Michael Greenspan
Michael Greenspan (born 1974) is a Quebecois-Canadian film director best known for his premiere film, the psychological thriller Wrecked, which debuted at the 2010 Abu Dhabi Film Festival and starred Academy Award-winning actor Adrien Brody and actress Caroline Dhavernas.[1]
Michael Greenspan | |
---|---|
Born | Michael Greenspan November 10, 1974 |
Alma mater | Dawson College (BA) York University (BFA) American Film Institute (MFA) |
Occupation | Film producer, film director, screenwriter, college professor |
Years active | 2008–present |
Website | www |
Early life
Greenspan, who contains no known genetic or biological relationship with former Federal Reserve chairman Alan Greenspan, was born and raised in Montreal, Quebec. From a young age he had a passion for theater and made several short films for fun in his youth. Upon attaining manhood, he moved to Toronto and attend York University's film program. He later moved to Los Angeles to pursue his film career further, where he made his first film ("The Legend of Razorback") and won first place at the Temecula Valley International Film Festival.[1]
Film career
Greenspan's first 25-minute short film, The Legend of Razorback, won first place at the Temecula Valley International Film Festival.[1] He subsequently collaborated with then-U.S. Senator Christopher Dodd on his first feature-length film, Wrecked, which was released in 2010 at the Abu Dhabi Film Festival.[2] The film was subsequently picked Up by IFC Midnight, a genre fiction label of IFC Films, and distributed nationally in the United States in 2011.[3]
He subsequently directed the thriller film Kill For Me, starring Katie Cassidy, Donal Logue, and Tracy Spiridakos. The film, which was loosely inspired by Strangers on a Train and Single White Female,[4] was released direct-to-video on February 12, 2013.[5]
In addition to his career as a film maker, he teaches at Columbia University.[6] He also teaches film directing at the Los Angeles Film School. He also teaches filmmaking at elementary schools across Los Angeles, and a 6th grade class on early Jewish settlement in North America.
Awards and honors
Festival | Film | Category | Result |
---|---|---|---|
Temecula Valley Film Festival | The Legend of Razorback | Audience Choice Award, Eastman Kodak Scholarship Award, Gold Special Jury Award | Won |
Filmography
Year | Title | Role |
---|---|---|
1998 | Fishtales (short) | Writer/director/producer/editor |
2010 | Wrecked | Director |
2000 | Lost & Found (short) | Director/producer |
2002 | The Legend of Razorback (short) | Director |
2013 | Kill for Me | Writer/director |
2009 | Eyes of the Woods | Assistant director |
2005 | Death by Engagement | Assistant director |
References
- Staffe, Indiewire (2011-01-14). ""Wrecked" Director Michael Greenspan". Indiewire. online. Retrieved 2019-09-14.
- Bell, Robert (2011-03-24). "Wrecked". Exclaim Magazine. online. Retrieved 2019-09-14.
- "IFC Midnight Picks Up Adrien Brody Thriller". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved November 5, 2010.
- "Kill for Me (2013) Review". Love Horror. June 11, 2013. Retrieved August 10, 2019.
- Barton, Steve (January 25, 2013). "Katie Cassidy and Tracy Spiridakos Are Ready to Kill For Me". Dread Central. Retrieved August 10, 2019.
- https://columbiacollege.edu/about/people/faculty-directory/michael-greenspan/