“When I saw the scene in 'Close Encounters,' and Richard Dreyfuss's son is screaming at him - that's a heartbreaking scene. And I remember being devastated by 'E.T.' Or when E.T. started to get sick. That broke me up a little bit.”

American filmmaker, director, screenwriter, and producer

Jeff Nichols is an American filmmaker, director, screenwriter, and producer. He is known for films set against the backdrop of the Southern United States, with an Americana atmosphere and an interest in rural and working-class life. His work often focuses on everyday struggles, American masculinity, and the tension between traditional ways of life and modern change. He is also noted for his long collaboration with actor Michael Shannon, who has appeared in all of his feature films to date.