Michael Colleary

About Michael

• Visiting Assistant Professor
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Biography

Michael Colleary MFA ’87 is a film producer and screenwriting educator and has been a professional screenwriter for more than 20 years. His feature film credits include “Face/Off” which “The New York Times” named one of the best 1000 movies ever made.

In 2007, with fellow alumni Mike Werb and Claire-Dee Lim, he co-wrote and produced the family film “Firehouse Dog” which has won multiple awards from family advocacy groups. (“Firehouse Dog” was directed by Todd Holland, co-produced by Michael J. Maschio and starred Bree Turner – all UCLA alumni).

Recently Werb and Colleary’s big screen adaptation of the best-selling video game “Tekken” wrapped principal photography, with its release scheduled for 2009.

Next up, they are writing and executive producing “The Divide,” an historical epic about the Chinese experience building the Central Pacific Railroad, to be directed by “Face/Off” director John Woo and to star Nicolas Cage and Chow Yun Fat.

In 1995 Michael was invited to return to UCLA as a visiting instructor to teach in the Professional Screenwriting Program and in the Masters Program. In 2002 UCLA honored him with the Lew and Pamela Hunter/Jon and Janice Zakin Chair in Screenwriting. Michael and his siblings also sponsor the Bridget and Bob Colleary Award for screenwriting excellence which is presented annually to a deserving UCLA writing student.