Jonathan Levine Biography

Fast Facts

• Won a Sundance Film Festival Audience Award in the Dramatic category for "The Wackness" in 2008
• Won an American Black Film Festival Award for Best Short Film for "Shards․"
• Won an Aspen Filmfest Audience Favorite Feature Award for "50/50" in 2011
• Graduated from Brown University with a degree in Art and attended the American Film Institute Conservatory
• Has been interested in filmmaking since the age of 12
• Released his first film, a short called "Shards," as his senior thesis film in 2004
• Started out as a personal assistant to writer and director Paul Schrader
• Quote: "What attracted me [to 50/50"] was it felt like something I'd want to do already․ It wasn't a goofy comedy that I had to make more sophisticated․․․[or a] serious movie that I had to add humor to․ It had a great combination of all these things․""
• Quote: "(On "50/50"): "I feel like it's been a long time since someone's tried to make a mainstream movie for young people that is sophisticated, and that doesn't talk down to them, and that challenges them․""
• Best known as the director of "50/50" and as the writer and director of "Warm Bodies" and "The Wackness․"