Derek Cianfrance began his filmmaking journey at the tender age of 13. He later pursued his passion at The University of Colorado, where he had the privilege of studying under the tutelage of avant-garde film legends Stan Brakhage and Phil Solomon.
His first three films, 'Five O'clock Shadow', 'Raw Footage', and Brother Tied (1998),garnered consecutive Goldfarb Awards for best film. 'Raw Footage' went on to receive a Special Deans Grant for Achievement in the Arts, as well as The Independent Film Channel's Award for Excellence in Student Filmmaking.
At the age of 23, Cianfrance directed, wrote, shot, and edited his first feature, Brother Tied. The film made its American premiere at The Sundance film festival, where it received widespread acclaim. Jonathan Romney of The Guardian described it as "one of the most striking American independent debuts in sometime," while John Anderson of New York Newsday hailed it as a work of "visual genius."
The film went on to travel to over 30 festivals and won international awards at six, including The Orson Welles First Feature Film Award at Huntington, the Ecumenical Jury Award at Mannheim/Heidelberg, and the Jury Prize for Bold, Original Expression at Florida.
Cianfrance then ventured into documentary filmmaking, exploring a wide array of subjects and characters for both theatrical exhibition and television. He created portraits of musicians such as 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, and gained access to Vietnam veteran biker clubs in Rolling Thunder - Ride For Freedom.
He also exposed the mysterious world of crime photography in Shots in the Dark (2001) and revealed the world of teen racing and Hispanic subculture in Quattro Noza (2003),for which he won the best cinematographer award at Sundance 2003.
Cianfrance is currently in pre-production on his second narrative feature, Blue Valentine.
