The Coen brothers were the directors of Fargo.
Coen brothers . Their best-reviewed works include Fargo ( 1996 ) , The Big Lebowski ( 1998 ) , No Country for Old Men ( 2007 ) , A Serious Man ( 2009 ) , True Grit ( 2010 ) , and Inside Llewyn Davis ( 2013 ) . They have been nominated for thirteen Academy Awards together , and individually for one award each , winning Best Original Screenplay for Fargo and Best Picture , Best Director and Best Adapted Screenplay for No Country for Old Men . Fargo is a 1996 American black comedy crime thriller film written , produced , edited , and directed by Joel and Ethan Coen . Fargo premiered at the 1996 Cannes Film Festival , where Joel Coen won the festival 's Prix de la mise en scène ( Best Director Award ) and the film was nominated for the Palme d'Or .