Jarmusch's final year university project, was a semi-autobiographical feature starring Chris Parker as an adolescent drifter. The film wasn't shown at cinemas Photograph: Photos 12/Alamy
His first major film won the Caméra d'Or at the 1984 Cannes Film Festival. The comedy road-movie told the story of three New York drifters played by Richard Edson (Sonic Youth's original drummer) John Lurie and Eszter Balint Photograph: Photos 12/Alamy
Jarmusch wrote and directed this tale of three convicts in New Orleans and the Louisiana Bayou. It was notable for its slow-moving camerwork. Here Tom Waits shares a scene with Ellen Barkin Photograph: Allstar
Jarmusch has acted in several films (IMDB says 10). Here he appeared in Alex Cox's Clash-based action comedy alongside Graham Fletcher Cook and Courtney Love. Joe Strummer, Dennis Hopper, Grace Jones and Elvis Costello also appeared Photograph: Moviestore Collection/Rex Features
The next two films Jarmusch directed explored parallel narratives. Three separate stories are played out on the same night in the same hotel in Memphis. Japanese couple Youki Kudoh and Masatoshi Nagase featured in the Far From Yokohama segment. Joe Strummer, Steve Buscemi and Screamin' Jay Hawkins featured elsewhere and Elvis looms large throughout Photograph: Orion/Allstar
Five taxi drivers interact with their passengers on the same night in Los Angeles, New York, Paris, Rome and Helsinki. Here a Hollywood executive played by Gena Rowlands connects with cabbie Corky, played by Winona Ryder Photograph: Cinetext/Allstar
Jarmusch started his Coffee and Cigarettes project in 1986. He sporadically shot a series of short vignettes in black and white where characters chew the fat while drinking coffee and smoking cigarettes. Here Iggy Pop and Tom Waits celebrate giving up smoking. It won the Short Film Palme d'Or at Cannes Photograph: Jim Jarmusch/Associated Press
Jarmusch returned to black and white for his next feature film, his first historical feature, set in the 19th-century American west. Johnny Depp stars in what Jarmusch called a 'Psychedelic Western', along with Billy Bob Thornton, Iggy Pop, Crispin Glover, John Hurt, Lance Henriksen, Gabriel Byrne and, in his final film role, Robert Mitchum Photograph: Snap/Rex Features
Shot in Jersey City, Forest Whitaker stars as Ghost Dog, a young man who has found purpose in life via a philosophical training manual for samurai, which has led to him becoming a deadly hit-man Photograph: Channel Four Films/Allstar
The Coffee and Cigarettes series came to an end in 2003 with the theatrical release of the 11 short stories. Cate Blanchett played two roles in Cousins. The film also featured actors such as Alfred Molina, Bill Murray, Roberto Benigni, Steve Buscemi and Joie and Cinqué Lee Photograph: Photos 12/Alamy
Jarmusch's road journey of discovery theme resurfaces in this film, which focuses on an ageing Don Juan, played by Bill Murray, who travels the US to track down four of his former lovers, one of whom may have had his child. The movie won the Grand Prix at the 2005 Cannes Film Festival Photograph: Focus Features/Allstar
Isaach De Bankole, here in the centre being directed by Jarmusch, plays a lone wolf assassin carrying out a job in Spain. Some called this movie meditative, some boring Photograph: Everett/Rex Features
Interesting fact: he is also a founder member of the secretive club 'The Sons of Lee Marvin'. Other members include Tom Waits, Thurston Moore, Gary Busey, Neil Young and Nick Cave. Membership requires that you have a plausible likeness to Lee Marvin Photograph: Matthew Eisman/Redferns via Getty Images
His latest film, a vampire romance, stars Tilda Swinton, Tom Hiddleston, Mia Wasikowska and John Hurt. It was nominated for the Palme d'Or at Cannes Photograph: Soda Pictures/Allstar
