgetown University
Georgetown University
Georgetown University is a private, Jesuit, research university whose main campus is in the Georgetown neighborhood of Washington, D.C. Founded in 1789, it is the oldest Catholic university in the United States...
, graduating in 2001. While a student there he formed a close relationship with professional colleague and friend Brit Marling
Brit Marling
Brit Marling is an American writer, producer, director, and actress.She graduated from Georgetown University in 2005 with a degree in economics...
, whom he met at a Georgetown film festival, and the two began working on short films together where Marling would act and Cahill would direct.
Professional career
While still in his senior year at Georgetown, Cahill began interning with National Geographic Television and FilmNational Geographic Society
The National Geographic Society , headquartered in Washington, D.C. in the United States, is one of the largest non-profit scientific and educational institutions in the world. Its interests include geography, archaeology and natural science, the promotion of environmental and historical...
, soon becoming their youngest field producer, editor and cinematographer. He and Marling collaborated on Boxers and Ballerinas (2004), an exploration of the U.S.–Cuba conflict through the lives of four characters, while living in Cuba
Cuba
The Republic of Cuba is an island nation in the Caribbean. The nation of Cuba consists of the main island of Cuba, the Isla de la Juventud, and several archipelagos. Havana is the largest city in Cuba and the country's capital. Santiago de Cuba is the second largest city...
. Cahill next moved to Los Angeles
Los Ángeles
Los Ángeles is the capital of the province of Biobío, in the commune of the same name, in Region VIII , in the center-south of Chile. It is located between the Laja and Biobío rivers. The population is 123,445 inhabitants...
. There he was taken on as editor for two Sundance
Sundance Film Festival
The Sundance Film Festival is a film festival that takes place annually in Utah, in the United States. It is the largest independent cinema festival in the United States. Held in January in Park City, Salt Lake City, and Ogden, as well as at the Sundance Resort, the festival is a showcase for new...
features, Leonard Cohen: I'm Your Man
Leonard Cohen: I'm Your Man
Leonard Cohen: I'm Your Man is a 2005 film by Lian Lunson about the life and career of Leonard Cohen. It is based on a January 2005 tribute show at the Sydney Opera House titled "Came So Far for Beauty", which was produced by Hal Willner...
and Everyone Stares: The Police Inside Out.
2011 was Cahill's pivotal year. His first feature film as director and screenwriter, Another Earth
Another Earth
Another Earth is a 2011 American science fantasy/drama film directed by Mike Cahill in his feature film debut. The film stars William Mapother and Brit Marling. It premiered at the 27th Sundance Film Festival in January 2011 and is being distributed by Fox Searchlight Pictures.-Synopsis:Rhoda...
, about a parallel Planet Earth, was a success at the Sundance Film Festival and was picked up for distribution by Fox Searchlight Pictures
Fox Searchlight Pictures
Fox Searchlight Pictures, established in 1998, is a film division of Fox Filmed Entertainment alongside the larger Fox studio 20th Century Fox...
.
Cahill currently resides in Brooklyn
Brooklyn
Brooklyn is the most populous of New York City's five boroughs, with nearly 2.6 million residents, and the second-largest in area. Since 1896, Brooklyn has had the same boundaries as Kings County, which is now the most populous county in New York State and the second-most densely populated...
, New York. He has begun working on his next two projects – one a film about reincarnation and the other about "a fashion designer who lives at the bottom of the sea."
Influences
Cahill has cited Julian SchnabelJulian Schnabel
Julian Schnabel is an American artist and filmmaker. In the 1980s, Schnabel received international media attention for his "plate paintings"—large-scale paintings set on broken ceramic plates....
as a significant influence on his work. He considers Krzysztof Kieslowski
Krzysztof Kieslowski
Krzysztof Kieślowski was an Academy Award nominated influential Polish film director and screenwriter, known internationally for The Double Life of Veronique and his film cycles The Decalogue and Three Colors.-Early life:...
one of his favorite filmmakers, specifically citing The Double Life of Véronique
The Double Life of Véronique
The Double Life of Véronique is a 1991 French- and Polish-language film directed by Krzysztof Kieślowski, co-written by Kieślowski and Krzysztof Piesiewicz, starring Irène Jacob, with original music by Zbigniew Preisner. The film was Kieślowski's first to be produced partly outside Poland.A...
as having a profound impact on him. Cahill, who has a casual interest in astronomy, was also influenced by the work of astronomer Richard Berendzen – in particular, Berendzen's audiobook Pulp Physics. He is also an admirer of Carl Sagan
Carl Sagan
Carl Edward Sagan was an American astronomer, astrophysicist, cosmologist, author, science popularizer and science communicator in astronomy and natural sciences. He published more than 600 scientific papers and articles and was author, co-author or editor of more than 20 books...
and Isaac Asimov
Isaac Asimov
Isaac Asimov was an American author and professor of biochemistry at Boston University, best known for his works of science fiction and for his popular science books. Asimov was one of the most prolific writers of all time, having written or edited more than 500 books and an estimated 90,000...
.
Filmography
| Year | Film | Director Film director A film director is a person who directs the actors and film crew in filmmaking. They control a film's artistic and dramatic nathan roach, while guiding the technical crew and actors.-Responsibilities:... |
Writer Screenwriter Screenwriters or scriptwriters or scenario writers are people who write/create the short or feature-length screenplays from which mass media such as films, television programs, Comics or video games are based.-Profession:... |
Producer Film producer A film producer oversees and delivers a film project to all relevant parties while preserving the integrity, voice and vision of the film. They will also often take on some financial risk by using their own money, especially during the pre-production period, before a film is fully financed.The... |
Editor Film editing Film editing is part of the creative post-production process of filmmaking. It involves the selection and combining of shots into sequences, and ultimately creating a finished motion picture. It is an art of storytelling... |
Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2004 | Boxers and Ballerinas | In collaboration with Brit Marling | ||||
| 2005 | Leonard Cohen: I'm Your Man Leonard Cohen: I'm Your Man Leonard Cohen: I'm Your Man is a 2005 film by Lian Lunson about the life and career of Leonard Cohen. It is based on a January 2005 tribute show at the Sydney Opera House titled "Came So Far for Beauty", which was produced by Hal Willner... |
|||||
| 2006 | Everyone Stares: The Police Inside Out Everyone Stares: The Police Inside Out Everyone Stares: The Police Inside Out is a rockumentary film made by Stewart Copeland, drummer of the band The Police. The film premiered at the 2006 Sundance Film Festival and was released on DVD in September 2006.... |
|||||
| 2011 | Another Earth Another Earth Another Earth is a 2011 American science fantasy/drama film directed by Mike Cahill in his feature film debut. The film stars William Mapother and Brit Marling. It premiered at the 27th Sundance Film Festival in January 2011 and is being distributed by Fox Searchlight Pictures.-Synopsis:Rhoda... |
In collaboration with Brit Marling |