Fred Berner (born March 6, 1953) is an American producer and director, best known for producing Maestro, Pollock,[1] and Vanya on 42nd Street, and for directing and producing hundreds of hours of television, including on Law & Order.

Career

Berner and his producing partner Amy Durning first approached the family of conductor and composer Leonard Bernstein for music and life rights in 2008, thus beginning a 15-year journey of research and development, which would eventually result in the Bradley Cooper film Maestro (Netflix, 2023).[2][3] Maestro stars Carey Mulligan and Bradley Cooper, it was written by Josh Singer and Cooper, and produced by Cooper, Berner, Durning, Kristie Macosko Krieger, Steven Spielberg, and Martin Scorsese.

Prior to this, his New York-based production company, Fred Berner Films, produced independent films such as Louis Malle's Vanya on 42nd Street (1994) and the biopic of painter Jackson Pollock, Pollock (2000). The latter earned Academy Award nominations for Ed Harris and Marcia Gay Harden, with Harden winning the Oscar for Best Supporting Actress. The company also produced 3 Backyards (2010),[4] starring Edie Falco, and Speak (2004), starring a then 13-year old Kristen Stewart.[5] Berner also produced Straight Talk[6] (1992), starring Dolly Parton.

Berner served as an Executive Producer on Law & Order: Criminal Intent and on the original Law & Order until the latter's cancellation in 2010.

Berner's work also includes several television movies, mini-series, and specials. He directed Law & Order True Crime: The Menendez Murders (2017) starring Edie Falco. As a producer or executive producer, his credits include Murder in a Small Town (1999), starring Gene Wilder; the ABC Special About Us: The Dignity of Children (1997) hosted by Oprah Winfrey (Emmy-nominated); Lakota Woman: Siege at Wounded Knee (1994); Without Warning: The James Brady Story (1991); Rising Son (1990), starring Brian Dennehy and Matt Damon; and Bette Midler's Mondo Beyondo (1988) for HBO.[7]

For the stage, Berner directed Warren Leight's Sec. 310, Row D, Seats 5 and 6 (2014) and Alan Zweibel's Pine Cone Moment (2013) and Happy (2010) for Summer Shorts at 59E59 Theaters.[8][9] Happy and Sec. 310, Row D, Seats 5 and 6 were also recorded as radio plays for Playing On Air. Berner directed the short film Still Happy, an adaptation of the play, starring Scott Adsit and Arthur French.[10]

Berner is a member of the Directors Guild of America.[11]

Filmography

Feature films

Television series

Television movies and mini-series

Theater, shorts, radio

  • Happy, Summer Shorts (2010) – director
  • Pine Cone Moment (2013) – director
  • Sec. 310, Row D, Seats 5 and 6 (2014) – director
  • Still Happy (2019) – director

Awards and nominations

  • Maestro; Golden Globe nomination, Best Motion Picture - Drama (2023)[21]
  • About Us: The Dignity of Children; Emmy nomination "Outstanding Children's Program" (1997)[19]
  • Hidden in America; Golden Globe nomination (1997)[22]
  • Without Warning: The James Brady Story; Emmy nomination "Outstanding Made for Television Movie" (1992)[19]

References

  1. ↑ "Fred Berner | Movies and Filmography". AllMovie. Retrieved December 1, 2023.
  2. ↑ Fleming, Mike Jr. (May 10, 2018). "Bradley Cooper To Star In & Direct Leonard Bernstein Movie As Dueling Biopics Tune Up". Deadline. Retrieved November 29, 2023.
  3. ↑ Schulman, Michael (November 13, 2023). "Lenny's Offspring Like the Nose". The New Yorker. ISSN 0028-792X. Retrieved November 29, 2023.
  4. ↑ Byrge, Duane (October 14, 2010). "3 Backyards — Film Review". hollywoodreporter.com. The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved December 12, 2023.
  5. ↑ Genzlinger, Neil (September 5, 2005). "For One Teenager, the Party's Over". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved November 29, 2023.
  6. ↑ "Straight Talk". TVGuide.com. Retrieved December 1, 2023.
  7. ↑ "Bette Midler's Mondo Beyondo". www.tcm.com. Retrieved December 3, 2023.
  8. ↑ Soloski, Alexis (July 24, 2014). "So, Winning Isn't the Only Thing?". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved November 29, 2023.
  9. ↑ Webster, Andy (August 12, 2013). "Seriously, Levity Is Onstage". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved November 29, 2023.
  10. ↑ "Fred Berner". Playing on Air. Retrieved December 1, 2023.
  11. ↑ "Made in the U.S.A. -". www.dga.org. Retrieved December 1, 2023.
  12. ↑ "Fred Berner". www.tcm.com. Retrieved December 2, 2023.
  13. 1 2 "'FBI: Most Wanted': Fred Berner Inks New Deal As EP & Director Of CBS Series". Yahoo Entertainment. July 1, 2019. Retrieved December 1, 2023.
  14. ↑ "Collections Search | BFI | British Film Institute". collections-search.bfi.org.uk. Retrieved December 2, 2023.
  15. ↑ "Collections Search | BFI | British Film Institute". collections-search.bfi.org.uk. Retrieved December 2, 2023.
  16. ↑ "WITHOUT WARNING: THE JAMES BRADY STORY". Television Academy. Retrieved December 2, 2023.
  17. ↑ Rich, Alan (October 10, 1994). "Lakota Woman: Siege at Wounded Knee". Variety. Retrieved December 2, 2023.
  18. ↑ "Hidden in America". Dove.org. Retrieved December 2, 2023.
  19. 1 2 3 "Fred Berner". Television Academy. Retrieved December 2, 2023.
  20. ↑ "Collections Search | BFI | British Film Institute". collections-search.bfi.org.uk. Retrieved December 2, 2023.
  21. ↑ Shanfeld, Brent Lang,Ethan; Lang, Brent; Shanfeld, Ethan (December 11, 2023). "Golden Globes 2024: Full Nominations List". Variety. Retrieved December 18, 2023.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
  22. ↑ "Fred Berner". Golden Globes. Retrieved December 2, 2023.
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