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Steven Andrew Soderbergh (born January 14 , 1963 in Atlanta, Georgia ) is an American Film Producer , Screenwriter , Cinematographer , Editor , and Oscar -winning Director . BIOGRAPHY Soderbergh was born to parents with -nominated concert video ''9012 Live'' for the rock band Yes in 1985 . {Link without Title} It wasn't until he came back to Baton Rouge that he conceived the idea for '' Sex, Lies, And Videotape '' ( 1989 ), which he wrote in eight days. The independent film won the prestigious Palme D'Or at the Cannes Film Festival , became a worldwide commercial success and — along with Quentin Tarantino 's '' Pulp Fiction '' — greatly contributed to the 1990s Independent Film revolution. Movie critic Roger Ebert dubbed Soderbergh the "poster boy of the Sundance generation." {Link without Title} ''Sex, Lies, and Videotape'' was followed by a series of low-budget box-office disappointments: '' Kafka '', a biopic starring Jeremy Irons as Franz Kafka ; '' King Of The Hill '' ( 1993 ), a critically acclaimed Depression -era drama; '' Underneath '' ( 1995 ), a remake of Robert Siodmak 's 1949 film noir '' Criss Cross ''; and '' Schizopolis '' ( 1996 ), a comedy which he starred in, wrote, composed, and shot as well as directed. Making good on his ''Schizopolis''-inspired "artistic wake-up call," his commercial slump ended in 1998 with '' Out Of Sight '', a stylized adaptation of an Elmore Leonard novel starring George Clooney and Jennifer Lopez . {Link without Title} The film was both widely praised and a box-office smash, reaffirming Soderbergh's potential and sparking the beginnings of a lucrative artistic partnership between Clooney and Soderbergh. Soderbergh followed up on the success of ''Out of Sight'' by making another crime caper, '''', a social drama which featured an ensemble cast. ''Traffic'' became his most acclaimed movie since ''Sex, Lies, Videotape'', and earned him an Academy Award For Best Director . '''' ( 2002 ), marking the third time the two have headlined a film. Soderbergh moved on to docudramas with '' K Street '', a ten-part political HBO series. '' Ocean's Twelve '' ( 2004 ), a sequel to ''Ocean's Eleven'', followed. In 2006 , Soderbergh raised eyebrows with '' Bubble '', a $1.6 million film featuring a cast of unprofessional actors. It opened in selected theaters and HDNet simultaneously, and four days later on DVD . Industry heads are reportedly watching how the film performs, as its unusual release schedule could have implications for future feature films. [http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/thr/columns/risky_business_display.jsp?vnu_content_id=1002198452 Theater-owners, who have recently been suffering from dropping attendance rates, do not welcome so-called "day-and-date" movies. [http://www.backstage.com/bso/news_reviews/film/article_display.jsp?vnu_content_id=1002197235] National Association of Theatre Owners president and CEO John Fithian indirectly called the film's release model "the biggest threat to the viability of the cinema industry today." [http://www.usatoday.com/tech/news/2006-01-18-bubble-theater-threat_x.htm] Soderbergh's response to such criticism: "I don't think it's going to destroy the movie-going experience any more than the ability to get takeout has destroyed the restaurant business." The film did poor business both at the box office and on the home video market. [http://www.madison.com/tct/features/index.php?ntid=76664&ntpid=0] Nevertheless, Soderbergh is on contract to deliver five more day-and-date movies. "I've always gotten along with them," says Soderbergh of actors, "I try and make sure they're OK, and when they're in the zone, I leave them alone. I don't get in their way."; his non-intrusive directorial style has attracted repeat performances by many high-profile movies stars. [http://www.hollywood.com/feature/id/471293] Julia Roberts had supporting roles in ''Ocean's Eleven'', ''Ocean's Twelve'', and '' Full Frontal '', and won an Academy Award For Best Actress for her lead in ''Erin Brockovich''. Benicio Del Toro , who also won an Academy Award for his work in a Soderbergh film (''Traffic''), is starring in the upcoming '' Guerrilla ''. Other frequent sightings in Soderbergh's filmography include Character Actor s Luis Guzmán (''Out of Sight'', ''The Limey'', and ''Traffic'') and Don Cheadle (''Out of Sight'', ''Traffic'', ''Ocean's Eleven'', and ''Ocean's Twelve''). But the actor who played the leading role in no less than four of his films is George Clooney, with whom he co-owns the film production company, Section Eight Productions . Section Eight produced the critical hits '' Far From Heaven '', '' Insomnia '', and '' Syriana '' as well as the Clooney-directed films '' Confessions Of A Dangerous Mind '' and '' Good Night, And Good Luck. '' Soderbergh and Clooney are reportedly planning to shut down Section Eight by the end of 2006. [http://www.clooneystudio.com/sectioneight.html] . ]] Soderbergh often acts as his own Director Of Photography under the alias of Peter Andrews and occasionally as his own Editor under '''Mary Ann Bernard'''. While shooting ''Traffic'', Soderbergh realized that WGA regulations prohibit a cinematographer or editor to be credited over a screenwriter, so he uses pseudonyms to assign credit to himself. As of 30 April 2006, his projects in production include ''Guerrilla'', starring Benicio Del Toro as Che Guevara , and '' Ocean's Thirteen ''. '' The Good German '' a romantic drama set in post-war Berlin starring Cate Blanchett and George Clooney, has recently wrapped. {Link without Title} AESTHETICS It's difficult to find a common thread between Soderbergh's movies. He has made big-budget Hollywood films as well as art-house independent films; worked with above-the-title movie stars as well as unknowns; and directed adaptations as well original material, both of which were written by himself as well as other screenwriters. His versatility is also apparent with the genres which he chooses to film and his trades as a filmaker behind the scenes. ''Traffic'' screenwriter and ''Syriana'' director Stephen Gaghan named Soderbergh "the Michael Jordan of filmaking" for his ability to assume so many distinct roles in film production. TRIVIA
FILMOGRAPHY Director
Screenwriter
Cinematographer
Editor
Producer
MAJOR AWARDS
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