Stern's first project, released in 1990, was the
teen film Pump Up the Volume, which was nominated for a 1990
Independent Spirit Award for
Best Film. He subsequently became executive producer of
Equinox and
Red Hot, released direct-to-video in 1992 and 1993 respectively. He met rock band
R.E.M.'s lead singer
Michael Stipe through Stern's friend
Samantha Mathis' boyfriend,
River Phoenix. At the time, Stern was producing with
Sean Penn, and teamed up as producing partners with Stipe looking for a change. Together they executive produced
Velvet Goldmine in 1998 and
Freak City in 1999. They formed a
production company,
Single Cell, and their next project was
Charlie Kaufman and
Spike Jonze's
1999 film Being John Malkovich. Stern and Stipe, teamed with producers
Michael Ohoven and
William Vince, produced the 2004 independent teen-comedy film
Saved!, having spent years trying to persuade major financiers to fund the film, which, according to Stern, was a controversial film "that dealt with religion, that dealt with comedy and religion, that dealt with a gay storyline, and that was basically, it was all a kind of ensemble cast that did not have a
Julia Roberts starring in the movie." After its
US$9 million-grossing theatrical release through
United Artists, Stern approached
Elephant Eye Theatrical's CEO
Stuart Oken about adapting the film into
a musical, which premiered
Off Broadway at
Playwrights Horizons,
New York City in May 2008. ==Personal life==