Brett Morgen
| Brett Morgen | |
|---|---|
| Born |
Brett D. Morgen October 11, 1968 Los Angeles, California, U.S. |
| Alma mater | New York University |
| Occupation | Film director, producer |
Brett Morgen (born October 11, 1968)[1] is an American documentary film director, producer and social commentator.
Biography
Brett Morgen was born in Los Angeles, California in 1968. He was named after USC football lineman Britt Williams, who was team captain in 1961, but his parents misspelled the name. He was raised in Studio City, California.[2] According to Morgen, he knew he wanted to be a filmmaker at a young age.[3]
Career
Morgen made Ollie's Army while a student at New York University. The film focuses on the exploits of the James Madison University college Republicans during the Ollie North senatorial campaign of 1994.[4][5]
On the Ropes was nominated for an Academy Award in 2000 for Best Documentary. The celebrated boxing documentary was directed by Morgen and Nanette Burstein, and examined the lives of three aspiring prizefighters and their coach. Although it did not win an Oscar, the film did win a number of prestigious awards, including Outstanding Directorial Achievement in Documentary by the Directors Guild of America.[6]
The Kid Stays in the Picture is a documentary biopic about film legend Robert Evans, focusing on his major hits, like The Godfather, and his tumultuous personal life. Once again, Morgen teamed with Nanette Burstein.[7]
Chicago 10 is a film that tells the story of the Chicago Eight. The film is noted for its use of animation and celebrity voice-overs: Hank Azaria, Dylan Baker, Nick Nolte, Mark Ruffalo, Roy Scheider, Liev Schreiber, James Urbaniak, and Jeffrey Wright.[8]
June 17th, 1994 aired on ESPN as an episode of 30 for 30 and featured on-air commentary by Morgen. It was the only 30 for 30 episode to date that included no interviews or voice-overs, consisting solely of the actual TV footage on June 17, 1994. This was the date of the O.J. Simpson slow-moving police chase, and the other important sports stories of that day that were mostly ignored, due to the American public's fascination with Simpson.[9]
Personal
Morgen lives in Rockaway, Queens, with his wife, Debra Eisenstadt, and three children.[10]
Filmography
Feature-length films
- Ollie's Army (1996)
- On the Ropes (1999)
- The Kid Stays in the Picture (2002)
- The Sweet Science (2003)
- Chicago 10 (2007)
- Truth in Motion (2010)
- June 17th, 1994 (2010)
- Crossfire Hurricane (2012)
- Kurt Cobain: Montage of Heck (2015)
Television series
- On Tour (1997)
- Say It Loud (2001)
- "Nimrod Nation" (2007) Won Peabody Award (2008)
External links
References
- ↑ "Brett D Morgen, Born 10/11/1968 in Los Angeles County, California". The California Birth Index. Retrieved April 5, 2016.
- ↑ Morgen, Brett (April 30, 2015). "Kurt Cobain: Montage of Heck, Brett Morgen". DP/30: An Oral History of Hollywood (Interview).
- ↑ Director’s Suite New York Times, November 13, 2009
- ↑ Ollie's Army Trailer Cast New York Times
- ↑ Cinema Texas Austin Chronicle September 27, 1996
- ↑ On the Ropes Awards IMDB
- ↑ The Kid Stays in the Picture IMDB
- ↑ Chicago 10 IMDB
- ↑ June 17th, 1994 IMDB
- ↑ Director’s Suite New York Times, November 13, 2009