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Harvey Weinstein CBE (Hon) (born March 19 , 1952 ) is an American Film Producer . EDUCATION AND CAREER Born to Jewish parents in Flushing , Queens in New York City , New York , Weinstein grew up in Buffalo , NY . He attended the University At Buffalo and currently lives in Connecticut . Raised with an interest in film and production, Weinstein, along with his brother Bob Weinstein , independently produced concerts in the late 1970's, and began producing films with 1979's '' The Secret Policeman's Ball '' which they acquired at the Cannes Film Festival . From the profit of that film, they started Miramax , named for their parents, Max and Miriam. Harvey Weinstein and Miramax first broke onto the cultural landscape with the release of Errol Morris 's documentary '' The Thin Blue Line '' in 1988, which detailed the struggle of Randall Adams , a wrongfully convicted inmate sentenced to Death Row . The publicity that soon surrounded the case resulted in the release of Adams and nationwide publicity for Miramax. The following year, the release of Steven Soderbergh 's '' Sex, Lies, And Videotape '' made Miramax the most successful independent studio in America. Also in 1989, Miramax released two art-house films, '' The Cook, The Thief, His Wife, And Her Lover '' and Director Pedro Almodóvar 's film '' Tie Me Up! Tie Me Down! '', both of which the MPAA Rating Board gave an X-rating , effectively stopping nationwide release for these films. Weinstein sued the MPAA over their rating system and while his lawsuit was thrown out, the MPAA agreed to introduce the new NC-17 rating following this episode. Miramax continued to grow its library of films and directors until, in 1993 , Disney offered Harvey and Bob $80 million dollars for ownership of Miramax. Agreeing to the deal that would cement their Hollywood clout and ensure that they would remain at the head of their company, Miramax followed the next year with their first blockbuster, Quentin Tarantino 's '' Pulp Fiction ''. 1996 brought Miramax its first Best Picture Academy Award with the victory of '' The English Patient ''. This started a string of critical successes that included '' Shakespeare In Love '' and '' Good Will Hunting ''. On March 29 , 2005 , it was announced that the Weinstein brothers would leave Miramax on September 30 to form their own production company, tentatively named The Weinstein Co. with several other media executives as well as, reportedly, actors Paul Newman and Robert Redford . Weinstein was awarded an Honorary CBE in November 2004 for services to the British Film Industry. Many of his films, including '' Shakespeare In Love '' and '' The English Patient '', were shot at least partially in British studios. Criticism of Weinstein While lauded for opening up the Independent Film market and making it financially viable, Weinstein has been lambasted for some of the techniques he has applied in his business dealings. He has been accused of using unethical methods and blackmail in order to secure the films he wants at the price he desires, and of purchasing some films solely to keep them off the market during the awards season. The most specific criticisms have come from his purchases of Asian films including '' Shaolin Soccer '' and '' Hero .'' These films were huge critical successes in Asia and Hong Kong but languished on Miramax's shelves for years. ''Shaolin Soccer'' specifically was Redubbed into English and the Soundtrack was drastically altered causing some to cry foul over the filmmaker's vision being muddled. Weinstein has been called by some a bully, and in a late 2002 piece in '' The New Yorker '' appeared somewhat repentant for his often aggressive discussions with directors and producers. While Weinstein was head of Miramax, the company often produced controversial films. '' Priest '' told the story of a gay priest struggling with the problems of an inner-city parish. '' Dogma '' lampooned many aspects of Catholicism. The filmmakers, including Miramax and its parent company Disney, were heavily criticized for these films by some Catholics. Michael Moore 's Fahrenheit 9/11 attacked the Bush Administration 's response to the September 11 attacks, and generated much controversy. The Last Mogul In early 2005, the pop culture ezine The Brink launched a weekly cartoon celebrating Harvey Weinstein's tumultuous career and spirit entitled "The Last Mogul." It is written by industry veteran, Moss Egan , who also launched, TheLastMogul.com to index the comic. SELECTED FILMOGRAPHY Producer
Director
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