Richard Levien is a multi-talented filmmaker with a remarkable 15-year career, showcasing his expertise in writing, directing, and editing award-winning films. His debut feature as writer-director, "Collisions", is a poignant story about a 12-year-old Latina whose mother is taken away by immigration police. This powerful film won the inaugural SFFILM Rainin grant for screenwriting and secured three further SFFILM Rainin grants.
"Collisions" premiered at the Mill Valley Film Festival, where it received the Indie Audience Award, and went on to win an impressive 13 awards from 19 festivals. The film was broadcast on Fuse and received an Imagen Award for "Best Young Actor - Television" for Izabella Alvarez's outstanding performance. Additionally, it was nominated for two other Imagen Awards, for "Best Primetime Program: Special, Movie or Limited Series" and "Best Actor - Television" for Jesse Garcia, as well as a NAMIC Vision Award in the "Original Movie or Special" category.
Levien's short film, "Immersion", is another notable work, which tells the story of a 10-year-old boy from Mexico struggling to adapt to his new school in the United States. This film premiered at Slamdance and won the Best Bay Area Short award at the San Francisco International Film Festival. Interestingly, "Immersion" has been adopted by over 50 school districts and universities to support education about English Language Learners.
As an editor, Levien has worked on notable projects, including Barry Jenkins' short film "Remigration", and feature documentaries "A Fragile Trust" and "D Tour", which aired on Independent Lens. His motion graphics work for the Center for Investigative Reporting earned him a national Emmy nomination.
Levien's personal background is just as impressive as his professional achievements. Born in New Zealand, he holds a PhD in theoretical physics from Princeton University.
