Derek Cianfrance has done a bit of everything in his career from directing and writing to cinematography and editing.
He has worked in film, TV as well as documentaries and shorts but it is his film work that has really been bringing him acclaim in the last few years.
And he is back in the director's chair this week as he reunites with leading man Ryan Gosling for new project The Place Beyond The Pines - a movie that has been winning the critics over left, right and centre.
Cianfrance made his directorial debut back in 1998 when he helmed Brother Tied - a movie that he also wrote.
But it would be over a decade before we saw him back helming a feature film as he turned his hand to TV documentaries and shorts.
Run-D.M.C. and Jam Master Jay: The Last Interview and Battlegrounds: King of the World were just some of the projects that he worked on in the intervening years and it is here where he developed his intimate directing style.
He was tempted back into feature film in 2011 when he brought Blue Valentine to the big screen.
The movie saw him team up with Ryan Gosling and Michelle Williams for an intimate portrait of a love affair/marriage over many years.
Blue Valentine charted the evolution of that relationship and the highs and lows at different times.
The film was premiered at the 26th Sundance Film Festival and went on to whip up a storm on the festival circuit with many critics praising the movie.
Cianfrance's intimate directing style was perfect for this story as he really got under the skin of these two characters and delivered a very personal story about love and how it changes over time.
Cianfrance, Gosling, Williams and the movie itself was nominated for a whole host of gongs during awards season; Cianfrance went on to win Most Promising Filmmaker at the Chicago Film Critics Association Awards.
And this week he is back in the director's chair as he teams up with Gosling once again for crime/drama The Place Beyond The Pines.
Cianfrance has, once again, had a hand in penning the screenplay while Eva Mendes, Bradley Cooper and Ray Liotta join Gosling on the cast list.
The movie follows motorcycle stunt rider Luke who starts robbing banks as a way to provide for his newborn son.
But his actions put him on a path to go head to head with a rookie cop - played by Cooper - who is struggling in a department that is drowning in corruption.
The Place Beyond The Pines is already doing well with the critics as Cianfrance confirms that he really is a directing talent that we all should be excited about.
His next project will see him return to documentary with Cagefighter - a movie that he has already completed work on. The film will follow a group of mixed martial arts fighters during and after a Las Vegas title fight.
Cianfrance is currently filming his new drama Metalhead about a heavy metal drummer.