Michael Cimino (/tʃɪˈmiːnoʊ/ chi-MEE-noh; born February 3, 1939) is an American film director, screenwriter, producer and author. He is best known for directing, producing and co-writing the 1978 Academy Award-winning film The Deer Hunter and for writing and directing 1980's financial and critical failure Heaven's Gate, although now some critics have described the latter as a "modern masterpiece."