U.S. and London-based production company Park Pictures has signed award-winning director Grant Sputore for representation in the U.S. and UK. Sputore’s acclaimed sci-fi feature I Am Mother, starring Hillary Swank and Rose Byrne, premiered at Sundance 2019 and as a Netflix Original on June 9th.
“I have been a fan of Park Pictures for many years,” Sputore says, “I’m excited to live up to everything that the brand stands for in terms of the caliber of filmmakers, and the scope of work in films and commercials.”
Director Sputore hails from Australia and has won numerous awards for his work in commercials, including a Cannes Lions finalist nod for “Film Craft: Direction” for his St. John Ambulance “Break the Barrier” spot. Sputore has also directed award-winning film shorts and TV series. The director has a BA in Film and Television from Curtin University of Technology.
Park Pictures Executive Producer Jackie Kelman Bisbee says, “After seeing I Am Mother, we knew we wanted to work with Grant, in short form and long form work. Grant has everything that Park Pictures looks for in a new director. He’s gifted at capturing performance, with impeccable art direction, and is able to tell a captivating story. Because Grant can write and develop films, along with his exceptional execution, he will play an important role at Park as the landscape of our business grows. We’re delighted!”
Click HERE to view Sputore’s work.
I Am Mother, Sputore explains, is a “love letter to sci-fi,” influenced by beloved films in the genre. The feature, set following humanity’s near mass-extinction, follows a teen girl who is raised by a maternal droid. The intelligent young woman has her world turned upside down when she encounters another human for the first time. The directorial debut of Sputore, from a script by Michael Lloyd Green, I Am Mother is based on a story by Sputore and Green.
In other Park Pictures news, the production company won 19 awards at the recent 2019 Cannes Lions International Festival of Creativity, including the coveted Palme D’Or, the highest honor a production company can receive. They additionally earned two Grand Prix and a Titanium Lion for the Nike commercial “Dream Crazy”, featuring Colin Kaepernick, among other accolades.
Sputore was recently tapped by Warner Bros. to direct the upcoming sci-fi thriller “Augmented,” produced by Margot Robbie.
About Park Pictures
Founded in 1998 by Executive Producer Jacqueline Kelman Bisbee and renowned filmmaker/cinematographer Lance Acord, Bicoastal/London-based Park Pictures has an auspicious track record of discovering and mentoring new filmmaking talent and infusing all projects with big screen production values. Park Pictures has forged strong partnerships with agencies and clients by engaging all members of its team in creative problem solving.
Park Pictures has earned the highest accolades for their international work, including an Oscar, an Emmy, and numerous Cannes Lions. Nominated three times, Lance Acord and Park Pictures won the 2014 Emmy Award for Outstanding Commercial for Apple “Misunderstood.” Known for their story-driven film work, Park Pictures has been selected for Creativity’s “Production Company A-List” for nearly ten consecutive years. In 2015, co-founder Jacqueline Kelman Bisbee was selected for the 2015 Cannes Lions Film Craft jury and Advertising Age’s prestigious ‘Women to Watch’ honor.
After winning an Academy Award in 2010 for the company’s first narrative film, live-action short The New Tenants starring Vincent D’Onofrio, Park Pictures founded the Park Pictures feature division, headed by Producer Sam Bisbee, Jacqueline Kelman Bisbee and Lance Acord. Park Pictures Features has produced ten feature films, nine of which premiered at the Sundance Film Festival. Most recently, Park Pictures showcased three films at the 2018 Sundance Film Festival, including the closing night movie Hearts Beat Loud, the Sundance Next Fest program film An Evening with Beverly Luff Linn, and the documentary feature The Sentence. The Sentence especially resonated with attendees and earned the annually-coveted Audience Award. Hearts Beat Loud, starring Nick Offerman, recently sold to Gunpowder & Sky for U.S. distribution and Sony Pictures Worldwide Acquisitions for international distribution, and The Sentence was acquired by HBO for US television and streaming rights.