Steven Spielberg

Director

One of the most acclaimed directors of the late 20th century, Steven Spielberg is an American and Jewish icon. From "Close Encounters" to "Schindler’s List," Spielberg has never failed to amaze and delight his audience. His career, while still in it’s prime, has surpassed the level of household name time and time again.

Born in Cincinnati on December 18 ,1946, the Spielberg family moved from New Jersey to Scottsdale AZ while Steven was still young. At the age of 13 Steven won a contest with his 40 minute film, "Escape to Nowhere." In 1963, at the age of 16, Spielberg produced the movie "Firelight" (which would later inspire "Close Encounters"). The movie made a $100 profit at the local movie theater.

Spielberg a few years later started production on Amblin. It was a 24 minute movie about a pair of hitchhikers. The $15,000 budget came from a friend of his, who was also trying to break into the movie business. Amblin won several film festival awards, and more importantly, got him the attention of Universal Studios. Spielberg was signed for 7 years with the Television Division. He directed shows such as "The Night Gallery," "Marcus Welby MD," "The Name of the Game" and the first episode of "Columbo."

Spielberg’s first feature film, "The Sugarland Express," in 1974, won critical acclaim including a Cannes Film Festival Award in 1974 for Best screenplay.

In 1975, Spielberg directed "Jaws." Only his second feature film, Jaws was a huge success. It was nominated for best film at the 1976 Academy Awards, and won 3 Oscars for Editing, Sound and Original Score. Jaws would later be named as one of the 100 best films of all time by the American Film Institute.

1982 was a big year for Spielberg. "E.T." became the first movie to be produced by Amblin Entertainment, which Spielberg founded.

Six months after the release of "E.T.," Spielberg’s friend and president of Universal/MCA Sidney Sheinberg attracted his attention on a book written by Thomas Keneally: Schindler’s Ark. It was the true story of the good-hearted Nazi Party member Oskar Schindler who saved the lives of more than 1,100 Jews during W.W.II.

The film that it became, "Schindler’s List" is now one of the most honored films of all time, earning Speilberg the long awaited Oscars for Best Director and Best Picture as well as 7 other Academy Awards and an exceptional number of other honors.

The Survivors of the Shoah Visual History Foundation was founded by Steven Spielberg in 1994 after the filming of "Schindler’s List" brought to light the many amazing stories of survival.

In 1994 Dreamworks SKG became the first new movie studio in Hollywood in over 75 years. The partnership between Steven Spielberg, Jeffery Katzenberg, and David Geffen formed a media company that would reach into the fields of live action and animated movies (both traditional and CGI), music, computer games, arcades, television production and movie distribution.

With the release of his latest movie, "Saving Private Ryan," to video, Steven Speilberg continues to make monumental movies and lead the entertainment industry into the next millenium.