Richard Stuart Linklater (; born July 30, 1960) is an American film director and screenwriter. As a filmmaker, Linklater is known for his humanist films which mainly revolve around personal relationships, suburban culture, and the effects of the passage of time. Some notable films include the coming-of-age comedy
Dazed and Confused (1993), the romantic drama film trilogy
Before Sunrise (1995),
Before Sunset (2004) and
Before Midnight (2013); the music-themed comedy
School of Rock (2003), and the
rotoscope animated
Waking Life (2001) and
A Scanner Darkly (2006). In 2002 he began filming
Boyhood (2014), a passion project which took over twelve years to finish. The film was premiered in 2014 to critical acclaim. Linklater won the
Golden Globe,
Critics' Choice Movie Awards and
BAFTAs for Best Director and Best Picture. He also received his first nomination for the
Academy Award for Best Director, along with nominations for Original Screenplay and Picture.