On February 18, the Eastern Region Special Projects Committee hosted a special evening in the Guild’s New York offices with DGA Award-winning director Barry Levinson.
Following an introduction by Committee Chair Raymond De Felitta (Rob the Mob), who also served as the evening’s moderator, Levinson engaged in an entertaining conversation about his career. The discussion was broken into sections with each segment framed by clips from Levinson’s work such as his DGA Award-nominated movie for television You Don’t Know Jack (2010); his semi-autobiographical debut feature film Diner (1982) and another film also set in his hometown of Baltimore, MD, Liberty Heights (1999); the comedic fantasy Toys (1992) which starred his frequent collaborator Robin Williams; the Berlin International Film Festival Silver Bear Special Jury Prize-winning Wag the Dog (1997); the DGA Award-nominated and Academy Award-winning Bugsy (1991); and the Academy Award-nominated and DGA Award-winning Rain Man (1988).
Levinson launched his career as a comedy writer and performer, earning two Emmy Awards for his work on The Carol Burnett Show and a “Best Screenplay” Oscar nomination for ...And Justice For All (1979) [co-written with Valerie Curtin]. His directing filmography also includes the feature films The Natural (1984), Tin Men, (1987), Good Morning Vietnam (1987), Sleepers (1996), Bandits (2001), and the DGA Award-nominated Avalon (1990). Levinson also earned DGA nominations in the Dramatic Series category for his “Gone for Goode” episode of Homicide: Life on the Street (1993).
Levinson has been a member of the DGA since 1978.