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Born in Knoxville, TN. One of the most celebrated writer-directors of 1990s Hollywood. After laboring (and learning) in a Manhattan Beach video store for four years, Tarantino made a brilliant feature directorial and screenwriting debut with RESERVOIR DOGS (1992), a brutally violent yet elegantly scripted crime drama. Originally budgeted for a mere $35,000, the production grew to $1.5 million when Harvey Keitel became enamored of the script and agreed to star. The result was a cleverly structured and stylized caper dealing with themes of masculinity, loyalty and betrayal that was further bolstered by top notch tough-guy performances. RESERVOIR DOGS premiered at the 1992 Sundance Film Festival, where it was pointedly snubbed by the jury. Nonetheless Tarantino was subsequently courted by the industry and lionized by some critics as the next Martin Scorsese, albeit with liberal sprinklings of John Woo and Samuel Fuller. Tarantino lived up to his praise with his next project, TRUE ROMANCE (1993). Written around the same time as RESERVOIR DOGS, TRUE ROMANCE was an adolescent boy's daydream fueled by pop culture, violence, and testosterone. Slickly directed by top gun-for-hire Tony Scott, the film offered grandstanding performances and many disturbing yet comical scenes a la RESERVOIR DOGS, but the glossy commercial sheen made the ample violence less affecting than in his previous outing. NATURAL BORN KILLERS (1994) was again written by Tarantino at the same time as RESERVOIR DOGS and TRUE ROMANCE. Directed by Oliver Stone, the film was largely rewritten with Tarantino receiving only a story credit. Tarantino returned to the director's chair with PULP FICTION (1994), to revisit a familiar urban landscape characterized by trust, betrayal, and gangsters given to low-level postulating. Boasting another "A-list" cast including Bruce Willis, John Travolta, Tim Roth, Harvey Keitel, Uma Thurman and Christopher Walken, PULP FICTION premiered to acclaim and some controversy at the 1994 Cannes Film Festival where it received the Palme d'Or. The film went on to surprising box-office success, taking in over $100 million domestically. Later that year, Tarantino received a richly deserved Oscar® for Best Original Screenplay. Other writing-directing credits include FOUR ROOMS (1995 - segment "The Man from Hollywood", also exec. producer), JACKIE BROWN (1997), KILL BILL VOL. 1 & 2 (2003-2004, also producer), GRINDHOUSE (2007, episode: "Death Proof") and INGLORIOUS BASTARDS (scheduled for release in 2009). Tarantino wrote the screenplay of FROM DUSK TILL DAWN (1996, also exec. producer). Visit the Internet Movie Database for a complete listing of Tarantino's screen and television credits.  Nominated for Achievement in Directing 1994: PULP FICTION  Best Achievement in Writing - Best Screenplay Written Directly for the Screen 1994: PULP FICTION (w. Roger Avary)  Nominated for Achievement in Directing 2009: INGLOURIOUS BASTERDS  Nominated for Achievement in Writing (Original Screenplay) 2009: INGLOURIOUS BASTERDS 4 nominations, 1 Award