After graduating from Vassar College in 1999, Mike Attie dabbled in Internet marketing, advertising and even law school before finally landing in the world of documentary film. He worked as a production assistant and assistant editor for Academy Award-winning filmmakers Alan and Susan Raymond on films for HBO and PBS. While freelancing Mike worked on a few of his own projects including documentaries on a bicycle co-op, urban fishermen and Vietnam War reenacting.

In 2007 Mike enrolled in Stanford's MFA in Documentary Film and Video program. There he produced and directed films about aspiring circus performers, an elementary school cooking team, Victorian grieving, and an inventor trying to replicate the human walking motion. The latter film, Bob's Knee, premiered at SilverDocs and went on to win awards at the Black Maria Film Festival and the Sebastopol Documentary Film Festival. His thesis film, Famous 4A, profiles veterans living in hospice.

Mike lives in Seattle with his wife Sarah and cats Eddie B and Lucy.