Barry Levinson

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Academy Award^®-winning director, screenwriter and producer Barry Levinson has crafted an enviable reputation as a filmmaker who blends literate and intelligent visions into films. He was awarded the 1988 Best Director Oscar for the multiple Academy Award^®-winning "Rain Man," starring Dustin Hoffman and Tom Cruise. In 1991 "Bugsy," directed and produced by Levinson, was nominated for 10 Academy Awards^®including Best Picture and Best Director. As a screenwriter, Levinson has received three Oscar nominations for "…And Justice for All" (1979), "Diner" (1982) and "Avalon" (1990). Other iconic films, from "The Natural" (1982) to "Good Morning Vietnam" (1987) to "Sleepers" (1996), have been hugely popular at the box office.

Born and raised in Baltimore, Maryland, Levinson has used his hometown as the setting for four widely praised features: "Diner," the semi-autobiographical comedy/drama that marked his directorial debut; "Tin Men," starring Danny DeVito and Richard Dreyfuss as warring aluminum siding salesmen; "Avalon," in which his native city takes center stage through the recollections of an immigrant family; and "Liberty Heights," a humorous and touching drama that captures the spirit of change in Baltimore circa 1954, addressing issues of race, class and religion. Levinson also returned to Baltimore to film the television series, "Homicide: Life on the Street." His work on this critically acclaimed NBC drama earned him an Emmy^®Award for Best Individual Director of a Drama Series. The series received three Peabody Awards, two Writers Guild Awards and an Excellence in Quality Television Founders Award for the 1994 and 1995 seasons. Among other accolades, Levinson and his partner Tom Fontana also received the 1999 Humanitas Award for the "Homicide: Life on the Street" episode titled "Shades of Gray."

Barry Levinson and Tom Fontana, under the banner of the Levinson/Fontana Company, executive produced the critically acclaimed HBO television series "Oz," which aired for six seasons from 1998 through 2003.

Levinson now produces films through his production company, Baltimore Pictures, including critically acclaimed releases such as "Quiz Show," "Donnie Brasco," and "The Second Civil War" (HBO). In 2000 came the release of "An Everlasting Piece," when Levinson once again tackled a serious issue with his trademark wit and humor.