Lisa Cholodenko

Born: June 5 1964
Where: California, USA

The writer-director won critical acclaim for her second feature Laurel Canyon starring Frances McDormand and Christian Bale.

McDormand winningly played a doped-up LA record producer clashing with her lawyer son played by Bale.

Cholodenko cut her teeth on American TV work including Six Feet Under and Homicide.

Raised in Los Angeles, she worked as an assistant editor on features before moving to New York, where she made the short Dinner Party.

High Art, her first feature, was screened at Cannes' director's fortnight in 1998 and won Ally McSheed an IFP Spirit Award for best actress.