Michael Oblowitz is a South African filmmaker known for his critically acclaimed movies and videos. Born in Cape Town, he graduated from the University of Cape Town with a degree in Fine Arts and Philosophy and later earned an M.A. in Film from Columbia University.
Oblowitz was involved in New York's No Wave subculture and his early fine arts short films were showcased in the Whitney Museum's No Wave Cinema series. His first feature film, the avant-garde film noir King Blank, premiered at numerous international film festivals and starred Will Patton and Ron Vawter.
Throughout his career, Oblowitz has collaborated with prominent New York artists, including Joseph Kosuth, Vito Acconci, Lawrence Weiner, Joan Jonas, and Spalding Gray. His work has been exhibited at institutions such as the Museum of Modern Art, the Whitney Museum, and the Walker Art Center, as well as Paris' Cinemateque and Beaubourg Museum.
Oblowitz's notable works include directing photography for German avant-garde filmmaker Rosa Von Praunheim, documentaries on South Africa's prison island, and a documentary on blues guitarist Buddy Guy. His mainstream breakthrough came with the film This World, Then the Fireworks, based on Jim Thompson's novel and starring Billy Zane and Gina Gershon.
Oblowitz has also directed a range of mainstream films, including action and genre cinema, and has worked on numerous commercials and music videos with top stars. His film, The Traveler, starring Val Kilmer, won the award for Best Thriller Feature at the 2011 New York International Independent Film & Video Festival.
In addition, Oblowitz has produced and directed an iconic surfing documentary, Sea Of Darkness, which won several film festivals around the world. His film, The Ganzfeld Experiment, starring Rumer Willis and Dominique Purcell, premiered at the Hof Film Festival in Germany in 2014.
Oblowitz was recently featured in the documentary Blank City, which explores the New York No Wave film movement of the late 1970s and early 1980s. The documentary includes interviews with Oblowitz and other luminaries of the scene, as well as clips from his early films.
