Sweetshop has signed director Edward Berger for commercials and long-form branded projects globally. Berger recently earned a primetime Emmy nomination for Outstanding Directing for a Limited Series on the strength of Showtime’s Patrick Melrose. His was one of five Emmy nods garnered by Patrick Melrose which starred Benedict Cumberbatch and Jennifer Jason Leigh.
Berger also directed the two-hour series premiere of this year’s AMC series The Terror. His other credits include the landmark series Deutschland ’83, which aired to rave reviews on Channel 4, winning an International Emmy for Best Drama; and the feature film Jack, which premiered in competition at the Berlin International Film Festival and won Best Director and Best Picture at the German Directors Guild Awards, as well as the German Academy Award in Silver for Best Picture.
Berger wrote and directed his first feature film, Gomez, in 1997. He won the prestigious German Grimme Award in 2012 for his film A Good Summer. Berger recently wrapped the feature entitled All My Loving, which he wrote and directed. That film is targeted for a spring 2019 release. Berger is also slated to direct the psychological thriller Rio starring Jake Gyllenhaal and Cumberbatch later in 2019.
Commercially, Berger is responsible for the satirical “Die Limo” campaign for Granini, starring German TV personalities Joko Winterscheidt and Klaas Heufer-Umlauf.
Laura Macauley Thoel, managing director and executive producer of Sweetshop US, said of Berger, “His work is visually arresting and he’s a brilliant storyteller. I am completely captivated by him and his work.”
Berger cited the opportunities that Sweetshop’s global network will afford him, noting, “As I love to dive into different aspects of filmmaking on every new project I embark on, I am hugely excited to broaden my mind with commercial work.”
“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