Film director David Cronenberg was born on March 15, 1943, in Toronto, Canada. He enrolled at the University of Toronto in 1961, studying biochemistry, biology, and English literature. After graduating from graduate school, influenced by friends, he pursued a career in film. After making several short films, he directed "Stereo" in 1969. From around 1971, he produced numerous television works, and in 1975, he made his feature film directorial debut with "Seaborn." His career continued to flourish, and he rose to fame with films like "Scanners" (1980) and "Videodrome" (1983), which were praised by Andy Warhol and others. His distinctive body horror films gained a cult following. He made his acting debut in 1985 with "Sleepless Nights," and has appeared in over 20 films to date. He has received high praise at film festivals around the world, including the Academy Award for Best Special Effects for "The Fly" (1986), the Special Jury Prize at the Cannes Film Festival for "Crash" (1996), the Silver Bear at the Berlin Film Festival for "Existenz" (1999), and the top prize at the Toronto International Film Festival for "Eastern Promises" (2007).