Who

Along with Tom Bernard, Barker runs the specialty film house Sony Pictures Classics.

Backstory

Born on a U.S. Army base in Germany, Barker linked up with Tom Bernard at the University of Maryland, where the duo ran an on-campus film series. In 1981, they formed United Artists Classics, an indie production and distribution house within United Artists. Two years later, they launched a similar venture at Orion called Orion Classics. In 1992, they took the formula to Sony and formed Sony Pictures Classics. They've been there ever since, an anomalously long tenure in the indie film business, where execs tend to migrate seasonally.

Of note

Barker and Bernard have had a good run at Sony. Over the years, they've been responsible for movies like Crouching Tiger Hidden Dragon, In the Company of Men, The Spanish Prisoner, Pollock, All About My Mother, and The Opposite of Sex, and they've developed tight relationships with some top indie filmmakers, including Pedro Almodovar, Richard Linklater, David Mamet, and Todd Solondz. At SPC, Barker is generally known as the creative guy, while Bernard is primarily responsible for marketing the films. It's an equal partnership, though, and they're adamant about keeping it that way: Their contract with Sony—which they recently renewed—dictates that their offices be the same size and their office furniture be identical.

Personal

Barker lives in Stamford, Connecticut with his wife Betsy. They also have homes in Rhode Island and Bandera, Texas, not far from where Barker grew up.

---