Known for Directing
Michael Chadbourne Mills (born March 20, 1966) is an American film and music video director, writer and graphic designer. He is best known for his independent films, Beginners (2010) and 20th Century Women (2016). For the latter, Mills was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Original Screenplay.
Born
March 20, 1966 (age 60)
Birthplace
Berkeley, California, USA
Filmography
38 films


C'mon C'mon
2021 · 1h 50m
country: United States
Johnny and his young nephew forge a tenuous but transformational relationship when they embark on a cross-country trip to see life away from Los Angeles.


I Am Easy to Find
2019 · 26m
country: United States
A life in one-hundred-sixty-four moments.


20th Century Women
2016 · 1h 59m
country: United States
In 1979 Santa Barbara, California, Dorothea Fields is a determined single mother in her mid-50s who is raising her adolescent son, Jamie, at a moment brimming with cultural change and rebellion. Dorothea enlists the help of two younger women – Abbie, a free-spirited punk artist living as a boarder in the Fields' home and Julie, a savvy and provocative teenage neighbour – to help with Jamie's upbringing.


A Mind Forever Voyaging Through Strange Seas of Thought Alone
2014 · 38m
country: United States
Filmmaker Mike Mills interviewed a group of children whose parents work in the tech industry — from high-level product managers to a director at Google — and asked them about how they see the future. The work was part of a triptych, created on commission for SFMOMA for the exhibition Project Los Altos (2013), inspired by the Northern California tech hub and birthplace of Apple computers.


Beginners
2011 · 1h 45m
country: United States
Oliver meets the irreverent and unpredictable Anna only months after his father Hal Fields has passed away. This new love floods Oliver with memories of his father, who, following the death of his wife of 44 years, came out of the closet at age 75 to live a full, energized, and wonderfully tumultuous gay life – which included a younger boyfriend.


The Boy and the Creature, 1981
2009 · 6m
country: United States


Does Your Soul Have a Cold?
2007 · 1h 22m
country: United States
This documentary follows the lives of five Japanese individuals to explore how depression is perceived in Japan and how the marketing of anti-depressants since the late 1990s has shifted public awareness. Once a term used only by psychiatric professionals, "utsu" is now commonly used as anti-depressant use has surged.


Cinema16: American Short Films
2006 · 3h 29m
country: Unknown
CINEMA16 celebrates the short film by showcasing some of the best classic and award-winning shorts on DVD. With over three hours of films CINEMA16: AMERICAN SHORT FILMS is essential viewing for anyone with an interest in the moving image. Films include Gus Van Sant's 1982 adaptation of a William S. Burroughs short story, The Discipline Of DE, Tim Burton's early stop motion animated classic Vincent, George Lucas' USC short Freiheit, Alexander Payne's previously unreleased UCLA graduation short Carmen, Paperboys by Mike Mills, D.A. Pennebaker's Duke Ellington scored Daybreak Express, Todd Solondz's NYU short Feelings, along with Oscar Winner The Lunch Date by Adam Davidson, Stefan Nadelman's multi- award winning documentary Terminal Bar, Joe Nussbaum's cult classic George Lucas In Love and 2006 Sundance Winner The Wraith Of Cobble Hill by Adam Parrish King. Films are subtitled in French, German, Italian, Spanish and Japanese, and include commentaries from many of the directors involved.


Thumbsucker
2005 · 1h 36m
country: United States
Justin Cobb, a teenager in suburban Oregon, copes with his thumb-sucking problem, romance, and his diagnosis with ADHD and subsequent experience using Ritalin.


Pulp Hits
2002 · 1h 20m
country: Unknown
Pulp is the vehicle of geeky English auteur Jarvis Cocker, who formed the band with Sheffield schoolmates in 1978 at the age of 15, but didn't achieve success until the 90s. Before then they tried many different styles, and many different band-members, but with frustratingly similar results - widespread apathy. One exception was Radio 1 DJ John Peel, who granted Pulp a number of live radio sessions - again though, very little caught the public imagination. Eventually signing to Island in the early 90s, it was their major-label debut His 'n' Hers in 1994 that finally saw Pulp breaking into public consciousness. In Cocker they had an enigmatic singer and a sharp, witty lyricist: and new wave pop singles like "Lipgloss" and "Do You Remember The First Time?" were anthemic enough to break the UK charts. At the height of the Britpop craze, Pulp were at the forefront along with Suede, Oasis and Blur. Their follow-up album, 1995's Different Class, was an even bigger...


Paperboys
2001 · 41m
country: United States
This documentary follows six paperboys from Stillwater, Minnesota, showcasing interviews and scenes of them biking through their daily delivery routes. It highlights the shift in American culture, where adults are now taking on a job once dominated by young teens.


Deformer
2000 · 17m
country: United States
A documentary about top-ranking skateboarder Ed Templeton, his artwork and life in Huntington Beach, California.
Not How, Or When, Or Why, But Yes
Not How, Or When, Or Why, But Yes
2000 · 35m
country: Unknown
In this documentary, Mike Mills engages in thought-provoking conversations with individuals from diverse backgrounds, spanning various ages and genders. Through these interviews, he explores a profound question: what would people do if they had only three months to live? He then asks how their plans would change if they had just one week, uncovering the differences between long-term and immediate priorities. This approach reveals how timeframes shape our deepest desires and choices.


Air: Eating, Sleeping, Waiting and Playing
1999 · 1h
country: United States
This documentary follows the French electronic duo Air during their 1998 Moon Safari tour, highlighting the monotony of travel and waiting to perform. The routine is punctuated by Godard-inspired segments featuring philosophical Q&A sessions with everyday people.


The Architecture of Reassurance
1999 · 24m
country: United States
Dissatisfied with life at home, a young girl travels through other residences in her suburban neighborhood. She does what all of us would like to do: experience the domestic stories being played out by our neighbors. This tale is a voyeurist's paradise.
Richard June's Backyard
Richard June's Backyard
1998 · 3m
country: Unknown
Hair Shoes Love and Honesty
Hair Shoes Love and Honesty
1998 · 40m
country: Unknown
In this documentary, Mike Mills sits down with a diverse group of individuals to explore the seemingly simple yet profoundly personal topics of hair, shoes, love, and honesty.


Skating with Dave and Jared
1995 · 3m
country: Unknown
An Introduction to Harmolodics
An Introduction to Harmolodics
1995 · 11m
country: Unknown
Ornette Coleman is always asked, “what is Harmolodics?” Harmolodics is the term he coined to describe his music and his philosophy of life. He decided to do a short film about Harmolodics. A few artists were in enlisted, including Lou Reed, Thurston Moore, Yoko Ono and dancer Wunmi Olaiya. The film only went out to journalists as part of the Tone Dialing press kit. It was released publicly in honor of the occasion of Ornette’s 90th birthday March 9, 2020.