Paul Thomas Anderson directed a film.
Paul Thomas Anderson . In 1993 , he wrote and directed a short film titled Cigarettes & Coffee on a budget of $ 20,000 . His third feature , Magnolia ( 1999 ) , takes place over a single day in the San Fernando Valley , following the interconnected lives of several characters in search of happiness and resolution . Anderson 's sixth film , the drama The Master ( 2012 ) , was released to critical acclaim .