Sandy Stern

Infobox actor


imagesize = 150px
name = Sandy Stern
birthdate =
birthplace = New York City, New York, United States
yearsactive = 1990–present
occupation = Film producer
awards = Independent Spirit Award for Best First Feature
2000 "Being John Malkovich"

Sandy Stern is an American film producer, best known for his work on the films "Pump Up the Volume" (1990), "Being John Malkovich" (1999) and "Saved!" (2004).

Career

Stern's first project, released in 1990, was the teen film "Pump Up the Volume", which was nominated for a 1990 Independent Spirit Award for Best Film. He subsequently became executive producer of "Equinox" and "Red Hot", released direct-to-video in 1992 and 1993 respectively. [cite press release |title= SAVED!|publisher= Verve Pictures|date= October 29, 2004|url= http://www.vervepics.com/docs/svdnotes.pdf|accessdate= 2008-09-26] He met rock band R.E.M.'s lead singer Michael Stipe through Stern's friend Samantha Mathis' boyfriend, River Phoenix.cite web| url = http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m1589/is_1999_Nov_9/ai_57155930| title = Being Sandy Stern| accessdate = 2008-09-26| date = November 9, 1999| publisher = "The Advocate"| first = Stacie| last = Stukin] At the time, Stern was producing with Sean Penn, and teamed up as producing partners with Stipe looking for a change. Together they executive produced "Velvet Goldmine" in 1998 and "Freak City" in 1999. They formed a production company, Single Cell, and their next project was Charlie Kaufman and Spike Jonze's 1999 film "Being John Malkovich". "Being John Malkovich" won a 2000 Independent Spirit Award for Best First Feature, and Stern and fellow producers Stipe, Steve Golin and Vincent Landay were nominated for two Producers Guild of America Awards: the Motion Picture Producer of the Year Award and the Vision Award, winning the latter. [cite web| url = http://www.scifi.com/sfw/issue149/news.html| title = Science Fiction News of the Week: Briefly Noted| accessdate = 2008-09-26| date = February 28, 2000| publisher = "Sci Fi Wire"]

Stern and Stipe, teamed with producers Michael Ohoven and William Vince, produced the 2004 independent teen-comedy film "Saved!", having spent years trying to persuade major financiers to fund the film, which, according to Stern, was a controversial film "that dealt with religion, that dealt with comedy and religion, that dealt with a gay storyline, and that was basically, it was all a kind of ensemble cast that did not have a Julia Roberts starring in the movie." [cite web| url = http://www.indielondon.co.uk/film/saved_sternQ&A.html| title = Saved! - Sandy Stern (Producer) Q&A| accessdate = 2008-09-26| date = 2003| publisher = IndieLondon| first = Jack| last = Foley] After its US$9 million-grossing theatrical release, Stern approached Elephant Eye Theatrical's CEO Stuart Oken about adapting the film into a musical, [cite web| url = http://www.variety.com/article/VR1117986409.html| title = 'Saved' takes wing with prayer| accessdate = 2008-09-26| date = May 23, 2008| publisher = "Variety"| first = Mark| last = Blankenship] which premiered Off Broadway at Playwrights Horizons, New York City in May 2008. [cite web| url = http://www.playbill.com/news/article/117597.html| title = First Preview of "Saved" Is Lost; Musical Will Start May 10| accessdate = 2008-09-26| date = May 9, 2008| publisher = "Playbill"| first = Kenneth| last = Jones]

Stern and Stipe are also set to produce the upcoming comedy film "Runner-Up", written by "Saved!" screenwriters Brian Dannelly and Michael Urban and directed by Dannelly, about a beauty pageant contestant who fulfills a community service obligation by holding a pageant at a women's prison. [cite web| url = http://www.movieweb.com/news/NEmbjtnvN52Epo| title = Michael Stipe and Sandy Stern prepare for "Love Creeps"| accessdate = 2008-09-26| date = August 2, 2004| publisher = MovieWeb]

Personal life

Stern was raised in New York by Jewish parents. He attended New York University, completing a Ph.D. in clinical psychology, but left to pursue filmmaking instead at Vassar College, where he came out as gay. He now resides in Los Angeles, California.

References

External links

*imdb name|0827840