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P.T. Anderson _________________
United States (1970- )
After working in a similar capacity for several small independent films, Anderson wrote the script for a short film entitled Cigarettes and Coffee & borrowed a camera to shoot the short film. Cigarettes & Coffee premiered at the 1993 Sundance Film Festival in the Shorts Program II. From that short, he was able to develop a feature at the Sundance Institutes Filmmaker's Workshop.
The result was Hard Eight, starring Philip Baker Hall, John C. Reilly, Gwyneth Paltrow, Philip Seymour Hoffman & Samuel L. Jackson which was screened at the 1996 Sundance Film Festival & the 1996 Cannes Film Festival. The film was acclaimed for its complex performances & fascinating human psychology. Film Comment declared Paul Thomas
Anderson the most promising director of 1997.
Anderson's second film, Boogie Nights, fulfilled that promise, garnering critical acclaim & three Academy Award nominations. Starring a cast including Mark Wahlberg, Burt Reynolds, Julianne Moore, Heather Graham, John C. Reilly, Don Cheadle, Philip Baker Hall & Philip Seymour Hoffman, the film followed an extended family of filmmakers struggling to revolutionize the adult entertainment industry. The film also received the Boston Society of Film Critics Award for Best New Filmmaker & Anderson garnered the PEN Center USA West Literary Award for Best Screenplay.
PTA returned in the winter of 1999 with Magnolia, a film & plot shrouded in secrecy. The film included most of the cast of Boogie Nights with one major addition, Tom Cruise. The film received tremendous critical praise placing it at the top of many critic's 10 Best Lists & was awarded the prestigious Golden Bear at the Berlin Film Festival. It also received three Academy Award nominations for Best Original Screenplay, Best Supporting Actor (Tom Cruise) & Best Original Song (Aimee Mann's Save Me).
After nearly three years, Paul's fourth film, Punch-Drunk Love debuted at the Cannes Film Festival where PTA was awarded Best Director. It stars Adam Sandler, Emily Watson, Philip Seymour Hoffman, Mary Lynn Rajskub & Luis Guzmán. It was released in the U.S. on October 11th. While garnering critical acclaim for both Anderson and star Adam Sandler, the picture failed to catch on with mainstream audiences. (www.ptanderson.com)
MAJOR FILMS:
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Paul Thomas Anderson's was born on January 1, 1970 in and grew up in the San Fernando Valley. His father Ernie Anderson was a well known voice actor (America's Funniest Home Videos, The Love Boat, etc.) After Montclair College Prep High School, he spent two semesters as an English major at Emerson before dropping out. He later enrolled at New York University Film School but only attended for two days. He always wanted to be a filmmaker & watching movies was the only education he needed. Paul developed a passion for filmmaking at an early age & began his career as a production assistant on various television movies (Sworn to Vengeance), videos & game shows (The Quiz Kids Challenge) in Los Angeles & New York.