Director Johan T. Anderson has signed with More Media, the production boutique led by CEO/executive producer Stephen Buchanan and EP Blaize Stephens. While this his first official signing to a production company, Anderson is already well-known throughout the New York City advertising world for his creative work as a former agency art director and in-house director.
Born in Fargo, North Dakota, Anderson has always set filmmaking as his goal, and it’s a journey that has taken him coast to coast. After earning a BFA in film directing at Emerson College, Anderson interned at Partizan in LA, which first inspired him to get into commercials and branded content.
A move to NYC brought Anderson into the agency world, first as an art director at mcgarrybowen where he worked on Verizon Wireless. From there, he transitioned to Brooklyn agency Big Spaceship, where he launched the in-house content production department. For several years Anderson conceptualized and directed campaigns for various clients including Samsung Mobile, Starbucks, Google, Hasbro, Converse, YouTube, Dannon and more, before departing in 2018 to work as a freelance director.
Known for his keen aesthetic, understanding of character, and fresh production design, Anderson has turned out films that have screened around the world, including his short titled Foreign which was shown at the Cannes Film Festival.
Anderson’s agency experience has provided him with invaluable understanding of how to collaborate with the client as a brand film director. “My background has given me the insider’s view of how passionate the creative, strategy, production and account teams really are,” said Anderson. “As a director, I’m there to bring to life something the teams could have been working on for months or even years. It’s extremely important to respect that and keep that in mind when making a project.”
Anderson’s work has earned a number of accolades, including Webbys, Drums, Shortys, and Hatch Awards.
To date, Anderson’s favorite project is a piece he directed for the International Rescue Committee, a cause he cares deeply about. “I feel so grateful to be able to remind the audience through film, that some of the most influential people in history were refugees,” said Anderson. “I loved the simplicity and beauty of the cinematography and it was such a pleasure directing all of the different actors.”
“More Media has long had my attention as a company,” noted Anderson. “Stephen and Blaize have always collaborated with high caliber directors, and I am honored to join the ranks alongside them. We are teaming up to really push to create projects that are most true to my voice and style. I’m confident excellent work is bound to come from that.”
“Heretic” and “Maria” Set As Red Carpet Premieres At AFI Fest
The American Film Institute (AFI) has announced that Heretic, the psychological thriller starring Hugh Grant, and Maria, based on the life of opera singer Maria Callas starring Angelina Jolie, will round out the Red Carpet Premieres section at this year’s AFI Fest. The Heretic Gala Screening will take place on Thursday, October 24, and the Maria Gala Screening will be held on Saturday, October 26. The complete Red Carpet Premieres section includes the world premieres of Music By John Williams, Robert Zemeckis’ Here, Wallace & Gromit: Vengeance Most Fowl and Clint Eastwood’s Juror #2. All Red Carpet Premieres will take place at the historic TCL Chinese Theatre. The full lineup for AFI Fest 2024 will be unveiled on October 1.
“At the heart of AFI Fest is an unwavering dedication to celebrating the best in global cinema--together,” said Bob Gazzale, AFI president and CEO. “We look forward to uniting artists and audiences once again to be inspired by the art form in a powerful sense of community.”
Heretic follows two young missionaries (Sophie Thatcher and Chloe East) who are forced to prove their faith when they knock on the wrong door and are greeted by a diabolical Mr. Reed (portrayed by Grant), becoming ensnared in his deadly game of cat-and-mouse. The film is directed by Scott Beck and Bryan Woods and produced by Stacey Sher, Beck, Woods, Julia Glausi and Jeanette Volturno. The film will be released nationwide by A24 on November 8.
Directed by Pablo Larraín, Maria presents a tumultuous and beautiful depiction of one of the world’s most renowned artists and reimagines the legendary soprano in her final days in Paris, as Callas (Jolie)... Read More