Noah Baumbach

Noah Baumbach (born September 3, 1969) is an American writer, director and independent filmmaker. He was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Original Screenplay for The Squid and the Whale (2005) and is known for making dramatic comedies. Other acclaimed films written and directed by Baumbach include Frances Ha (2012), While We're Young (2014), and Mistress America (2015).

Early life

Baumbach, the third of four siblings, was born in Brooklyn, New York City, the son of novelist/film critic Jonathan Baumbach and Village Voice critic Georgia Brown. He graduated from Brooklyn's Midwood High School in 1987 and received his BA in English from Vassar College in 1991 soon after he briefly worked as a messenger at The New Yorker magazine. His father is Jewish and his mother is Protestant.

Career

Baumbach made his writing and directing debut at the age of 26 with Kicking and Screaming in 1995, a comedy about four young men who graduate from college and refuse to move on with their lives. The film starred Josh Hamilton, Chris Eigeman, and Carlos Jacott and premiered in 1995 at the New York Film Festival. Baumbach was chosen as one of Newsweeks "Ten New Faces of 1996".