British film director Michael Winterbottom was born in Blackburn, Lancashire. He studied English at Balliol College, Oxford, before going on to film school in Bristol. He began his career in television, and released his first film, Butterfly Kiss, in 1995. He has become among the most prolific of directors, working in a very wide range of film genres, with films including Welcome to Sarajevo (1997), Wonderland (1999), 24 Hour Party People (1999), 9 Songs (2004), A Cock and Bull Story (2006), A Mighty Heart (2007), The Killer Inside Me (2010), The Trip (2010), Trishna (2011) and Everyday (2012). His recently released film, The Look of Love (2013), explores the life and times of Paul Raymond and stars Steve Coogan, who has acted in a number of Winterbottom’s films.
