Alexander Payne ( born Constantine Alexander Payne ; February 10 , 1961 ) is an American film director , screenwriter , and producer , known for the films `` Citizen Ruth '' ( 1996 ) , `` Election '' ( 1999 ) , `` About Schmidt '' ( 2002 ) , `` Sideways '' ( 2004 ) , `` The Descendants '' ( 2011 ) , and `` Nebraska '' ( 2013 ) .
Alexander Payne ( born Constantine Alexander Payne ; February 10 , 1961 ) is an American movie director , screenwriter , and producer . He is best known for his movies `` Election '' ( 1999 ) , `` About Schmidt '' ( 2002 ) , `` Sideways '' ( 2004 ) , `` The Descendants '' ( 2011 ) , and `` Nebraska '' ( 2013 ) .