Joshua Michael Stern

Joshua Michael Stern helmed Swing Vote, his second foray as a writer and director, starring Kevin Costner, Stanley Tucci, Dennis Hopper, Kelsey Grammer and Paula Patton. The first film Stern wrote and directed, Neverwas, premiered at the Toronto International Film Festival. This independent drama starred Aaron Eckhart, Ian McKellen, Brittany Murphy, Nick Nolte, William Hurt and Jessica Lange.

A career as a filmmaker seemed like a natural fit for Stern, who was born into a family with a unique show-business pedigree. His grandmother, Nancy Green, worked as David O. Selznick's East Coast studio executive, discovering such talent as Marlon Brando and bringing British actors Alec Guinness and Jessica Tandy to America. Stern's grandfather, Jules Green, was the original executive producer of "The Tonight Show," which he created with Steve Allen.

Open Road Films