Peter Sollett

As with many aspiring writers and directors, Peter Sollett spent the early chapter of his career finding his voice. He dabbled in romance pictures like "Raising Victor Vargas" (2003), comedies like "Nick and Norah's Infinite Playlist" (2008), and heavier dramas like "Freeheld" (2015). The one constant that stuck through most of Brooklynite Sollett's work: He charged nearly every piece with that New York flavor. Peter Sollett was born on February 9, 1976 in Brooklyn, New York. He studied film at New York University's Tisch School of the Arts, where he cowrote with Eva Vives what would become his screenwriting and directing debut: the coming-of-age short film "Five Feet High and Rising" (2000). Sollett and Vives reteamed for the feature-length romantic drama "Raising Victor Vargas" (2003), which earned attention at the 19th Independent Spirit Awards. After a brief hiatus from the screen, Sollett directed the substantially higher profile "Nick and Norah's Infinite Playlist" (2008), a romantic comedy featuring then-rising stars Michael Cera and Kat Dennings. The following years occupied Sollett with smaller work. He directed an unsuccessful television pilot titled "State of Romance" (2009) and an episode of the web series "The Burg" (2006-09), as well as an episode of the series "Ben and Kate" (Fox 2012-13). Sollett returned to feature direction with "Freeheld" (2015), the dramatic account of a lesbian police officer striving to support her cancer-inflicted girlfriend. The film starred Julianne Moore, Ellen Page, and Steve Carell, and opened at the 40th Toronto International Film Festival.