- Co-created The Monkees, along with Bert Schneider.
- Directed two actors in Oscar nominated performances: Jack Nicholson and Karen Black in Five Easy Pieces (1970).
- He opened Belgrade Film Festival - FEST 2007.
- Father of Peter Rafelson.
- Cannes Film Festival - The Postman Always Rings Twice (1981) (international premiere). (1981)
- His initial work in American films was as associate producer for Universal. He later moved via Desilu Productions to Screen Gems.
- Cannes Film Festival - Head (1968) and Easy Rider (1969) (international premiere). (1968)
- Nephew of Samson Raphaelson.
- Venice International Film Festival - jury and tribute. (1983)
- San Sebastian Film Festival - Blood and Wine (1996) (international premiere).
- San Sebastian Film Festival - retrospective tribute. (1996)
- Telluride Film Festival. (1997)
- Aspen Film Festival Tribute Award. (1999)
- Midnight Sun Film Festival (Finland) - tribute. (2000)
- Moscow Film Festival - tribute. (2002)
- International Thessalonica Film Festival - tribute. (2002)
- Roger Ebert Overlooked Film Festival - Blood and Wine (1996). (2003)
- Denver International Film Festival - tribute. (2004)
- Taormina BNL Film Festival - Achievement Award. (2005)
- Guadalajara - retrospective tribute. (2005)
- New York State Writers Institute (Albany, NY) - tribute. (2005)
- George Eastman House (Rochester, NY) - tribute. (2006)
- Kazmierek, Poland - Achievement Award. (2006)
- Tbilisi International Film Festival (Georgia) - tribute and Achievement Award. (2007)
- Serbia - tribute and Achievement Award. (2008)
- Antalya International Golden Orange Film Festival, Antalya, Turkey (October 2009)
- Rafelson left home at 14 and worked variously as a rodeo rider, a hand on an ocean liner and a jazz musician. He later enrolled at Dartmouth College to study philosophy. He started writing plays in 1953.
- During his service in the United States Army he was based in Japan where he took up disc-jockeying and subsequently working on films produced by the Shochiku company.
- He was the son of Marjorie (Blumenfeld) and Sydney Rafelson, a hat ribbon manufacturer. His family was Jewish (from Russia, Germany, and Austria).
- Festivals - invites and screenings:.
- Edinburgh - Five Easy Pieces (1970) (premiere). (1970)
- Cartengra - Five Easy Pieces (First Prize). (1970)
- New York Film Festival - Five Easy Pieces (1970). (1970)
- New York Film Festival - The King of Marvin Gardens (1972). (1972)
- Mar del Plata (Argentina) - tribute. (2003)
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