Barry "Armyan" Bernstein (born August 12, 1947) is an American film and television producer, director and screenwriter. He is the co-founder and chairman of the film/television company Beacon Pictures.
Career Bernstein has produced, executive produced, written or directed more than 40 films, including Air Force One, The Hurricane (which he also co-wrote), Spy Game, The Family Man, The Guardian, Children of Men, the Dawn of the Dead remake, Bring It On, Open Range, Thirteen Days, A Lot Like Love, Firewall and End of Days. Films he has produced via Beacon Pictures include Ladder 49, Raising Helen, For Love of the Game and The Water Horse.
In television, Bernstein was the Executive Producer of the TNT series Agent X and the ABC series Castle, created by Andrew Marlowe, who wrote Air Force One and End of Days for Beacon.
Bernstein also produced the Broadway musical Bring It On, which was nominated for a Tony for Best Musical.
Bernstein has received many awards including being honored as Showest Producer of the Year, and winning the USC Scripter Award for his screenplay for The Hurricane.
He is also the founder and chairman of the upcoming sports league, The People's Games.
Bernstein founded Beacon Communications in 1990 with his college fraternity brother, Tom Rosenberg, who now has his own successful film company, Lakeshore Entertainment, which won an Academy Award for Best Picture for Million Dollar Baby.
Bernstein was also a partner with Charlie Lyons and the Ascent Entertainment Group which owned the Denver Nuggets, Colorado Avalanche, On-Command and Spectravision.
Other films produced by Bernstein and Beacon Pictures include The Commitments, A Midnight Clear, A Thousand Acres, Sugar Hill, Playing God, Princess Caraboo, The Road to Wellville and A Life in the Theatre, which won a cable ACE Award for Best Drama.
Armyan was born and raised in Chicago, and attended the University of Wisconsin. He was a broadcast journalist with PBS and then with ABC. He wrote the disco film Thank God It's Friday. He then wrote and co-produced Francis Ford Coppola's One from the Heart. Bernstein made his directing debut with Windy City, from his screenplay, which starred John Shea and Kate Capshaw. He also co-wrote and directed Cross My Heart, starring Martin Short and Annette O'Toole. He also wrote and produced ABC's Emmy Award–winning The Earth Day Special.
Personal life Armyan Bernstein was born into a Jewish family, the youngest of Lynne and Armand Bernstein's two children.Lynne Bernstein's obituary, Chicago Tribune, June 4, 2019 (also available on "Shiva"). He is married to Christine Meleo.
Filmography Film YearTitleDirectorWriterProducerNotes1978Thank God It's Friday1982One from the Heart1984Windy CityDirectorial debut1987Cross My Heart1999The Hurricane2015Grey Lady
Producer only TitleYearNotesThe Road to Wellville1994364 Girls a Year1996Air Force One1997Disturbing Behavior1998For Love of the Game1999End of Days1999Thirteen Days2000A Lot Like Love2005Firewall2006Mardi Gras: Spring Break2011Limited release
Executive producer only TitleYearNotesSatisfaction1988The Commitments1991A Midnight Clear1992Sugar Hill1993Princess Caraboo1994The Baby-Sitters Club1995A Thousand Acres1997Playing God1997Bring It On2000The Family Man2000Spy Game2001Tuck Everlasting2002The Emperor's Club2002Open Range2003Bring It On: Again2004Direct-to-video filmDawn of the Dead2004Ladder 492004Bring It On: All or Nothing2006Direct-to-video filmChildren of Men2006Pu-2392006The Guardian2006Let's Go to Prison2006Bring It On: In It to Win It2007Direct-to-video filmNy-Lon2008Unsold television pilotBring It On: Fight to the Finish2009Direct-to-video filmBring It On: Worldwide Cheersmack2017Direct-to-video filmDreadspace2017Short film
Television YearTitleDirectorWriterProducerNotes1976Family episode: "Monday Is Forever"1990The Earth Day SpecialTelevision special2003Naked HotelTelevision film2009-16Castle171 episodes2015Agent X9 episodes
References
External links
Armyan Bernstein – Details Armyan Bernstein – Channel 4 Film