Steam Films has added director, writer, and actor Nora Kirkpatrick to its roster of filmmakers for commercial representation in Canada. Kirkpatrick joining the Toronto Shop marks the extension of a longstanding relationship between Steam Films and Furlined, a production house which reps her in the U.S. and U.K. The signing also has the distinction of being Kirkpatrick’s first spot representation in the Canadian market. Kirkpatrick grew up in rural Iowa before graduating from UCLA’s School of Theater, Film, and Television. Upon graduation, Kirkpatrick did what her parents told her not to do and joined a band, Edward Sharpe and the Magnetic Zeros, which went on to have a platinum-selling record and win a Grammy, among other awards. With the band, Kirkpatrick toured the world, playing at festivals such as Coachella, Bonnaroo, Glastonbury, and SXSW. While on tour, Kirkpatrick honed her writing skills. Upon leaving the band in 2014, she hit the ground running, selling several TV shows and embarking on a career as an actor, writer, and director. Collaborations with Will Ferrell, Olivia Wilde, and SNL alum Mike O’Brien spawned several comedic series, which Kirkpatrick has written and/or directed, including Assisted Living (CBS), Virtually Mike and Nora (Hulu), Best Seller (Comedy Central), and The Coop (Eko and FunnyOrDie). She is a writer on two Amazon series, the forthcoming Daisy Jones and The Six, produced by Reese Witherspoon and starring Riley Keough, and Rodeo Queens starring Dakota Johnson. As an actor, Kirkpatrick has played many roles in film and television, including Esther, Dwight’s girlfriend on The Office. The acclaimed short film Kirkpatrick wrote and directed, Long Time Listener, First Time Caller, is a tragicomic portrait of a woman in search of answers to life’s existential questions. The short garnered her “Best Female Director” at the Prague International Film Festival. Kirkpatrick’s commercial career debuted with a BudLight Seltzer campaign out of Wieden+Kennedy New York, earning her the distinction of being the first woman ever to direct a campaign for Bud Light. Since then, she has directed films for brands including Nestle, Duracell, Peloton, and Uber….
Director Niki Lindroth von Bahr has signed with Scandinavian production company Bacon for representation. Her body of work includes last year’s critically acclaimed Netflix special The House, and the international festival phenom The Burden from 2017. Like the rest of her filmography, both pieces are confident, clever, and carefully crafted stop-motion projects featuring talking animals. Singing pajama-clad fish and tap dancing mice in fast food uniforms highlight the combination of absurd humor and razor-sharp social commentary that has helped build an impressive resume for the Swedish filmmaker who also has to her credit Save Ralph for the Humane Society International…..
Director Malin Ingrid Johansson Brings “Deck 5B” To The Toronto International Film Festival
In her young career, director Malin Ingrid Johansson continues to gain recognition on the festival circuit while looking to extend her reach into the American advertising market. On the latter score, she’s joining the roster of Little Minx, the production company under the aegis of Rhea Scott who’s known for nurturing the careers of filmmakers and helping to successfully establish them in the U.S. across commercials, music videos and other varied projects.
As for Johansson’s film festival pedigree, she first saw her short film Madden, a coming-of-age story inspired by her teenage years on a farm, debut internationally at the Berlinale (Berlin International Film Festival) 2023. Madden was also awarded best Swedish Short at last year’s Gothenburg International Film Festival. Furthermore, Johansson is currently in development on a feature-length film based on Madden.
Now another Johansson short film is making a major splash. Her Deck 5B premiered this week at the Toronto International Film Festival during its Short Cuts program. Among the production houses behind Deck 5B--and earlier Madden--was Pine, a Stockholm-based shop which reps Johansson for commercials internationally.
In the interest of avoiding a spoiler alert, SHOOT in this piece provides a deliberately sparse description of the storyline for Deck 5B. Suffice it to say that the short stars Alma Pöysti as Mia, a mother torn between the needs of her young son and her own desires for romance and fulfillment. Johansson said that she was deeply moved by Pöysti’s portrayal of the recently divorced Mia and considers getting the chance to work with the actress as a major career highlight. Earlier this year,... Read More