Steven Bernstein, ASC, DGA, is an American cinematographer, director and writer. In 1992 he won the Best Artistic Contribution Award at the Tokyo International Film Festival for Like Water for Chocolate alongside Emmanuel Lubezki. 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 is a 2014 ASC nominee for the Outstanding Achievement in Cinematography in One-Hour Episodic Television Series Award for his work on Magic City.
Bernstein has acted in minor roles in several films, 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 for which he was awarded The Alfred P. Sloan Award at the Hampton's International Film Festival. He is currently in production for Dominion, a feature film about the final days of Dylan Thomas's life, starring John Malkovich, Rhys Ifans, Rodrigo Santoro, Romola Garai, and Tony Hale, which he wrote and is directing.
Filmography
| Director / Cinematographer |
|---|
| Year | Film/Television | Position | Notes |
|---|
| 1986 | Smart Alec | Cinematographer | |
| 1988 | Jade | Cinematographer | |
| 1989 | Conspiracy | Cinematographer | |
| 1991 | The Diamond Brothers | Cinematographer | Television |
| Deptford Graffiti | Cinematographer | Television |
| 1992 | Like Water for Chocolate | Cinematographer | AKA Como Agua Para Chocolate |
| No Head for Heights | Director / Cinematographer | Television |
| 1995 | Kicking and Screaming | Cinematographer | |
| The Monroes | Cinematographer | Television |
| Moondance | Cinematographer | |
| "The Secretary" | Cinematographer | Television |
| 1996 | Curdled | Cinematographer | |
| Bulletproof | Cinematographer | |
| Underworld | Cinematographer | |
| Trade-Off | Cinematographer | Television |
| 1997 | Mr. Jealousy | Cinematographer | |
| Murder at 1600 | Cinematographer | |
| Highball | Cinematographer | |
| 1998 | The Waterboy | Cinematographer | |
| Half Baked | Cinematographer | |
| 1999 | The Wood | Cinematographer | |
| 2000 | More Dogs Than Bones | Cinematographer | |
| Goodbye, Casanova | Cinematographer | |
| 2001 | Corky Romano | Cinematographer | |
| Scary Movie 2 | Cinematographer | AKA Scarier Movie |
| The Forsaken | Cinematographer | AKA Vampires of the Desert |
| Christmas in the Clouds | Cinematographer | |
| 2002 | Big Shot: Confessions of a Campus Bookie | Cinematographer | Television |
| 2003 | Monster | Cinematographer | |
| 2004 | White Chicks | Cinematographer | |
| 2005 | Threshold | Cinematographer | (Television pilot): Trees Made of Glass |
| 2006 | One Night with the King | Cinematographer | |
| Little Man | Cinematographer | |
| The Jake Effect | Cinematographer | 5 episodes :Don't Mess with Sloppy / Flight School / Only Connect / Parent Teacher Conference/ Pilot |
| Behind the Smile | Cinematographer | Appearance: British Reporter | |
| 2007 | Crawl Space | Cinematographer | |
| 2008 | Tortured | Cinematographer | |
| 2009 | Love at First Hiccup | Cinematographer | Appearance: Co-Host Cooking Show - voice on TV | |
| Not Forgotten | Cinematographer | |
| 2013 | Decoding Annie Parker | Director / Writer | |
| Magic City | Cinematographer | 3 Episodes: Angels of Death / World in Changes / Sins of the Father |
| 2016 | Dominion | Director / Writer | Post-Production |
Awards
| Awards |
|---|
| Year | Film | Position | Award | Organization |
|---|
| 1992 | Like Water for Chocolate | Cinematographer | (Won) Best Artistic Contribution Award (Shared with Emmanuel Lubezki) | Tokyo International Film Festival |
| 2003 | Monster | Cinematographer | (Won) Creative Ensemble Award | AFI |
| 2013 | Decoding Annie Parker | Director / Writer | (Nominated) Golden Space Needle Award - Best Film | Seattle International Film Festival |
| 2013 | Decoding Annie Parker | Director / Writer | (Won) Alfred P. Sloan Award Foundation Feature Film Prize in Science and Technology | Hampton's International Film Festival |
| 2014 | Magic City | Cinematographer | (Nominated) ASC Award - Outstanding Achievement in Cinematography in One-Hour Episodic Television Series | American Society of Cinematographers |
| 2014 | Decoding Annie Parker | Director / Writer | (Nominated) Leonardo's Horse - Best Directing | Milan International Film Festival |
| 2014 | Decoding Annie Parker | Director / Writer | (Nominated) Leonardo's Horse - Best Screenwriting (Shared with Adam Bernstein and Mike Moss) | Milan International Film Festival |
