Steven Spielberg, born in 1946, began making films at a young age. He directed his first feature film, Firelight, at 16. Spielberg turned down Jaws 2 to work on Close Encounters of the Third Kind. He directed many successful films in the 80s, including E.T. and The Color Purple. In the 90s, he directed Schindler’s List, Amistad, and Saving Private Ryan. In the 2000s, he directed Minority Report, AI, The Terminal, and Munich.
Steven Allan Spielberg was born on December 18, 1946 in Cincinnati, Ohio. His passion for film began at an early age: at nine years old, Steven Spielberg was already creating 8mm “action” films and at the age of 13 he won a local competition with a 45-minute war documentary made in home. Three years later, Spielberg directed his first feature film, Firelight. Shot on a US$400 (USD) budget, the film played at a local cinema and generated approximately US$100 in profits. The firelight later became the inspiration for Spielburg’s Close Encounters of the Third Kind.
Steven Spielberg was attending California State University when he was offered a contract at Universal Studios to direct television shows. Spielberg withdrew and took over. Later, Spielberg produced episodes for several TV shows, including Night Gallery, Marcus WelMD and the pilot for Columbo.
One of Spielberg’s first feature films was The Sugarland Express, a thriller based on a true story, but it wasn’t until his next film that Spielberg became a household name. In 1975, Spielberg directed the three-time Academy Award-winning Jaws. Despite this success, Spielberg turned down offers to direct Jaws 2 and instead went to work on his pet project, Close Encounters of the Third Kind, which ultimately earned him six Academy Award nominations.
The 1980s were Spielberg’s golden years. He directed three Indiana Jones films, E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial, Poltergeist, Empire of the Sun and The Color Purple, which received 11 Academy Award nominations. He also co-wrote and produced The Goonies, a film still popular today.
In the 90s, Spielberg took a step back. After directing Jurassic Park in 1993, Spielberg temporarily abandoned the realm of adventure and took on dramatic titles. Schindler’s List, released in 1993, is critically considered Spielberg’s masterpiece, earning it a place as “One of the 10 Greatest Movies Ever Made” (American Film Institute). Two other historical sagas followed: Amistad and Saving Private Ryan.
The new millennium was an era of firsts for Spielberg. He tried his hand at futuristic adventures including Minority Report and AI: Artificial Intelligence before focusing on offbeat films, such as The Terminal and Catch Me If You Can. His latest masterpiece is Munich, based on the true story of the 1972 Munich massacre.
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