Steven Soderbergh

Since his bold debut on the international film scene in 1989 with “sex, lies, and videotape,” STEVEN SODERBERGH has continued to be one of the world’s most celebrated directors, balancing high-level Hollywood success with bold, experimental work.
To date, Soderbergh is the only director to have two films—“Traffic” and “Erin Brockovich” —nominated for Best Picture and Best Director in the same year (2000). His Academy Award for Best Director of “Traffic” marks the first time since the 1928/29 Awards that a director has successfully competed against himself.
“Traffic” also received Oscars for Editing, Supporting Actor (Benicio del Toro) and Adapted Screenplay. Julia Roberts received the Best Actress Academy Award for the title role in “Erin Brockovich,” and the film also received nominations for Best Supporting Actor (Albert Finney), Best Original Screenplay and Best Picture.
Born in Atlanta, Georgia, Steven Soderbergh grew up in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, where he began making short films as a teenager. After studying film at Louisiana State University, he moved to Los Angeles where he worked as an editor and wrote screenplays. In 1986, he made a full-length concert film “Yes: 9012 Live,” for which he received a Grammy nomination.
Soderbergh’s first feature as a writer/director, “sex, lies, and videotape” (1989) created a sensation at its debut at the Sundance Film Festival and went on to win the Palme d’Or at Cannes, and become a huge critical and popular success upon its release. It also won the Independent Spirit Award for Best Director and an Academy Award nomination for Best Original Screenplay, among other prizes.
He followed with “Kafka” (1991), the depression era drama “King of the Hill” (1993), the modern film noir “The Underneath” (1995), the Spalding Gray documentary “Gray’s Anatomy” (1996) and the experimental satire “Schizopolis” (1996).
“Out of Sight” (1998), an Elmore Leonard adaptation starring George Clooney and Jennifer Lopez, became one of Soderbergh’s biggest successes. It was followed by another acclaimed film, “The Limey” (1999), starring Terence Stamp.
After “ Traffic” and “Erin Brockovich,” Soderbergh directed the retelling of “Ocean’s Eleven” (2001), the fabled 1960’s Rat Pack film starring George Clooney, Matt Damon, Andy Garcia, Brad Pitt, Julia Roberts, Don Cheadle and Bernie Mac. Switching gears, Soderbergh made a low-budget comedy on digital video, “Full Frontal” (2002), which starred David Duchovny, Nicky Katt, Catherine Keener, Mary McCormack, David Hyde Pierce, Julia Roberts and Blair Underwood. He then made “Solaris” (2002), a new adapation of the classic science fiction novel by Stanislaw Lem, which starred George Clooney, Natascha McElhone and Jeremy Davies.
In addition to his credits as a director, Soderbergh served as producer on Greg Mottola’s “The Daytrippers” (1997) and on Gary Ross’ “Pleasantville” (1998). He also was executive producer on David Siegel and Scot McGehee’s “Suture” (1994), Godfrey Reggio’s “Naqoyqatsi” (2002), and Graham Robertson’s “Able Edwards” (2004).
In 2000, Soderbergh and George Clooney formed Section Eight, a film production company based at Warner Bros. dedicated to helping worthy filmmakers realize their vision. Section Eight has since produced or executive produced such films as Anthony and Joe Russo’s “Welcome to Collinwood,” George Clooney’s “Confessions of a Dangerous Mind,” Christopher Nolan’s “Insomnia,” and “Todd Haynes’ “Far From Heaven.” Among the upcoming Section Eight projects are Gregory Jacobs’ “Criminal,” Don Cheadle’s “Tishomingo Blues,” David Gordon Green’s “A Confederacy of Dunces,” and Richard Linklater’s “A Scanner Darkly.”
Recently, Section 8 produced and Soderbergh directed the highly praised HBO series
“K Street,” which blended Washington insiders like James Carville and Mary Matalin with its semi-fictional story.
His next two projects as director are “Oceans Twelve,” for which he has reassembled the original cast of his hit film “Oceans Eleven,” and “Ché,” starring Benicio del Toro.