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Levy
is a critically acclaimed and award winning writer, director
and producer who studied English Literature, Film and Semiotics
at UCLA, received his M.F.A from UCLA Graduate School of Cinema,
and his law degree from Loyola Law School. He is a member of
the California Bar. From 1991 to 1996, Levy was the youngest
Associate Professor at USC School of Cinema/Television; he was
also a key faculty member of The American Film Institute (where
he taught the master directing class for years 1995 and 1996).
Levy has written numerous feature and television pilot scripts
for many of the major producers and studios, including Warner
Brothers, A & M Films, Propaganda Films, Polygram, MGM/UA,
Universal Pictures, Twentieth Century Fox, Fox 2000, New Line
Cinema, Pathe Pictures, Cannon, Empire, Kings Road, New World,
Fox, NBC, MTV and Alliance-Atlantis, and has Produced (a total
of seven) films for MGM/Pathe, Empire, Megagiant Entertainment
and I.R.S. World Media, as well as producing two television
shows, Roar (for Universal Television/Fox Broadcasting Network)
and Barry Sonnenfeld’s Secret Agent Man (for Columbia
Tristar Television/United Paramount Network).
Levy has directed and produced dozens of award winning commercials
and music videos including Special Olympics, Ivy Tech, Steak
and Shake, PSA California Drunk Driving, Breath Asure. He has
also worked on prime time television shows for CBS (CSI), Fox
Broadcasting Network (James Cameron’s Dark Angel (winner
of the ASC AWARD for Levy’s episode “Cold Comfort”),
Roar (winner of the ASC AWARD for Levy’s episode “Spear
Of Destiny”) {Levy also served as Supervising Producer
on Roar}, Harsh Realm (final episode), Get Real {multiple episodes},
Freakylinks {premiere episode}, Night Visions {multiple episodes}
Sliders (multiple episodes; winner of ASC AWARD for Levy’s
episode “Dream Masters”), NBC (Players and multiple
episodes of Profiler), ABC (the Sam Raimi series Spy Game),
the WB (Roswell, UPN (the Barry Sonnenfeld series “Secret
Agent Man,” for which Levy also served as Supervising
Producer), and the second season premiere episode of Deadzone,
the USA network hit.
In 1997, Levy served as Supervising Producer and staff director
for the thirty million dollar Fox series Roar (on which he discovered
Australian superstar Heath Ledger). In 1998 Levy directed the
Fox pilot Hollyweird for executive producer Wes Craven (from
which a series was ordered), and the MTV pilot Iggy Vile M.D.,
which Levy also created and executive produced. In 1999-2000,
Levy directed the NBC pilot The Expendables, and served as Supervising
Producer and staff director for the Barry Sonnenfeld series
Secret Agent Man; Levy also directed four episodes of the critically
acclaimed Fox network show Get Real.
While still in film school in 1984, Levy wrote and produced
the original (there were four sequels) smash independent hit
Ghoulies – the franchise grossed over one hundred million
dollars.
DRIVE, Levy's directorial debut, was one of three American films
chosen for official competition in the 1991 Venice Film Festival,
where it won the prestigious Critic's Circle International Critic's
Week Award and was voted best film of the festival by Cinema
Nuovo, and unanimously hailed by European critics. DRIVE also
competed in Sundance, Tokyo, Montreal, Chicago, Stockholm, Seattle,
Portugal, Munich, Spain, and Palm Springs film festivals, won
the Grand Jury Prize at Sweden's Arctic Light Film Festival
(shared with Eric Rohmer), and opened the American Independent
Restrospective at the Kennedy Center in Washington D.C.
DRIVE had its world theatrical premiere in Los Angeles in August
of 1992, and was called "one of the best and most exciting
films of the year" by Michael Wilmington in the Los Angeles
Times. Los Angeles Weekly entertainment editor Steve Erickson
wrote a rave review; KABC's Jim Svejda called drive "one
of the best movies of the year;" and (National Public Radio)
KCRW's Robert Rosen (Chair of UCLA Film School) called DRIVE
"...brilliant...a road movie like no other."
INSIDE MONKEY ZETTERLAND, Levy's second film, stars Patricia
Arquette, Rupert Everett, Martha Plimpton, Rikki Lake, Debi
Mazar, Sandra Bernhard, Sofia Coppola and Tate Donovan. ZETTERLAND
was one of two American films chosen for Official Competition
at the 1992 San Sebastian Film Festival (the other was "Single
White Female"). ZETTERLAND was also chosen for Official
Competition in the 1993 Sundance Film Festival, where it was
the first film to sell out all screenings and won the Audience
Award. Other sold-out festival screenings include Toronto, Gothenborg,
Vancouver and Seattle. ZETTERLAND had its American theatrical
premiere in Los Angeles in late August of 1993 -- it received
rave reviews from the Los Angeles Times and the Los Angeles
Reader, and broke house records for opening weekend at the Sunset
5 theatre.
S.F.W., written and directed by Levy, stars Stephen Dorff and
Reese Witherspoon (as well as new-comers Tobey McGuire, Jake
Busey and Joey Lauren Adams). "S.F.W." was an official
out-of-competition selection of the 1994 Venice International
Film Festival, where it caused a sensation amongst the European
press and festival goers, necessitating an additional last minute
screening. L'Unita called it "a gem of a film...visual
and sound terrorism, with a mix of technical formats and a good
dose of humor;" Il Manifesto said that "in the light
of day, it is very similar to Oliver Stone's 'Natural Born Killers,'
but "S.F.W." has more humor, more originality and
more irony and is less boring;" Il Messegero called it
"well directed" and Il Giornale said it was "quite
brilliant -- American social satire shot with a very sophisticated
technique."
"S.F.W." was also selected for the 1994 Toronto Film
Festival, where Toronto Star critic Rob Salem called it "the
buzz film of the festival," and Now Magazine called it
"a major festival hit." "S.F.W." also played
the Vienna, London, Sao Paulo, Stockholm, Oslo and Yubari International
Film Festivals, and has received critical acclaim throughout
the world.
In 2001, Levy wrote and directed the two hour telefilm/backdoor
pilot, “Invincible,” produced by Mel Gibson and
Jet Li, and starring Billy Zane – it premiered on November
18, 2001, and was the highest rated original cable film of the
year.
In 2003, Levy completed writing assignments and DJ for Fox 2000
and Kung Fu Kids for Warner Brothers (which has recently been
greenlit). In fall of 2003 he completed his latest feature film
“Rabbi”. |
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