Steven Bernstein (filmmaker)

{{Short description|American writer, director and cinematographer}}

{{Infobox person

| name = Steven Bernstein

| image =

| occupation = Filmmaker, Screenwriter, Cinematographer

| years_active = 1986–present

| birth_place = Buffalo, New York, U.S.

}}

Steven Bernstein, ASC, DGA, WGA is an American cinematographer, director, screenwriter and author.{{Cite web|url=http://www.cinematographers.nl/PaginasDoPh/bernstein.htm|title=STEVEN BERNSTEIN|website=www.cinematographers.nl|access-date=2017-02-12}} In 1992 he won the Best Artistic Contribution Award at the Tokyo International Film Festival for Like Water for Chocolate alongside Emmanuel Lubezki.{{Cite web|url=https://www.imdb.com/event/ev0000655/1992|title=Tokyo International Film Festival (1992)|website=IMDb|access-date=2017-02-12}} He also won the Cannes Golden Lion for his work in commercials. His book Film Production (Focal Press) has been translated into several languages and at one time was the bestselling textbook about film making. Bernstein was a 2014 ASC nominee for the Outstanding Achievement in Cinematography in One-Hour Episodic Television Series Award for his work on Magic City. Bernstein is a regular contributor to SonyCine Magazine where he writes articles on various aspects of filmmaking.{{Cite web|url=https://sonycine.com/articles/night-lighting---part-1---tackling-large-night-exteriors/|title=Night Lighting - Part 1 - Tackling Large Night Exteriors}}{{Cite web|title=Night Lighting - Part 2 - Lighting the City at Night|url=https://sonycine.com/articles/night-lighting---part-2---lighting-the-city-at-night/|access-date=2020-10-17|website=Sony Cine|language=en-us}}{{Cite web|url=https://sonycine.com/articles/making-the-jump-to-shooting-big-films---big-scale-and-spectacle---part-1/|title = Making the Jump to Shooting Big Films - Big Scale and Spectacle - Part 1}}{{Cite web|url=https://sonycine.com/articles/the-relationship-between-the-director-and-the-cinematographer---part-5-of-a-series----collaboration-on-set-and-during-post/|title=The Relationship Between the Director and the Cinematographer - Part 5 of a Series -- Collaboration on Set and During Post}}{{Cite web|url=https://sonycine.com/articles/a-film-director-s-view-of-the-cinematographer---part-1---the-director-s-agony/|title=A Film Director's View of the Cinematographer – Part 1 - the Director's Agony}} Bernstein is a regular subject matter expert for articles about screenwriting and filmmaking for Adobe creative hub.{{Cite web|url=https://www.adobe.com/creativecloud/video/discover/how-to-write-a-screenplay.html|title=How to write a screenplay | Adobe}}{{cite web | url=https://www.adobe.com/creativecloud/video/discover/green-screen-videos.html | title=Green screen video shooting techniques | Adobe }}{{cite web | url=https://www.adobe.com/creativecloud/video/discover/a-guide-to-special-effects-in-movies.html | title=Special effects (SFX) and visual effects (VFX) | Adobe }}

Bernstein has directed shorts, music videos and television commercials, and has lectured widely. He made his directing feature film debut with 2014's Decoding Annie Parker (Helen Hunt, Samantha Morton, Aaron Paul), for which he was awarded The Alfred P. Sloan Award at the Hampton's International Film Festival. Bernstein's second feature, Last Call was released theatrically in the US on 25 November 2020. It is a surrealistic biopic about the final day of Alcoholic poet Dylan Thomas's life, starring John Malkovich, Rhys Ifans, Rodrigo Santoro, Romola Garai, Zosia Mamet, and Tony Hale, and which Bernstein wrote, produced, and directed.{{Cite web|url=https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0077149/|title=Steven Bernstein|website=IMDb|access-date=2017-02-12}}{{Cite web|url=https://www.imdb.com/title/tt3300874/?ref_=fn_tt_tt_2|title = Last Call|website = IMDb|date = 25 November 2020}} Bernstein's recent script commissions include; A Perfect Place, Angela and Althea and Last Resort{{Cite web|url=https://pro-labs.imdb.com/title/tt4327502/?ref_=nm_filmo_projindev_1|title=A Perfect Place - IMDbPro|website=pro-labs.imdb.com|language=en|access-date=2017-02-12}}{{Cite web|url=https://pro-labs.imdb.com/title/tt4933330/?ref_=nm_filmo_projindev_2|title=Angela and Althea - IMDbPro|website=pro-labs.imdb.com|language=en|access-date=2017-02-12}}{{Cite web|url=https://pro-labs.imdb.com/title/tt6229188/?ref_=nm_filmo_projindev_3|title=Last Resort - IMDbPro|website=pro-labs.imdb.com|language=en|access-date=2017-02-12}}

Since 2016 Bernstein has worked with members of the Greek government to expand the Greek film industry and attract international film and television production to Greece. Bernstein spearheaded an initiative to introduce a tax rebate as an incentive to film producers to shoot in Greece. The tax incentive bill was passed in August 2017 and became effective in February 2018.{{Cite web|url=http://www.ekathimerini.com/215262/article/ekathimerini/life/high-taxes-red-tape-put-off-foreign-filmmakers-from-shooting-in-greece|title=High taxes, red tape put off foreign filmmakers from shooting in Greece, Stratos Karakasidis | Kathimerini}}{{Cite web|url=http://www.ekathimerini.com/220994/article/ekathimerini/life/syros-is-set-to-become-a-location-for-shooting-movies|title=Syros is set to become a location for shooting movies, Ioanna Fotiadi | Kathimerini}} As part of his initiative, Bernstein is training 400 to 500 Greek film students a year and is building a state of the art film studio in Greece.{{Cite web|url=https://variety.com/2018/artisans/production/greece-production-incentive-1202804947/|title=Greece Launches New 25% Cash Rebate to Lure Productions|date=2018-05-11}}

Bernstein has been featured as the subject of articles in many publications including American Cinematographer Magazine, MovieMaker Magazine, People Magazine, Playboy Magazine and Mancode Magazine.{{Cite web|url=https://ascmag.com/articles/asc-close-up-steven-bernstein-asc|title = ASC Close-Up: Steven Bernstein - the American Society of Cinematographers}}{{cite web |url=https://ascmag.com/blog/parallax-view/steven-bernstein-on-decoding-annie-parker |title=Bernstein on 'Decoding Annie Parker' - The American Society of Cinematographers |website=ascmag.com |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200927015953/https://ascmag.com/blog/parallax-view/steven-bernstein-on-decoding-annie-parker |archive-date=2020-09-27}}{{Cite web|url=https://www.moviemaker.com/one-night-with-otoole-hollywoods-straight-man-2520/|title=One Night with O'Toole, Hollywood's Straight Man|date=3 February 2007}}{{Cite web|url=https://issuu.com/mancode/docs/mancode_14_flip|title = MANCODE | Adventure Edition ( Issue 14)| date=March 2018 }}{{Cite web|url=https://www.playboy.gr/stories/synenteyxeis/o-steven-bernstein-milaei-apokleistika-sto-elliniko-playboy/|title = Ο Steven Bernstein ονειρεύεται ένα νέο Hollywood στην Ελλάδα|date = 31 July 2018}}

Bernstein co-hosts the weekly podcast, Film Maker And Fan's Podcast with Vince Grimes, Executive Producer and the former head of creative at Google.{{cite web|url=https://filmmakerandfans.com|website=filmmakerandfans.com}}

Bernstein's first novel GRQ (Fly On The Wall Press) was published on 3 June 2025 {{Cite web|url=https://www.flyonthewallpress.co.uk/product-page/grq-get-rich-quick-by-steven-bernstein?fbclid=IwY2xjawKVmbVleHRuA2FlbQIxMABicmlkETFZakFHckJTVkZlR05lQldiAR4O5-YFpS0QPA3ApY8ArC3rm_aN1Dxa4sdWDw6_yb7UI-zHoI-REHzVFr0_WA_aem_03FeO2DkzpkMnhJMFq_1aA}}