Michael Kenneth Mann was born on February 5, 1943 in Chicago, USA. He is an American film director, screenwriter, and producer.

His first TV directorial effort, a drama called The Jericho Mile (1979), won Mann a Director’s Guild of America Award as well as an Emmy for co-writing. In 1981, Mann made his feature film directorial debut with Thief, a crime drama starring James Caan; the film received good reviews but never took off commercially.

In 1992, Mann had a certain measure of big-screen triumph with his ambitious adaptation of James Fenimore Cooper’s novel The Last of the Mohicans. He co-wrote, directed, and produced the action-packed film, which starred Daniel Day-Lewis. Mann also wrote and directed the long-awaited pairing of Al Pacino and Robert DeNiro in the crime drama Heat (1995).

In 1999, Mann co-wrote, directed, and produced The Insider, a film based on the true story of an ex-tobacco company executive who is convinced by a TV news producer to blow the whistle on the powerful tobacco industry. Mann and Eric Roth adapted the screenplay from a 1996 Vanity Fair article written by Marie Brenner. For The Insider Mann received a Academy Awards nomination.

Mann was back in the Academy Award hunt two year's later with Ali, a biopic of the beloved boxer Muhammad Ali. The year 2004 found Mann behind the camera again with the thriller Collateral starring Tom Cruise and Jamie Foxx. Also he directed Miami Vice (2006) starring Jamie Foxx and Colin Farrell.

Director

• The Few (2008)
• Miami Vice (2006)
• Collateral (2004)
• Ali (2001)
• The Insider (1999)
• Heat (1995)
• The Last of the Mohicans (1992)
• L.A. Takedown (1989) (TV)
• "Crime Story" (1 episode, 1987)
• Manhunter (1986)
• The Keep (1983)
• Thief (1981)
• The Jericho Mile (1979) (TV)
• "Vega$" (1978) TV Series
• "Police Woman" (1 episode, 1977)
• 17 Days Down the Line (1972)
• Jaunpuri (1971)

Awards

• British Academy Film Award Best Film "The Aviator" 2005
• Producers Guild of America Award Producer of the Year for Motion Picture "Aviator" 2005
• National Board of Review Best Director "Collateral" 2004
• Humanitas Prize Feature Film "The Insider" 2000
• Writers Guild of America Paul Selvin Award 2000
• Golden Satellite Best Motion Picture (Drama) "The Insider" 1999
• Golden Satellite Best Director "The Insider" 1999
• Los Angeles Film Critics Association Award Best Picture "The Insider" 1999
• National Board of Review Freedom of Expression Award "The Insider" 1999
• Emmy Outstanding Miniseries "Drug Wars: The Camarena Story 1989 - 90
• Directors Guild of America Award TV Special "The Jericho Mile" 1979
• Emmy Outstanding Writing in a Limited Series or Special "The Jericho Mile" 1978 - 79
• Cannes Film Festival Jury Prize "Jaunpuri" 1971