Darren Aronofsky, an American filmmaker, was born on February 12, 1969. His films are characterized by surreal, melodramatic, and often disturbing elements, frequently taking the form of psychological fiction.
Aronofsky's educational background includes studying film and social anthropology at Harvard University, where he later studied directing at the AFI Conservatory. His senior thesis film, Supermarket Sweep, earned him several film awards, including a National Student Academy Award finalist. In 1997, he founded the film and TV production company Protozoa Pictures.
Aronofsky's feature film debut, the surrealist psychological thriller Pi (1998),was produced on a budget of $60,000 and grossed over $3 million. The film won him the Directing Award at the Sundance Film Festival and an Independent Spirit Award for Best First Screenplay.
Following the success of Pi, Aronofsky released the psychological drama Requiem for a Dream (2000),which received favorable reviews and an Academy Award nomination for Ellen Burstyn's performance.
After writing the World War II horror film Below (2002),Aronofsky released his third film, the romantic fantasy sci-fi drama The Fountain (2006). Although it received mixed reviews and performed poorly at the box office, it has since developed a cult following.
His fourth film, the sports drama The Wrestler (2008),was released to critical acclaim and earned Aronofsky the Golden Lion at the Venice Film Festival. The film's lead actors, Mickey Rourke and Marisa Tomei, received Academy Award nominations.
Aronofsky's next film, the psychological horror Black Swan (2010),received widespread acclaim and numerous accolades, including five Academy Award nominations, including Best Picture and Best Director, and a Best Actress win for Natalie Portman.
His sixth feature film, the biblically inspired epic Noah (2014),became his first film to open at No. 1 at the box office, despite receiving mixed reviews from critics and audiences.
Aronofsky's subsequent films, Mother! (2017) and The Whale (2022),sparked controversy and received both widespread praise and criticism.
In 2023, Aronofsky produced and filmed the film titled Postcard from Earth exclusively for the Sphere in the Las Vegas Valley on its 16K resolution screen.
