Jeff Nichols (born December 7, 1978; Little Rock) is an American filmmaker, writer and producer. His films are characterized by their Southern United States backdrop and ambience. He is also known for his longstanding collaboration with actor Michael Shannon, who has appeared in all of his feature films to date. After studying filmmaking at the University of North Carolina School of the Arts, Nichols moved into the independent filmmaking scene with Shotgun Stories (2007). He went on to direct the critically acclaimed films Take Shelter (2011), Mud (2012), Midnight Special (2016), and Loving (also 2016).