richard.levien@gmail.com
EDUCATION:
Princeton University, Princeton, NJ. 1991 - 1996
- PhD Theoretical Physics June 1996.
- MA Physics, June 1993.
Auckland University, Auckland, New Zealand. 1986 - 1990
- MSc Physics, with First Class Honors, June 1991.
- BSc Physics, June 1989.
EXPERIENCE:
Freelance Producing / Writing / Directing. June 2003 - present
- Debut feature film as a writer / director,"Collisions", about a 12-year-old girl whose mom is taken away by immigration police, won four SFFILM/KRF Grants. "Collisions" premiered at the Mill Valley Film Festival in October 2018, and won the Audience Award (US Independent Cinema: Gold). It then played the DTLA Film Festival where it won the Breakthrough Performance Award (Ana de la Reguera). It has gone on to win 13 awards from 19 festivals, and an Imagen Award for “Best Young Actor – Television” (Izabella Alvarez).
- Produced "Pasang: In the Shadow of Everest" (documentary feature), Nancy Svendsen, director.
- Co-wrote documentary feature film "A Fragile Trust" (2014) with director Samantha Grant.
- Co-produced, co-edited and did motion graphics work on series of web spots (2013) for the release of Janelle Monae's album "The Electric Lady".
- Wrote, directed and edited "Immersion" (narrative short, 2009). Played at the Slamdance, San Francisco International, New Zealand International, Seattle International, Sarasota, Palm Springs Shortfest, Mill Valley, Chicago International Children's, Media that Matters, and Brussels International Independent Film Festivals. Won the "No Violence" award at the Ann Arbor film festival, and the Golden Gate award for Best Bay Area short film at the San Francisco International Film Festival.
Freelance Editing and Producing. June 2003 - present
- Edited "All Kinds of Love" (narrative comedy feature), David Lewis, director. Premiered at 2022 Frameline Festival.
- Edited "The Levys of Monticello" (documentary feature), Steven Pressman, director. Won the Audience Award for Best Documentary at the JxJ/Washington DC Jewish Film Festival in May 2022, and the Building Bridges Award at the Atlanta Jewish Film Festival.
- Edited "Holy Silence" (documentary feature), Steven Pressman, director. Aired on numerous PBS stations around the country in 2020.
- Edited "Collisions" (narrative feature). "Collisions" premiered at the Mill Valley Film Festival in October 2018, and won the Audience Award (US Independent Cinema: Gold). It then played the DTLA Film Festival where it won the Breakthrough Performance Award (Ana de la Reguera). It has gone on to win 13 awards from 19 festivals.
- Nominated for a national Emmy award in 2016 for doing motion graphics on the Center for Investigative Reporting's "Post Script" team.
- Edited and co-wrote "A Fragile Trust" (documentary feature), Samantha Grant, Director. Independent Lens, 2014.
- Edited "Plastic Man: The Artful Life of Jerry Ross Barrish" (documentary feature), William Farley, Director. Premiered 2014 at the Mill Valley Film Festival.
- Edited "Remigration", short narrative film commissioned for ITVS "Future States" program, 2010 - Barry Jenkins ("Moonlight"), director.
- Co-edited and did motion graphics for "D Tour" (documentary feature, 2009) with director Jim Granato. Won the Golden Gate award for Best Bay Area documentary at the 2009 San Francisco International Film Festival. Appear on the National PBS series Independent Lens in Fall 2009.
- Consulting editor on "Everything Strange and New" (narrative feature, 2009) - Frazer Bradshaw, director. Premiered at the Sundance Film Festival, 2009. Won the FIPRESCI prize (International Critic's Award) at the San Francisco International Film Festival.
- Edited "The Institution" (narrative feature, 2009) - director Marynell Maloney.
- Edited "Shadow and Light" (documentary short, 2009) - director William Farley. Mill Valley Film Festival, 2009.
- Edited and did motion graphics for "On the Assassination of the President" (narrative short, 2008) - Adam Keker, director. Premiered at the Sundance Film Festival 2008. Won Prix DeVarti at Ann Arbor Film Festival for "Funniest Film in the Festival".
- Edited and did motion graphics for "How to be Popular" (narrative short, 2007) - John Dilley, director. Showed at the San Francisco Independent Film Festival and on PBS (KTEH's Video i series) in 2008.
- Edited 5-camera shoot of theatrical performance of Walt Whitman's "Song of Myself", adapted and performed by John O'Keefe (2007) - William Farley, director.
- Edited "Working Title" (documentary feature, 2006) - John Givens, director, Phil Lane, producer. Sneak preview April 2006 at San Francisco MOMA, Premiered October 2006 at Mill Valley Film Festival.
- Edited "Darryl Henriques Is In Show Business" (documentary, 2006) - William Farley, director. Premiered October 2006 at Mill Valley Film Festival.
- Color Correction on "Lost and Found" (narrative short, 2005) - Natalija Vekic, director. Screened in 2006 San Francisco International Film Festival.
- Edited "The Rift" (narrative short, 2005) - Tim Heider, director. Won Best Northern CA Short Film at the Sacramento Film Festival.
- Edited and color corrected "Store Wars" (short comedy, 2005) - Louis Fox, director. Viral marketing for the Organic Trade Association - seen by 5.5 million people in first 6 weeks of release.
- Taught Aesthetics of Editing Lecture and Workshop at LucasFilm, 2013.
- Taught Aesthetics of Editing Lecture at UC Berkeley School of Journalism, 2012.
- Instructor at San Francisco Film Society, 2009 - 2012. Teaching Aesthetics of Editing and Advanced Editing Aesthetics classes, and "What's in a Movie" youth class.
- Instructor at Film Arts Foundation, 2007 - 2008. Beginner and Intermediate Final Cut Pro classes.
- Instructor at Kaplan, 2004-2005. Taught students techniques for the GRE, GMAT and MCAT tests (for entry into graduate school)
- Teaching assistant at Princeton University, 1991-1996. Taught undergraduate labs and tutorials in physics.