Michael Cimino was born on February 3, 1939, in New York City and died on July 2, 2016.

He was an American film director, screenwriter, producer and author.

He graduated from Yale University in 1963.

At the start of his career filming commercials, Cimino relocated to Los Angeles to take up screenwriting in 1971.

He was a co-writing on the script of Magnum Force and Silent Running, he wrote the preliminary script Thunderbolt and Lightfoot.

After Clint Eastwood read the script and sent it to his personal production company, which allowed Cimino to direct the film.

Successful, Cimino co-wrote, directed, and produced the 1978 Academy Award-winning film The Deer Hunter.

Then his next film, Heaven’s Gate (1980), proved to be a financial failure.

Michael directed four movies after Heaven’s Gate, but none was as successful as The Deer Hunter.

Michael Cimino passed away at 77 years old.