Soderbergh, Steven (1963– )

US film director, writer, and producer. A challenging voice in US independent cinema, Soderbergh made his major film debut in 1989 with sex, lies and videotape. A critical and commercial success, the film won the prestigious Palme d'Or at the Cannes Film Festival and sparked a revival in low-budget film production in the USA. His mainstream acceptance was consolidated with two nominations for best director in the 2001 Academy Awards, for the films Erin Brockovich (2000) and Traffic (2000), the latter of which he won.

His films focus on character and dialogue and are characterized by their formal experimentation. Other films include Kafka (1991), King of the Hill (1993), The Underneath (1995), Out of Sight (1998), Ocean's 11 (2001) and its sequels Ocean's 12 (2004) and Ocean's 13 (2007), Full Frontal (2002), Solaris (2002), Confessions of a Dangerous Mind (2002), and The Good German (2006). He has frequently collaborated with actor George Clooney.

Soderbergh was born in Atlanta, Georgia, and grew up in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. He began to take film classes as a teenager at Louisiana State University, where his father was a professor. His first break was in 1986 when he shot the concert film Yes: 9012 Live, for which he was nominated for a Grammy Award. Soon after he filmed the short Winston, which he expanded in sex, lies and videotape.