Made his first film, a 1978 short titled The Suicide, while in high school
In 1987, founded Apparatus Productions, an organization that supports independent filmmaking
Helmed the 1987 biopic Superstar: The Karen Carpenter Story, which used Barbie and Ken dolls in most of the lead roles
Carpenter's brother and music collaborator, Richard Carpenter, filed a successful lawsuit against the film
A fan of Bob Dylan, directed a 2007 film about the singer-songwriter titled I'm Not There, and earned an Independent Spirit Award for Best Director for the picture
Directed the 2011 HBO miniseries Mildred Pierce
Awards
2017Robert Awards-American Film of the Year:nominated
2017Bodil Awards-American Film of the Year:nominated
2016David di Donatello Awards-Best Foreign Film:nominated
2016Guldbagge Award-Best Foreign Movie:nominated
2016BAFTA Film Awards-Best Director:nominated
2016Golden Globe-Best Director - Motion Picture:nominated