Robert Altman and Alan Rudolph first collaborated on the script for Altman's 1976 feature "Buffalo Bill and the Indians or Sitting Bull's History Lesson." They continued to work together through the years, with Altman producing Rudolph's directorial debut, "Welcome to L.A.," and two later features, "Remember My Name" and "Mrs. Parker and the Vicious Circle," before "Afterglow."

Altman began his career making industrial and documentary films at the Calvin Company in his native Kansas City, and then moved on to direct television in the sixties. In 1970, his black comedy "M*A*S*H" became an international hit and put him on the path of a long and distinguished film career. Among his works are some of the most memorable films of the last 30 years, including "McCabe and Mrs. Miller," "The Long Goodbye," "Nashville," "Three Women," "The Player," "Short Cuts," and most recently, "Ready to Wear" and "Kansas City." He also created the lauded television mockumentary "Tanner '88," a sharp satire of contemporary American politics.