Steve McQueen is one of the most exciting new director's making a splash in Hollywood at the moment.
McQueen's first two feature films had the critics raving, while 12 Years A Slave is already surrounded in Oscar hype.
But it was back in 1993 when he kicked off his directing career with short film Bear; a film that raised issues of race and violence.
McQueen continued to make shorts from 1993 throughout the nineties and was known more as an art filmmaker.
His film Deadpan - which was a restaging of a Buster Keaton stunt - won him the Turner Prize in 1999; seeing off competition from Tracey Emin.
It wasn't until 2008 that he made his directorial debut with Hunger; since then he has been a filmmaker that everyone has been excited about.
Hunger saw McQueen team up with Michael Fassbender for the first time as the director told the story of Bobby Sands; an Irish Republican who lead a hunger strike while he was in prison.
Fassbender took on the role of Sands in the movie, in what remains one of his most powerful performances.
McQueen delivered one of the best directorial debuts of all time as Hunger was an unflinching and provocative piece of filmmaking.
McQueen's very direct and no nonsense style really did grab everyone's attention as Hunger is a bruising watch.
McQueen won the Camera d'Or award for a first time filmmaker at the Cannes Film Festival, as well as picking up a whole host of other awards and nominations.
It was 2012 when a McQueen directed movie hit the big screen again, and this time he whipped up a storm with Shame.
The movie saw McQueen reunite with Michael Fassbender to deliver a movie that looked at sex addiction.
Shame is a character driven film as McQueen looks at the devastation an addiction and cause. This movie was helped along by another fantastic performance from Fassbender; he really should have been nominated for an Oscar.
The movie premiered at the Venice Film Festival, where Fassbender would go on to win the Volpi Cup for Best Actor.
In the new year McQueen is back with 12 Years A Slave; which tells the true story of Solomon Northup. Solomon is a free black man who is kidnapped and sold into slavery.
McQueen has brought together an impressive cast that includes Chiwetel Ejiofor, Michael Fassbender, Brad Pitt, Benedict Cumberbatch and Paul Giamatti.
12 Years A Slave is already whipping up a storm on the festival circuit and is expected to be a major player during the awards season.
With just three movie McQueen has established himself as an exciting as well as a provocative filmmaking.
McQueen has a very long and successful career ahead of him and could well be tasting Oscar success at the beginning of next year.
12 Years A Slave is released 24th January 2014.
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