Born in Budapest, Kovacs Istvan Gyozo left with his family after the 1956 Revolution. Steven went to public schools in San Francisco, studied history at Yale and received his Ph.D. in Fine Arts from Harvard. He is a writer-director-producer of the feature films ’68, ANGEL BLUE, and others. He received an Academy Award Nomination for his documentary ARTHUR AND LILLIE. As head of production of Roger Corman’s New World Pictures, he oversaw a number of films, including DEATHSPORT, AVALANCHE, UP FROM THE DEPTHS, SAINT JACK, THE LADY IN RED. He went on to produce Jose Luis Borau’s film ON THE LINE (RIO ABAJO) in Laredo, Texas.
Steve has taught at Stanford, was a Fulbright scholar in Hungary, and has been Chair and professor at the School of Cinema at San Francisco State since 1990. He is the author of the book FROM ENCHANTMENT TO RAGE: THE STORY OF SURREALIST CINEMA and numerous articles on film, politics, and the arts. He has written fiction, poetry, and translated Hungarian poets Miklos Radnoti and Mihaly Babits.
Cassovia is the Latin name of the Hungarian Kassa, one of the largest European towns of the 15th century. My father’s family comes from that region, my uncle was born there, my cousins make it their home. Now known as Kosice, it is the second largest town in Slovakia. The historical center is a dazzling mixture of Gothic, Renaissance, Baroque and Jugendstil architecture reflecting the heyday of the Austro-Hungarian monarchy.
- Steve