Pablo Berger

In this Spanish name, the first or paternal surname is Berger and the second or maternal family name is Uranga.
Pablo Berger
Berger at the 32nd Goya Awards in 2018
Born
Pablo Berger Uranga

1963 (age 60–61)
Bilbao, Spain

Pablo Berger Uranga (born 1963) is a Spanish film director and screenwriter. He is known for directing and writing the silent drama film Blancanieves (2012), the black comedy films Torremolinos 73 (2003) and Abracadabra (2017), and the animated tragicomedy film Robot Dreams (2023), the latter was nominated the Academy Award for Best Animated Feature.

Life and work

Berger attended primary and secondary school in Artxanda Trueba, located on the outskirts of Bilbao, Spain. In 1988 he directed his first short film, Mamá (Mum), with artistic director Álex de la Iglesia and Ramon Barea. With the financial winnings from a grant from the Provincial Council of Biscay, he went to study for a master’s in film at New York University. There he directed his short film Truth and Beauty, for which he was nominated for an Emmy Award.

After getting his Ph.D., Berger worked as a professor of management at the New York Film Academy. Thereafter, he began a parallel career as a publicist and producer of music, culminating in 2003 with his first film Torremolinos 73,[1] with Javier Cámara, Fernando Tejero and Candela Peña. Torremolinos 73 received four Goya nominations and won Berger the Golden Biznaga at the Málaga Film Festival, as well as multiple national and international prizes. The movie became one of the box office successes of the year in Spain.

In 2012, Berger premiered his second film Blancanieves (Snow White), which was the Spanish representative at the 85th Academy Awards for Best Foreign Language Film. Blancanieves won ten Goya Awards, including Best Film and Best Original Screenplay. It also earned Berger the Special Jury Prize at the San Sebastián International Film Festival. It was also nominated for the César Award for Best Foreign Film, as well as two European Film Awards for Best Film and Best Director.

In 2017, Berger premiered Abracadabra, a comedy starring again Maribel Verdú. This was his second film produced by Arcadia Motion Pictures. It became a critical success and received 8 nominations at the 32nd Goya Awards.

Pablo Berger is a Knight of the Ordre des Arts et des Lettres of France. In 2018, Berger was invited to become a member of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences.[2]

In May 2023, Berger premiered Robot Dreams, his first animated film, at the 2023 Cannes Film Festival. The film was based on the graphic novel by American author Sara Varon, and was produced by Arcadia Motion Pictures. The film was sold internationally by Elle Driver and screened at the Annecy International Animation Film Festival, where it won the Contrechamp Grand Prix. It won the European Film Award for Best Animated Feature Film and the Annie Award for Best Independent Animated Feature, as well as two Goya Awards for Best Animated Film and Best Adapted Screenplay. In 2024, Berger was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Animated Feature for Robot Dreams, but lost to Hayao Miyazaki's The Boy and the Heron.

Filmography

Year Title Director Writer Producer Notes
1988 Mamá Yes Yes No Short film
2003 Torremolinos 73 Yes Yes Associate Directorial debut
2012 Blancanieves Yes Yes Yes
2017 Abracadabra Yes Yes Yes
2023 Robot Dreams Yes Yes Yes

Awards and nominations

Award Year Category Work Result Ref.
Academy Awards 2024 Best Animated Feature Robot Dreams Nominated [3]
Alliance of Women Film Journalists 2023 Best Animated Film Nominated [4]
Annecy International Animation Film Festival 2023 Contrechamp Grand Prix Won [5]
Annie Awards 2024 Best Animated Feature – Independent Won [6]
Best Direction – Feature Nominated
Best Writing – Feature Nominated
Argentine Film Critics Association 2015 Best Ibero-American Film Blancanieves Nominated [7]
Ariel Award 2013 Best Ibero-American Film Nominated [8]
Boston Society of Film Critics 2023 Best Animated Film Robot Dreams Runner-up[a] [9]
Carmen Awards 2024 Best Non-Andalusian Produced Film Nominated [10]
[11]
CEC Awards 2013 Best Film Blancanieves Won [12]
Best Director Won
Best Screenplay Won
2018 Best Original Screenplay Abracadabra Nominated [13]
2024 Best Film Robot Dreams Nominated [14]
[15]
Best Director Nominated
Best Adapted Screenplay Nominated
Best Animated Film Won
César Awards 2014 Best Foreign Film Blancanieves Nominated [16]
Chicago Film Critics Association 2023 Best Animated Film Robot Dreams Nominated [17]
Cinekid Festival 2023 Cinekid Lion for Best Children’s Film Nominated [18]
[19]
Coronado Island Film Festival 2023 Best Animated Feature Won [20]
European Film Awards 2013 European Film Blancanieves Nominated [21]
[22]
European Director Nominated
2023 European Animated Feature Film Robot Dreams Won [23]
Feroz Awards 2018 Best Comedy Film Abracadabra Nominated [24]
2024 Best Comedy Film Robot Dreams Won [25]
Florida Film Critics Circle 2023 Best Animated Film Nominated [26]
Forqué Awards 2018 Best Picture Abracadabra Nominated [27]
2023 Best Animation Film Robot Dreams Won [28]
Gaudí Awards 2013 Best Film Blancanieves Won [29]
Best Director Nominated
Best Screenplay Nominated
2024 Best Adapted Screenplay Robot Dreams Nominated [30]
Best Animated Film Won
Georgia Film Critics Association 2024 Best Animated Film Nominated [31]
Goya Awards 2004 Best Original Screenplay Torremolinos 73 Nominated [32]
Best New Director Nominated
2013 Best Film Blancanieves Won [33]
Best Director Nominated
Best Original Screenplay Won
Best Original Song for “No te puedo encontrar” Won
2018 Best Original Screenplay Abracadabra Nominated [34]
2024 Best Adapted Screenplay Robot Dreams Won [35]
Best Animated Film Won
Houston Film Critics Society 2024 Best Animated Feature Nominated [36]
Indiana Film Journalists Association 2023 Best Film Nominated [37]
[38]
Best Animated Film Runner-up
Original Vision Nominated
International Cinephile Society 2024 Best Animated Film Runner-up [39]
London Film Critics' Circle 2024 Animated Film of the Year Nominated [40]
Los Angeles Film Critics Association 2023 Best Animated Film Runner-up [41]
Málaga Film Festival 2003 Golden Biznaga for Best Spanish Film Torremolinos 73 Won [42]
Best Director Won
Nevada Film Critics Society 2024 Best Animated Feature Robot Dreams Won [43]
New York Latin ACE Awards 2013 Best Film Blancanieves Won [44]
Online Film Critics Society 2024 Best Animated Film Robot Dreams Nominated [45]
Palm Springs International Film Festival 2004 New Voices/New Visions Award Torremolinos 73 Won [46]
2013 Cine Latino Award Blancanieves Won [47]
San Sebastián International Film Festival 2012 Special Jury Prize Won [48]
San Diego Film Critics Society 2023 Best Animated Film Robot Dreams Nominated [49]
San Francisco Bay Area Film Critics Circle 2024 Best Animated Film Nominated [50]
Sant Jordi Awards 2013 Best Spanish Film Blancanieves Won [51]
Satellite Awards 2024 Best Animated or Mixed Media Feature Robot Dreams Nominated [52]
Saturn Awards 2014 Best International Film Blancanieves Nominated [53]
Sitges Film Festival 2023 Best Film Robot Dreams Nominated [54]
Grand People's Choice Award for Best Feature Film in the SOFC Won
St. Louis Film Critics Association 2023 Best Animated Film Nominated [55]
Toronto Film Critics Association 2023 Best Animated Film Won [56]
Vancouver Film Critics Circle 2014 Best Foreign Language Film Blancanieves Nominated [57]

Notes

  1. ^ Shared with Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutant Mayhem, Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse and The Peasants.

References

  1. ^ Pablo Berger biography page at IMDb
  2. ^ "ACADEMY INVITES 928 TO MEMBERSHIP". Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences. 2018-06-25. Retrieved 2024-03-31.
  3. ^ "96th Oscars: See the Full List of Winners". Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences. Mar 10, 2024. Retrieved 2024-04-01.
  4. ^ Merin, Jennifer (December 22, 2023). "2023 EDA Awards Nominees". Alliance of Women Film Journalists. Retrieved December 23, 2023.
  5. ^ Croll, Ben (2023-06-17). "Annecy Prizes: 'Chicken for Linda!,' 'Robot Dreams,' 'Pebble Hill' Take Top Honors". Variety. Retrieved 2024-04-05.
  6. ^ Desowitz, Bill (2024-02-18). "Annie Awards 2024: 'Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse' Dominates with 7 Wins". IndieWire. Retrieved 2024-04-01.
  7. ^ ""Relatos salvajes", "Refugiado" y "La tercera orilla", las más nominadas para los Cóndor | Cine". La Voz del Interior (in Spanish). 2015-03-12. Retrieved 2024-04-05.
  8. ^ "'Blancanieves', Premios Ariel a la Mejor Película Iberoamericana". Fotogramas. 30 May 2013.
  9. ^ Desowitz, Bill (2024-01-06). "Animated Bromance 'Robot Dreams' Perfectly Recreates '80s NYC". IndieWire. Retrieved 2024-04-05.
  10. ^ "Los Premios Carmen dan a conocer desde Huelva todos los nominados de su tercera edición". Huelva24. Grupo Vocento. 20 December 2023.
  11. ^ "Palmarés completo de la III edición de los Premios Carmen del Cine andaluz". eldiario.es. 4 February 2024.
  12. ^ "'Blancanieves' triunfa en los premios del Círculo de Escritores Cinematográficos". Fotogramas (in European Spanish). 2013-02-12. Retrieved 2024-04-05.
  13. ^ "Los compadres presentarán la 73 edición de los Premios del Círculo de Escritores". Europa Press. 2018-01-27. Retrieved 2024-04-05.
  14. ^ "79 MEDALLAS CEC, CONOCE A LOS NOMINADOS". Círculo de Escritores Cinematográficos. 28 December 2023.
  15. ^ "Conoce a los Ganadores de las #79MedallasCEC". Círculo de Escritores Cinematográficos. 5 February 2024.
  16. ^ "Pablo Berger". Académie des César (in French). Retrieved 2024-04-03.
  17. ^ Tallerico, Brian. "Killers of the Flower Moon, Oppenheimer, Poor Things Lead CFCA Nominations". RogerEbert.com. Retrieved 2024-04-05.
  18. ^ "Nominations Best Children's Film, Best Dutch Children's Film and Youth Jury Awards 2023". Cinekid.
  19. ^ "Winners Cinekid Awards 2023". Cinekid.
  20. ^ Staff, Coronado Times (2023-11-17). "Coronado Island Film Festival Announces 2023 Filmmaker Awards". Coronado Times. Retrieved 2024-08-30.
  21. ^ "Winners 2013". European Film Awards. European Film Academy. Retrieved 9 December 2013.
  22. ^ "Nominations 2013". European Film Awards. European Film Academy. Retrieved 12 December 2013.
  23. ^ "La española "Robot Dreams", de Pablo Berger, premio a la mejor animación europea". La Vanguardia. 2023-12-09.
  24. ^ "La lista completa de ganadores de los premios Feroz 2018". ElHuffPost (in Spanish). 2018-01-22. Retrieved 2024-04-05.
  25. ^ "Consulta aquí la lista de ganadores de los Premios Feroz 2024". hola.com. 26 January 2024.
  26. ^ "Oppenheimer, Killers of the Flower Moon, May December lead pack with most nominations". Florida Film Critics Circle. Retrieved 2024-04-05.
  27. ^ "'Abracadabra', 'El autor', 'Handia', 'La librería' y 'Verano 1993', finalistas a la mejor película en los Forqué". El País (in Spanish). 2017-12-05. ISSN 1134-6582. Retrieved 2024-04-05.
  28. ^ "Palmarés completo de los Premios Forqué 2023: '20.000 especies de abejas' y 'La Mesías' lideran la apertura de la temporada". Cinemanía. 17 December 2023 – via 20minutos.es.
  29. ^ "L'ACC ha fet públiques les nominacions dels V Premis Gaudí". Acadèmia del Cinema Català (in Catalan). Retrieved 2024-04-05.
  30. ^ Oteo, Jana (5 February 2024). "Premios Gaudí 2024: Lista completa de los ganadores". La Razón.
  31. ^ "2023 Awards". Georgia Film Critics Association.
  32. ^ "Torremolinos 73". Premios Goya. Retrieved 2024-04-05.
  33. ^ "Blancanieves". Premios Goya. Retrieved 2024-04-05.
  34. ^ "Abracadabra". Premios Goya. Retrieved 2024-04-03.
  35. ^ "Premios Goya 2024 | Palmarés completo: todos los ganadores de la gran noche de 'La sociedad de la nieve'". Cinemanía. 11 February 2024 – via 20minutos.es.
  36. ^ Darling, Cary (January 9, 2024). "'Barbie', 'Oppenheimer' lead Houston Film Critics Society's nominations". Houston Chronicle. Retrieved January 10, 2024.
  37. ^ Rogers, Nick (December 12, 2023). "Nominations Announced for the 2023 Indiana Film Journalists Association Awards". Midwest Film Journal. Retrieved January 21, 2024.
  38. ^ Rogers, Nick (2023-12-18). "'Poor Things' big winner in 2023 IFJA awards". Midwest Film Journal. Retrieved 2024-04-05.
  39. ^ "Close Your Eyes and All of Us Strangers Lead ICS Nominations". International Cinephile Society.
  40. ^ Cline, Rich (20 December 2023). "'All of Us Strangers' and 'Oppenheimer' lead CC Film Awards Nominations". London Film Critics' Circle. Retrieved 20 December 2023.
  41. ^ Davis, Clayton (December 10, 2023). "'The Zone of Interest' Wins Best Picture at Los Angeles Film Critics Awards, Four Women Take Acting Prizes (Full Winners List)". Variety. Retrieved December 11, 2023.
  42. ^ Holland, Jonathan; Hopewell, John (2003-05-05). "'Torremolinos' takes fest top awards". Variety. Retrieved 2024-04-05.
  43. ^ "The Nevada Film Critics Society 2023 Awards for Achievement in Film". Nevada Film Critics Society. Retrieved 2024-04-05.
  44. ^ "«Isabel» y «Blancanieves» triunfan en los Premios ACE 2013 de Nueva York". Diario ABC (in Spanish). 2013-02-06. Retrieved 2024-04-05.
  45. ^ "2023 Awards (27th Annual)". Online Film Critics Society. 2024-01-17. Retrieved 2024-04-05.
  46. ^ Kay, Jeremy. "The Return wins FIPRESCI honours at Palm Springs". Screen International. Retrieved 2024-04-05.
  47. ^ Kay, Jeremy. "Blancanieves, Fill The Void among PSIFF winners". Screen International. Retrieved 2024-04-05.
  48. ^ "60 edition. 2012 Awards". San Sebastián International Film Festival. Retrieved 2024-04-05.
  49. ^ "2023 San Diego Film Critics Society Winners". San Diego Film Critics Society. December 19, 2023. Retrieved December 20, 2023.
  50. ^ "SFBAFCC 2023 Awards". The San Francisco Bay Area Film Critics Circle. Retrieved 2024-04-05.
  51. ^ "'Blancanieves' y 'Animals', Premios RNE Sant Jordi de Cinematografía". Fotogramas (in European Spanish). 2013-01-28. Retrieved 2024-04-05.
  52. ^ "IPA Reveals Nominations for the 28th Satellite™ Awards". International Press Academy. December 18, 2023. Retrieved December 18, 2023.
  53. ^ Johns, Nikara (2014-02-26). "'Gravity,' 'The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug' Lead Saturn Awards Noms". Variety. Retrieved 2024-04-05.
  54. ^ "56th Edition Award Winners". Sitges Film Festival. 2023-06-19. Archived from the original on 2023-10-21. Retrieved 2023-10-19.
  55. ^ "Annual StLFCA Awards". St. Louis Film Critics Association. Retrieved 2024-04-05.
  56. ^ Vlessing, Etan (17 December 2023). "'Zone of Interest' Named Best Picture of 2023 by Toronto Film Critics Association". The Hollywood Reporter.
  57. ^ "And the 2014 VFCC Nominees Are …". Vancouver Film Critics Circle. 2013-12-23. Retrieved 2024-04-05.