Mike Figgis

Michael Figgis, born 28th February 1948 in Carlisle, Cumberland, England, moved to Nairobi, Kenya, at a young age. He spent most of his childhood in Newcastle upon Tyne, where he attended Kenton Comprehensive School and later Trent Park College. Despite entering the course not knowing how to read music, he learned to study harmony, counterpoint and composition.

Figgis commenced his career with music, playing trumpet and guitar in The People Band and keyboards for Bryan Ferry's first band, The Gas Board. His directorial debut came with the play in Theatre Gerard-Philipe, followed by his feature film debut, the low budget Stormy Monday, in 1988. He gained acclaim for getting interesting performances from established Hollywood actors. His work on Leaving Las Vegas, starring Nicolas Cage and Elisabeth Shue, earned him two Academy Awards nominations. Figgis is also known for his work on the digital video technology, leading him to conceive of and direct Timecode. Over time, he also contributed to documentary pieces and short films. His fascination with camera technology led to the creation of the Fig Rig, a camera stabilisation rig for smaller video cameras. In addition to his film work, Figgis served as a professor of film studies at the European Graduate School in Saas-Fee, Switzerland, since 2008.