Pierre Grunstein

BAFTA-nominated film producer Pierre Grunstein has worked with some of the world's most celebrated directors. His film career began in the 1960s, when he worked as the assistant director on a string of French features, including Oscar-winning director Claude Berri's World War II-set dramedy "The Two of Us" (" Le vieil homme et l'enfant"). In 1970, Grunstein stepped up to executive producer on Berri's coming-of-age dramedy "Le cinéma de papa." Since then, the two have worked together on more than 50 productions, including co-producing acclaimed director/actor Yvan Attal's César-nominated debut feature "My Wife Is an Actress" ("Ma femme est une actrice"). Through their collaboration, Grunstein has made his mark on French cinema and earned international acclaim, garnering a BAFTA nod for executive producing "La reine Margot" ("Queen Margot"), Patrice Chéreau's lauded adaptation of the Alexandre Dumas père novel. His international fame has led Grunstein to produce films for foreign directors as well. In 2004, he teamed with Oscar-winning American director Oliver Stone for the biopic "Alexander." Three years later he collaborated with heralded American surrealist Julian Schnable on the widely praised biopic "The Diving Bell and the Butterfly," based on the true and inspiring story of Jean-Dominique Bauby, who wrote his memoir despite being rendered almost entirely paralyzed by a stroke. For his efforts on this film, Grunstein won a Christopher Award, which honors works that celebrate the human spirit.