Jeff Nichols

Jeff Nichols (born December 7, 1978) is an American film director and screenwriter from Little Rock, Arkansas. He studied filmmaking at the University of North Carolina School of the Arts.

Nichols has directed Shotgun Stories (2007), Take Shelter (2011), Mud (2012) and Midnight Special (2016). Most recently, he directed the drama Loving, a film about the landmark U.S. civil rights court case Loving v. Virginia, which was released on November 4, 2016.

In his review of Midnight Special, Rolling Stone critic Peter Travers said "the Arkansas-born Nichols, 37, already ranks with the best American directors of his generation".

Career

2007's Shotgun Stories, Nichols' debut feature film starring Michael Shannon, was shot on a budget of only $250,000. Nichols moved into larger independent productions with 2011's Take Shelter, also starring Shannon, and 2012's Mud, starring Matthew McConaughey, which competed for the Palme d'Or at the 2012 Cannes Film Festival. In 2012, he became the President of the Jury of the 7th Rome Film Festival.

His 2016 sci-fi drama film Midnight Special competed for the Golden Bear at the 66th Berlin International Film Festival.

Style and influences

Nichols notes Mark Twain's influence on him.

Personal life

Nichols was born in Little Rock, Arkansas. He is the brother of Lucero guitarist and singer Ben Nichols.

Filmography