Director Jakob Ström has joined NY-based Washington Square Films for U.S. representation spanning commercials and branded content.
Ström’s work encompasses spots, short films and music videos. He made a major mark when his 2015 short Dear Daddy for CARE Norway–an organization advocating for women’s rights across the globe–went viral, taking in over 400 million views worldwide for its raw, harrowing look into the trauma of domestic abuse and sexual assault hiding in plain sight. The short, which was translated into 10 languages, won several international awards, including a Gold and Silver Lion in Cannes, a Grand Prix at the New York Festival, a D&AD White Pencil, a Silver CLIO Award, two Grand Prix Awards and one Gold Award at the CRESTA Awards, one Silver and two Gold Awards at the London International Awards, one Gold and one Silver Eurobest Award.
Jonathan Schwartz, director of marketing & sales/managing director at Washington Square Films, recalled, “When I saw Dear Daddy, I was blown away by the storytelling and visuals. It is evident in all of Jakob’s work. The response to the work is incredibly strong.”
Born and raised in Stockholm, Ström came stateside at the age of 22 to study at the Academy of Arts College San Francisco for four years, graduating with his Bachelor in Advertising/Design. He then returned to Sweden and worked as an award-winning art director, snagging among many accolades the Silver Egg Award for print (2002), a Nordic Advertising Festival Golden Swan for Humor, Eurobest Gold Film award, Gold Clio Student Award, Two Gold The Bridge Awards and one Silver Midas Award. Among his series work is the successful comedy series Torpederna (2014), which he created and directed several episodes for, gaining praise from viewers and critics alike. In 2016, the show won the Kristallen Award for Best Comedy Series.
Ström has also directed numerous episodes over two seasons for the popular Swedish detective drama series Jordskott, and is currently working on his latest series creation, War as a creator, writer and director.
Prior to joining Washington Square Films, Ström was repped in the U.S. ad arena by Cultivate.Media. His cinematic work for brands includes CARE, Suntrust Foundation and LIDL.
Ström was drawn to the team at Washington Square Films and the company’s legacy of compelling film and commercial work. “I can’t wait,” he said, “to work with the company to further amplify their offerings in ads and branded content.”
First-Time Feature Directors Make Major Splash At AFI Fest, Generate Oscar Buzz
Two first-time feature directors who are generating Oscar buzz this awards season were front and center this past weekend at AFI Fest in Hollywood. Rachel Morrison, who made history as the first woman nominated for a Best Cinematography Oscar---on the strength of Mudbound in 2018--brought her feature directorial debut, The Fire Inside (Amazon MGM Studios), to the festival on Sunday (10/27), and shared insights into the film during a conversation session immediately following the screening. This came a day after William Goldenberg, an Oscar-winning editor for Argo in 2013, had his initial foray into feature directing, Unstoppable (Amazon MGM Studios), showcased at the AFI proceedings. He too spoke after the screening during a panel discussion. The Fire Inside--which made its world premiere at this year’s Toronto International Film Festival--tells the story of Claressa “T-Rex” Shields (portrayed by Ryan Destiny), a Black boxer from Flint, Mich., who trained to become the first woman in U.S. history to win an Olympic Gold Medal in the sport. She achieved this feat--with the help of coach Jason Crutchfield (Brian Tyree Henry)--only to find that her victory at the Summer Games came with relatively little fanfare and no endorsement deals. So much for the hope that the historic accomplishment would be a ticket out of socioeconomic purgatory for Shields and her family. It seemed like yet another setback in a cycle of adversity throughout Shields’ life but she persevered, going on to win her second Gold Medal at the next Olympics and becoming a champion for gender equality and equitable pay for women in sports. Shields has served as a source of inspiration for woman athletes worldwide--as well as to the community of... Read More