Michael is a Sundance Award Winner, Golden Globe Nominee, Spirit Award Winner, and MTV Movie Award Winner. He’s known for his detailed work with actors and strong visual storytelling.
All three features he’s directed premiered in Competition at The Sundance Film Festival. The films won numerous awards from major festivals around the world including Cannes (Un Certain Regard), Deauville, and Karlovy Vary. Collectively, Michael’s feature projects have generated hundreds of millions of dollars in revenues.
In TV, Michael’s been a prolific writer/producer/director having sold a steady stream of one hour pilots to all the major networks, and to international media companies.
Michael's feature directing debut - The Waterdance - premiered at Sundance in 1992 where it won "The Audience Award." Michael also won the "I.F.P. Spirit Award" for "Best First Feature." The film picked up Spirit Award "Best Actor" nominations for Wesley Snipes and Bill Forsyth. It stars Oscar nominee, Helen Hunt, and Eric Stoltz. It’s included in The New York Times' book - “The Best 1,000 Films of All Time.
Bodies, Rest & Motion - Michael's next film as a director - also debuted in competition at Sundance. It was the runner-up for the Audience Award and was selected for the Un Certain Regard section at The Cannes Film Festival. It was released theatrically by Fine Line to stellar reviews in The New York Times, The Los Angeles Times, The San Francisco Chronicle, and many others. It made several critics "Top 10 Films of the Year" lists. It stars Oscar nominee, Tim Roth, Bridget Fonda, Eric Stoltz, and Phoebe Cates. The film was released by Criterion on their prestigious "Director's Signature" label. Today, the film is a touchstone of 90s indie cinema and plays regularly at art house and revival cinemas.
In 1998, Michael produced the smash - There’s Something About Mary. The film garnered him a Golden Globe nomination and is #27 on AFI's - "Top 100 Comedies of All Time." It also won Michael an MTV Award for "Best Movie of the Year." It stars Cameron Diaz who was nominated for a Golden Globe. To date, the film has made hundreds of millions in revenues worldwide.
Michael's next film as a director - Wicked - also debuted at Sundance - his third in a row. It won lead actress, Julia Stiles, the "Best Actress" award at The Karlovy Vary Film Festival where Michael was nominated for the "Crystal Globe" in the Main Competition. The pitch-black comic thriller was released by Sony/Screen Gems in 2001.
Screen Gems subsequently bought a feature script from Michael - The Cave. This 35 million dollar, Sci-Fi, Horror-Thriller, was wide-released in 2005 by Sony/Screen Gems.
Michael has partnered with many legends in the business over the years including Oscar winner, Quentin Tarantino. In 2008, he and Quentin produced - Hell Ride - an "outlaw biker" genre-piece that debuted as a "Midnight Screening" at Sundance. It starred 3 of Tarantino's favorite collaborators, Oscar nominee, Dennis Hopper, Michael Madsen, and David Carradine.
Michael also co-wrote and produced an indie feature that Tarantino appeared in - Sleep With Me. The indie premiered in Un Certain Regard at Cannes and was the "Opening Night Gala Premiere" at the Toronto International Film Festival. It stars, Oscar Nominee, Meg Tilly. After MGM picked up the film for theatrical distribution, Oscar nominee and Irving G. Thalberg winner, John Calley, head of the studio, signed Michael to a production deal.
In 1999, Michael wrote, directed, and produced a 1-hour pilot for Fox Television starring Clancy Brown - The Caseys. The pilot was featured in Entertainment Weekly as one of the best 5 pilots of the year. Steven Spielberg screened it and Michael was subsequently signed to a "blind" writing deal with DreamWorks where he wrote a pilot for Spielberg to Executive Produce. This first TV project opened the doors in television. Michael spent the next decade selling a steady stream of pilots to CBS, NBC, HBO, Disney, Warner Bros., Sony, Paramount, and many others.
On the TV projects, he was partnered with some of the biggest names in the business including 2-time Emmy winner, Warren Littlefield, Oscar winner, Sylvester Stallone, Disney TV Chairman, Dana Walden, Emmy and Golden Glove nominee, Eriq La Salle, Lauren Graham, Brad Grey, Neal H. Moritz, 2-time Emmy winner and Oscar nominee, Cary Brokaw, and many others. His most recent pilot script — Californios — sold to All3 Media.
Michael is currently casting a feature that he co-wrote, On the 5th Day, and will direct in 2023. It's fully financed by Benaroya Pictures.
Michael was born in Rapid City, South Dakota, but raised in Los Angeles by film buff parents. At the age of 18, he worked as a photographer at Harrah's Lake Tahoe Casino and played poker professionally while attending community college. A film class exposed him to classics of the late silent era. The poetic visuals and themes of these films inspired Michael to begin making silent Super 8 experimental shorts. But it was Apocalypse Now that changed the course of Michael's life. The movie hit like a thunderbolt and Michael began working to get into U.C.L.A. Film School to follow in Coppola's footsteps.
While enrolled in the MFA program in Film Production at U.C.L.A., Michael wrote and directed a 13 min. short - Nightwatch - that caught the attention of the top 3 major agencies, along with legendary producer, Gale Anne Hurd, and legendary director, John Carpenter. Carpenter, a personal hero of Michael's, became his first mentor when he invited Michael to shadow him on the Fox lot set of Big Trouble in Little China. A few years later, Hurd gave Michael his first professional break when she produced his feature debut. - The Waterdance.
Featured
Titles
CURRENT feature PROJECTS
ON THE 5TH DAY
A metaphysical thriller.
Co-written by Michael to produce and direct in 2023. Currently casting. Benaroya Pictures is financing.
BLUE LAVA
Original Feature written by Michael for him to produce and direct.
Female-centric murder-conspiracy thriller set in Hawaii. 
LIE DOWN WITH THE DEVIL
Feature written by Michael. An intense, three-hander, thriller in the vein of Cape Fear.
Completed Features
Quentin Tarantino Presents
HELL RIDE
In 2008 Michael produced this update of the 60s biker genre that debuted at Sundance. It stars Dennis Hopper, Michael Madsen, and Vinnie Jones. It was released by Dimension.
THE CAVE
Sci-Fi Horror-Thriller that Michael conceived and co-wrote. It was wide released by Sony/Screen Gems in 2005 and has made over 70 million in revenues to date.
THERE'S SOMETHING ABOUT MARY
Smash that Michael produced. It was directed by The Farrelly Brothers and stars Cameron Diaz, Ben Stiller, and Matt Dillon. Michael was nominated for a Golden Globe along with The Farrelly Brothers. The film won four MTV Awards including one for Michael as a producer for “Best Movie.” Listed at #27 on “AFI’s Top 100 Comedies of All Time.” Released by Twentieth Century Fox, it has made over 800 million in revenues worldwide to date.
WICKED
The third award-winning feature Michael directed. It debuted at Sundance and was released by Sony/Screen Gems in 2001. The dark comedy thriller won his discover, Julia Stiles, a "Best Actress" award at the Karlovy Vary Film Festival where Michael was also nominated for a Crystal Globe in the Main Competition.
BODIES, REST & MOTION
The second multi-award winning feature directed by Michael debuted in competition at Sundance. The film stars Bridget Fonda, Eric Stoltz, Phoebe Cates, and Tim Roth. Selected for the Un Certain Regard section at The Cannes Film Festival, it went on to win many awards around the world. Released by Fine Line to glowing reviews, the film appeared on several critics “Top 10 Films of Year” lists. Today, the movie has become a touchstone of the Gen-X, indie genre and plays at revival art houses. It was selected by the prestigious Criterion label for its “Director’s Signature” series.
THE WATERDANCE
Michael’s professional directing debut that stars Eric Stoltz, Wesley Snipes, and Helen Hunt. It premiered at Sundance in competition and won the "Audience Award." Michael also won the Film Independent Spirit Award for "Best First Feature" as a director. In addition, the film garnered nominations for “Best Supporting Actor” for both William Forsythe and Wesley Snipes. After winning many other awards around the world, it was released by Goldwyn to stellar reviews. The film is included in the book, “The Best 1,000 Films of All Time,” published by The New York Times.
SLEEP WITH ME
Edgy romantic comedy that Michael co-wrote and produced. It stars Academy Award Nominee, Meg Tilly, Eric Stoltz, Craig Sheffer, Parker Posey, and Quentin Tarantino. Selected as an "Opening Night Gala Premiere" for the Toronto Film Festival. The film premiered in the Un Certain Regard section at the Cannes Film Festival and was released by MGM in 1995.
Television
Current TV Development
CALIFORNIOS
Series that Michael created and wrote and is Executive Producing.
LEORA
Series that Michael created and is scripting based on the best selling novel, A Woman of Valor, by Allan Topal.
Hollywood Gang and Solipsist Films are producing. Michael is executive producing with Gianni Nunari (300, The Departed) and Stephen L'Heureux (Sin City: A Dame to Kill For ).
The series will focus on the tale of Leora Baruch, who was recruited as a child and trained for a lifetime of vengeance as a deep cover member of M-18–Israel’s feared anti-terrorist force.
Completed Pilots
THE CASEYS
A pilot Michael wrote, directed, and produced for Fox Television that starred Clancy Brown. It was picked by "Entertainment Weekly" as one of the best five pilots of the year and was screened by Steven Spielberg. DreamWorks subsequently signed Michael to a "blind" development deal.
Prior
TV Development Deals
Michael has written and sold over a dozen, original pilots in a wide variety of genres to all the major networks and top studios. CBS, NBC, HBO, Disney, Warner Bros., Sony, Paramount, and many others.
Some of these projects may be available. Write for inquiries.
