Frederick Bernas is a filmmaker, journalist and audiovisual artist with an established track record of producing impactful, innovative work for media companies such as the BBC, The New York Times, NBC, The Guardian, Al Jazeera and AP over the last decade. A lifelong passion for telling stories has taken Frederick to more than two dozen countries, f... Read More

Frederick Bernas is a filmmaker, journalist and audiovisual artist with an established track record of producing impactful, innovative work for media companies such as the BBC, The New York Times, NBC, The Guardian, Al Jazeera and AP over the last decade. A lifelong passion for telling stories has taken Frederick to more than two dozen countries, from Argentina to Antarctica – as well as North America, Europe and the Middle East.

In summer 2022, a directors’ cut of “The Utopians” premiered with NOWNESS after being commissioned by the Barbican Centre as part of a major environmental exhibition. Adapted from the feature film ”Project Utopia” (currently in production), it follows artist/scientist Joaquín Fargas as he builds a new robot which is essentially a performative installation about the catch-22 conundrum of extracting lithium – a crucial component of electric cars, which definitely aren't as sustainable as Tesla and Toyota would like you to believe.

In June 2021, The New Yorker released “Flamenco Queer” – a hybrid documentary which profiles the groundbreaking Spanish dancer Manuel Liñán as he comes out to challenge convention by pursuing his love of performing dressed as a woman. The film started life as a true shoestring production, before being acquired by TNY and receiving a grant from the Pulitzer Center, which also supported Frederick’s 2018 film “Ballet & Bullets: Dancing Out of the Favela” – another independent initiative that went on to rack up more than a million views on VICE digital channels.

Both of those projects were driven by Frederick’s philosophy of illuminating social or political issues through a cultural lens; his mantra is to create timeless work that should feel relevant for months or even years after its release. Frederick is confident at handling all elements of video production, with a photographer’s eye for light, a musician’s ear for sound and a reporter’s nous for operating in the field. He regularly creates soundtracks for both his own and other directors’ films; he is currently developing hybrid audiovisual projects which explore the concept of narrative fusion between film and music.

Portfolio: www.frederickbernas.com // vimeo.com/frederickbernas
Twitter/IG: @frederickbernas

AWARDS

"FLAMENCO QUEER"
• Best Documentary – Crossroads International Short Film Festival, Turkey (2021)
• First Prize – Festival Internacional Cámara Corporizada, Argentina (2021)
• Special Audience Award – Nahia Film Festival, Spain (2021)
• Best International Short Documentary – ÍCARO Festival Internacional De Cine En Centroamérica, Guatemala (2021)

"BALLET & BULLETS"
• Best Short Documentary – Bristol Independent Film Festival, UK (2019)
• Award Winner – Around International Film Festival, France (2019)
• Long list – World Press Photo Digital Storytelling Contest (2019) Read Less