Mike Flanagan (director)

Mike Flanagan
Director Mike Flanagan on the set of Oculus
Born	1978 (age 38–39) Salem, Massachusetts, United States
Education	Archbishop Spalding High School
Alma mater	Towson University
Occupation	Film director, screenwriter, film editor
Years active	2000–present
Notable work	Oculus Absentia Hush Ouija: Origin of Evil Before I Wake
Spouse(s)	Kate Siegel (m. 2016)
Children	Rigby Flanagan-Bell Cody Flanagan
Website	mikeflanaganfilm.com

Mike Flanagan is an American filmmaker. He is known for his horror films, all of which he directed, wrote, and edited, including Absentia (2011), Oculus (2013), Hush, Ouija: Origin of Evil, and Before I Wake (all 2016). His next project is a film adaptation of Stephen King's novel Gerald's Game.

Flanagan was born in 1978 in Salem, Massachusetts. His father was in the United States Coast Guard, and the family moved around often. Although he only briefly lived in Salem, it left an impression on him, and Flanagan would retain an abiding interest in both the Salem witch trials and associated topics, such as ghost stories and horror fiction. Flanagan eventually ended up in Maryland, where he attended Towson University. He graduated with a BA in Electronic Media & Film and a minor in Theater.

Flanagan's student films were more oriented toward melodrama. He later characterized them as "unfit for public consumption" but said that they were "incredible learning experiences". His first film directed after graduation, Ghosts of Hamilton Street (2003), was filmed in Maryland and featured local actors, including Scott Graham, whom Flanagan met at Towson. Graham would go on to star in Flanagan's 2006 short film, Oculus: Chapter 3 – The Man with the Plan, which he made for $1500.

Flanagan originally intended for the Oculus story to be told in a series of short films, but he could not find the financing. Instead, he shot the chapter that included a back story and used that to demonstrate that he could direct a horror film. The short proved popular at film festivals, and producers were interested in developing the concept; however, they either wanted to shoot it as a found footage film or rejected Flanagan's stipulation that he direct the feature-length adaptation. Flanagan directed Absentia (2011), which was financed through a Kickstarter campaign, in response to this rejection.