Enrolled in New York University's Tisch School of the Arts

Debuted thesis film, "Joe's Bed-Stuy Barbershop: We Cut Heads" at Lincoln Center's New Directors New Films Festival; the first student film to be showcased in the festival

Founded the production company 40 Acres and A Mule Filmworks

First feature film (directed, wrote, produced and starred), "She's Gotta Have It" (made for approximately $175,000 and shot in 12 days)

First book published She's Gotta Have It: Inside Guerilla Filmmaking

Helmed the controversial drama, "Do the Right Thing"; earned an Academy Award nomination for Best Original Screenplay

Produced first Off-Broadway play, "Folks Remembers a Missing Page"

Formed record label, Forty Acres and a Mule Music Works, a division of Sony; first artists signed: State of Arts, Youssou N'Dour and Lonette McKee

Directed Denzel Washington as the controversial and influential Black Nationalist leader in "Malcolm X"

Filmed "Get on the Bus," about a group of African-American men taking a cross-country bus trip in order to participate in the Million Man March; released on the one year anniversary of the March

Signed three-year, first-look production deal with Columbia Pictures

Produced and directed the documentary "4 Little Girls"; earned Academy Award nomination

First number one hit with "He Got Game" starring Denzel Washington

Helmed the controversial "Summer of Sam"

Again courted controversy with "Bamboozled," about a TV executive who creates a modern-day minstrel show that becomes a surprise hit TV series

Helmed the comedy film, "The Original Kings of Comedy" with Steve Harvey, D.L. Hughley, Cedric the Entertainer, and Bernie Mac

Directed the documentary "Jim Brown: All American"; produced under the auspices of HBO sports (released theatrically in March)

Directed the crime drama "The 25th Hour"

Re-teamed with Denzel Washington to direct the hostage drama "Inside Man"

Helmed the Hurricane Katrina documentary for HBO, "When the Levees Broke"; earned an Emmy nomination for Producing

Directed the WWII drama "Miracle at St. Anna" starring Derek Luke and Michael Ealy