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Born in San Carlos, California
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Student of painting, graduating with a BFA from San Francisco Art Institute
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Move to New York City to participate in the Whitney Museum’s independent study program
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Conversation with Andy Warhol
"Andy was saying that film is way more populist than art—that art’s very elitist, so you exclude a large audience. A Malevich or a Mondrian requires that you come to it with a certain amount of information, a context and you don’t necessarily need that with film. A movie is accessible, available. That was exciting to me from a political standpoint." -
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Columbia University Film School
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(The Set Up)
This short film was 20-minute exploration/deconstruction of violence in film. Two actors fought on screen while their actions were deconstructed by semioticians through a voice over. -
(The Loveless)
This film was centered around a motorcycle gang’s visit to a small Southern town and its violent effects. -
Began teaching at the California Institute of the Arts
After receiving several scripts that were of no interest to her, she gave teaching a try. -
(Born in Flames) - Bigelow's Breakout Role
Born in Flames was her first on screen appearance. It was a documentary-style feminist science fiction film by Lizzie Borden set in an alternate United States socialist democracy. The film explored racism, classism, sexism and heterosexism. Bigelow played the role of a feminist newspaper editor. -
(Near Dark)
A vampire film that was celebrated as a cult classic. -
Marriage to James Cameron
They divorced in 1991. Her and Cameron worked on many projects together before, during, and after their marriage. -
(Blue Steel)
Bigelow cowrote and directed this film as a woman's action film. The film starred Jamie Lee Curtis and she needed way more than Activia to fix this situation. -
(Point Break)
The film was her most profitable. This film starred Keanu Reeves and solidified her place in the traditionally male-dominated genre of action films. -
First Female to win a Saturn Award for Best Director (Strange Days)
The Saturn Awards reward genre fiction achievements, in particular for science fiction, fantasy, and horror. -
(K-19: The Widowmaker)
An action film starring Harrison Ford and Liam Neeson. The film was based on the true story of a Soviet nuclear submarine that suffers a radiation leak. The movie received mixed reviews and failed to find an audience. Some thought it was the low point in her career. -
(Hurt Locker)
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Barbra Streisand declares: 'It's about time.'
Academy Award for Best Director and Best Picture, BAFTA Award for Best Direction and Best Picture, Directors Guild of America Award for Outstanding Directing, American Film Institute Top 10 Films of 2009 -
Time 100 list of most influential people of the year
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(Zero Dark Thirty)
Nominated for an Academy Award for Best Picture, Golden Globe for Best Director and Best Picture, BAFTA Award for Best Direction and Best Picture -
(Detroit)
Based on the city's 1967 riots. Some controversy.
