La La Land (2016).
Dale Robinette Summit Films and Lionsgate Entertainment
Born in Providence, Rhode Island, to a French father and Canadian-American mother, Damien Chazelle earned a bachelor’s degree in visual arts and environmental studies from Harvard University. On graduation, he began writing film scripts and making short films, enlisting family members, including his sister Anna Chazelle, to play parts in his debut film,
Guy and Madeline on a Park Bench (2009), which he wrote, directed, and coproduced. His next feature film,
Whiplash (2014), based on a short film of Chazelle’s of the same name, earned an Academy Award for best supporting actor for veteran character actor J.K. Simmons. It was Chazelle’s turn for honors with his next film,