- Born
- Height5′ 9″ (1.75 m)
- Derek Cianfrance began making movies at age 13. He later attended The University of Colorado where he studied under avant-garde film legends Stan Brakhage and Phil Solomon. His first three films, 'Five O'clock Shadow', 'Raw Footage', and Brother Tied (1998), won consecutive Goldfarb Awards for best film. Raw Footage went on to be awarded a Special Deans Grant for Achievement in the Arts, as well as The Independent Film Channel's Award for Excellence in Student Filmmaking. He directed, wrote, shot, and edited his first feature, Brother Tied, at the age of 23. The film made its American premiere at The Sundance film festival where it was lauded as "one of the most striking American independent debuts in some time," by The Guardian's Jonathan Romney, and hailed a work of "visual genius," by New York Newsday's John Anderson. The film traveled to over 30 festivals and won international awards at 6, including The Orson Welles First Feature Film Award at Huntington, the Ecumenical Jury Award at Mannheim/Heidelberg, and Jury Prize for Bold, Original Expression at Florida. Cianfrance then ventured into documentary filmmaking where he explored a wide array of subjects and characters for both theatrical exhibition and TV. He has made portraits of musicians, Cassandra Wilson - Traveling Miles: Cassandra Wilson (2000), Mos Def - Work And Progress, Run-D.M.C. and Jam Master Jay: The Last Interview (2002), Annie Lennox - Live In Toronto, gained access to Vietnam veteran biker clubs in Rolling Thunder - Ride For Freedom, exposed the mysterious world of crime photography for Shots in the Dark (2001), and revealed teen racing and Hispanic subculture in Quattro Noza (2003) for which he won best cinematographer at Sundance 2003. Cianfrance is currently in pre-production on his second narrative feature, Blue Valentine.
- IMDb mini biography by: Jack Lechner
- SpouseShannon Plumb(2005 - present) (2 children)
- Children
- In Blue Valentine (2010), he had co-stars Ryan Gosling and Michelle Williams live together for a month in house that would be their on-screen home.
- Such is his dedication to creating authentic performances from his actors, that at least two real-life couplings have emerged from his films; Ryan Gosling and Eva Mendes met on the set of The Place Beyond the Pines (2012) and now have two daughters together. Michael Fassbender and Alicia Vikander entered a relationship while filming The Light Between Oceans (2016) and married in late 2017. Cianfrance had asked Gosling to make a move on Michelle Williams when filming the relationship drama Blue Valentine (2010) but she rejected his advances.
- Friend of Ryan Gosling's since 2006 and has directed him in two films.
- Cianfrance is a drummer and has blown his eardrums out. He has tinnitus, a constant ringing in his ears. His condition inspired him to direct the film "Metalhead", which was not developed.
- Directed one Oscar nominated performance: Michelle Williams in Blue Valentine (2010).
- [on making Blue Valentine (2010)] There was one day where we were shooting on the bus. That's a bit of a movie trope - the encounter on a bus - and yet when we shot that scene, we had a rainbow come out of nowhere. When stuff like that happens, and I know it sounds kind of corny, but you really feel that you are doing the right thing at the right time.
- [describing Ryan Gosling and Bradley Cooper's first meeting in The Place Beyond the Pines (2012)] It was like two alpha wolves, these two guys peeking at each other. I was reading a lot of Jack London at the time.
- When you shoot on film, there's an urgency that starts happening. On 35 mm 2 perf, you have about nine minutes and twenty seconds and then the mag [film magazine] runs out. And the actors pretty quickly start to recognize that time. The actors are like athletes.It's like a quarter of football. They have nine minutes and twenty seconds to get some points on the board to make things happen. They can feel it. Versus on digital - you can shoot forever.
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