BIOGRAPHY:
Barbara recently finished directing her first feature film: "Love at First Hiccup", a charming teen comedy about first times and first loves she also wrote the script for. The film is a remake of the Danish box office hit, the first in the series of 5 film. The American version is produced by Hollywood veteran producer Bob Engelman – The Mask, Scooby-Doo, Little Nicky, Blade, Mortal Combat and Food Fight. To see the promo, go to: www.hiccupthemovie.com.
Barbara was born in Copenhagen, Denmark on August 29, 1979. She started her film and television career as an actress at the age of 6. She had the title role in “Nana”, which obtained cult status and won a bronze prize in New York in 1988 for best children’s television series and received many Danish awards as well. It was sold to many other European countries and has been aired in Denmark numerous times.
Over the next years Barbara starred in 9 films, produced several documentary programs and created her own show “Barbara’s Galaxy”, a variety show with sketch comedy segments, celebrity guests and reviews of various cultural events. She started directing at age 19 and was commissioned to direct short films for Danish television.
After living in Bali for some months, Barbara moved to Los Angeles at age 21. She started a career as a 1st AD and worked on films such as “Project Green Light/Battle of Shaker Heights”, “Van Wilder”, “Columbo”, “Standing Still”, “Alone with Her” and many more.
Barbara used her many AD contacts with actors and crew to start directing more short films and since 2006 Barbara has been making a living from directing and producing.
She's directed several commercials and short films for Seven Pictures and Filmaka, among one, the winner of the contest Family Gathering: "Brothers and Fathers", the winner for The Secret contest: "Secrets of Downfall" and the Special Jury Prize for "Anna's Secret".
Three of her short films were nominated for Best Dramatic Short at the 2007 NOHO Film festival, her film "The Curse of the Pillow Tag" was shown at the Danish Film Festival LA in October 2007 and "Anna's Secret" was chosen to be used as a help tool for children in trouble on the non profit web site The Children’s Defense: www.barnets-forsvar.dk
Wim Wenders, director "Wings of Desire" and "Paris, Texas" about "The Duality of Love":
"I saw your film half a dozen times and thought it was utterly original… Truly remarkable in lighting, editing, acting… Congratulations!"
Neil Labute, director "Nurse Betty","The Wicker Man" about "Timothy's Fable":
"Barbara - you told a full and imaginative story in a very short period of time; handsome to look and terrific to watch".
Filmaka jury consists of: Neil Labute, John Madden (Shakespeare in Love, Proof) Zak Penn (X2, X3, Behind Enemy Lines), Paul Schrader (Taxi Driver, Raging Bull, Bringing out the Dead) Wim Wenders, Bill Pullman and more.
Barbara's passion for film and television began at an early age since growing up on sets. Her desire to tell stories and create a universe that people can escape to, has lead her from her original path of acting to her love of directing.
WRITER/DIRECTOR CREDITS:
“The Duality of Love ” (year: 2008, Denmark)
Short Film
A Zentropa Production
Writer/Director: Barbara Rothenborg
Producer: Morten Bundgaard
Cast: Charlotte Munch, Claus Riss Oestergaar, Thure Lindhardt, Laura Christensen
Run time: 5:00min
The Greek myth of how Zeus split the human being into two and is forever searching for his/her other half.
“Anna’s Secret” (year: 2007, US)
Short Film
A Filmaka/Kiptop Pictures Production, USA 2007.
Writer/Director/Producer: Barbara Rothenborg
Cast: London Freeman, J. Brandon Smith
Run time: 3:08min
Winner of Filmaka Special Jury Prize 2007.
Aired on Danish television Aug 2007.
Chosen to be used as a help tool for children in trouble on the non profit web site www.barnets-forsvar.dk
Anna’s lives a life in fear, having a father who’s abusive, but very sweet to her in public. With none of her family members believing her, she finally decides to take matters into her own hands…
“Timothy’s Fable” (year: 2007, US)
Short film.
A Filmaka/Kintop Pictures Production, USA 2007.
Writer/Director/Producer: Barbara Rothenborg
Cast: Matthew Mackey, Katrin Bieman, Jerad Harris
Runtime: 3:12min
Neil Labute (Director “Nurse Betty”, “The Wicker Man”) review:
barbara - you told a full and imaginative story in a very short period of time; handsome to look and terrific to watch.
Nominated for Best Dramatic short NOHO Film Festival 2007
When Timothy’s father dies in the war he finds himself heartbroken and no longer cares to live. One night he wakes up, hearing strange growling noises. In the living room he finds a cabinet open and a bright shiny light comes from the inside. He suddenly finds himself in a different world where an evil troll rules a gigantic junkyard
“Brothers and Fathers” (year: 2007, US)
Short film.
A Filmaka/Kiptop Pictures Production, USA 2007
Writer/Director/Producer: Barbara Rothenborg
Cast: Paul Sarkis, Ira Katz, Catherine Fitzlanders
Run time: 3:00min
Winner of the Filmaka Family Gathering contest 2007.
Nominated for Best Dramatic short NOHO Film Festival 2007
Two brothers are reunited after many years. George was in prison, but now claims he’s ready to take care of his biological son who George’s younger brother Tom has adopted
while he was away
“The Curse of The Pillow Tag” (year: 2006, US)
Short film.
A Filmaka/Kintop Pictures Production, USA 2006
Writer/Director/Producer: Barbara Rothenborg
Cast: Elena Evangelo
Runtime: 3:00min
Nominated for Best Dramatic short NOHO Film Festival 2007
Played at the Danish Film Festival LA October 2007
A beautiful woman gets paranoid after cutting the “Do not remove under penalty of law” tag off her pillow…
“The Perfect christmas" (year: 2007, US)
Short film/Fake commercial.
Writer/Director/Producer: Barbara Rothenborg
Producer: Jennifer Berthelot
Cast: Tom Wade
Runtime: 3:27min
Most people wish they could, just once, set aside their own crazy, loud families and order themselves the perfect one...
“The Riddle of the Troll” (year: 2007, US)
Short film.
Flying Stork Productions, USA 2007
Writer/Director/Producer: Barbara Rothenborg
Cast: Matthew Mackey, Katrin Bieman, Jerad Harris
Runtime: 5:18min
A young boy and his mother are being used as slaves by the dead husband and father’s evil relatives. The boy looses his will to live and gets deathly ill. Only after an adventure to another world does he learn that life can be hard and difficult, but that one cannot give up so easily.
“Walking Alone” (year: 2007, US)
Music video (Niles Thomas, EMI/Warner artist)
Flying Stork Productions
Writer/Director: Barbara Rothenborg
Artist: Niles Thomas
Cast: Elena Evangelo
Runtime: 4:55min
Winner of the Filmaka The Secret contest 2007.
A beautiful woman isolates herself after being diagnosed by cancer.
“Rite of Passage” (year: 2006, US)
Short film.
Seven Pictures LLC, USA 2007
Director: Barbara Rothenborg
Cast: Sheila Cavalette, Robert Lanza, Ian Temaat
Runtime: 12:40min
The loss of her father devastates a woman. But a friendly funeral director helps her through the grieving process, while her 10 year old son gets cheered up by an uncle with a red clown nose.
“In the Light of Shadow” (year: 2004, US)
Short film.
Flying Stork Productions, USA 2004.
Writer/Director/Producer: Barbara Rothenborg
Cast: Erin Cahill, Talon Ellithorpe
Runtime: 14:08min
A girl takes care of her mentally ill brother and father. The two haven’t spoken in years and she’s stuck in the middle with a secret that can either cast light on a her brother’s shadowed life or cause her to risk loosing everything, including her sanity.
“Daimon” (year: 2000, Denmark)
Short film.
Produced for Prime Vision, aired on DK4 and TVBio. DK4, Denmark 2000
Writer/Director/Producer: Barbara Rothenborg
Cast: Deni Jordan, Jacques Lauritsen
Runtime: 14:12min
A lonely man can no longer fight his demons. When he is confronted by a mysterious man he chooses to test his powers. A strange cult challenges him to struggle with another Daimon to see who has the strongest soul and deserves to live
“On the Pow Wow Trail” (year: 2006/2007, US)
Feature Documentary.
Flying Stork Productions
“Roto-Q” (year: 2007, US)
Commercial (Roto-Q Barbecue)
Seven Pictures.
“Barbara’s Galaxy” (year: 1999-2000, Denmark)
Television show with guests, music, film and comedy sketches.
Produced for TvBio, aired on TvBio
“Ramisan” (year: 1998, Denmark)
Short film.
Independently produced.
“Stalker” (year: 1998, Denmark)
Short film.
Independently produced.
WRITING CREDITS:
“Single Yellow Rose” (Feature, Romantic Drama)
A “Leaving Las Vegas” type of film. With a hint of magic…
Single Yellow Rose is the story of two lost souls coming together. They are both on a path of self destruction, one consciously and the other one half consciously. Both at a very painful point in their lives; Justine has just lost her mother to suicide and Ziv has gotten injured and is no longer able to practice his career and passion for dancing. But, illusions of hope presents itself at points when they are both in their darkest moments.
“Masks” (Feature, Comedy)
Masks is a mix between “Big Fish” and “Life is Beautiful”.
The story takes place during the dark times of 1st World War in Prague and is about a young man's search for a purpose in life, a child resistance group against the Germans and some magical glasses that makes even the darkest moments seem bright.
“Tabloid Romance” (Feature, Romantic Comedy)
Julie Crawford is an unhappy tabloid journalist. In order to save her job she decides to go undercover and write a story about the very secretive Gary Foster, a movie star who’s known for being engaged 7 times, but never married.
She uses her wits and charm to try to get Gary to fall for her to prove that he’ll always be a playboy and never settle down. They end up falling in love which results in a lot of heart break when the truth finally comes out. Julie recognizes what she’s doing to others by writing her fabricated tabloid stories and what it’s like, being the subject of magazine gossip. She realizes that her profession is less than honorable and that fairytale romance with movie stars usually doesn’t have a happy ending.
“Happy Endings” (Feature, Romantic Comedy)
Dean’s girlfriend brakes up with him on the night he’s going to propose to her. He’s heartbroken and his friend Buddy makes sure he starts dating again by signing him up to online dating. He meets lots of freaks until Melissa comes along. He’s so nervous about actually liking someone that he accidentally (with Buddy’s help) lies about his profession. Little does he know that she too is hiding something.
“Showmance” (Short film)
A very insecure girl who makes a living as a career extra falls in love with an elder widowed grip on set. He’s fascinated with her obsessive compulsive need to bring order into a world of chaos, by organizing everything from the craft service table to the art truck. She finds him calming with his 5 dogs and he makes her realize that she needs to stop being scared and go after her dream of acting and not settle for being background, in life and in film.
AD CREDITS:
1st AD “Alone With Her” The Weinstein Company/Pinhole Productions
Prod. Bob Engelman/Tom Engelman
1st AD “The Battle of Shaker Heights” Miramax /“Project Green Light” HBO
(2nd Unit) Line Prod. Joel Hatch
Prod. Ben Affleck/Matt Damon/Chris Moore/Jeff Balis
1st AD “Foodfight!” Lionsgate/Threshold Entertainment/C-47 Prod.
Prod. Bob Engelman
1st AD “The Ruins” Paramount Pictures/Mob Scene
1st AD “A Pink Affair” A Pink Affair, LLC
1st AD “Out at the Wedding” Goff-Kellam Productions, LLC
Prod. Gina Goff/Laura Kellam
Dir. Lee Friedlander
1st AD “Waning Moon” Waning Moon Productions, LLC
Prod. John Kelly/Mark Cross
1st AD “Held Together” The Simon, LLC
Dir. Russell Brown
1st AD “Tomoko’s Kitchen” Tomoko’s Kitchen, LLC
1st AD “Vengeance Trail” TripleDare Productions
Dir. Stephen McCurry
1st AD “Chandelier” Primitive Entertainment, Inc.
1st AD “9/Tenths” Film Medici, LLC
Dir. Bob Degus
1st AD “Off Hollywood and Vine” American Film Institute
1st AD “3:52” 4 Elements Entertainment, LLC
1st AD “The Pirating” Open Road Media
1st AD “Friendship” TripleDare Productions
2nd AD “The Battle of Shaker Heights” Miramax /“Project Green Light” HBO
2nd AD/ “Room 6” Mindfire Productions/Haunted Prod.
1st AD (2nd Unit) Prod. Mark Altman/ Danny Wayne
2nd AD “All Souls Day” Mindfire Productions/All Souls Day Inc.
2nd AD “House of the Dead 2, Dead Aim” Mindfire Productions/HOD Inc.
2nd AD “9 Lives of Mara” 9 Lives Investment, LLC
2nd AD “The Biggest Fan” One Chance Productions, Inc.
UPM. Jen Berthelot
2nd AD “Exorcist Chronicles” Melrose Pictures, LLC
Dir. Will Raee
2nd AD “East L.A. King” Laguna Productions, LLC/Amigo Films
2nd AD “9/Tenths” Film Medici, LLC
2nd AD “Jack” Open Sky Entertainment/BlackHat Inc
Addl. 2nd AD “I’m Perfect” I’m Perfect, LLC
Addl. 2nd AD “One More Round” One More Round, LLC
2nd 2nd AD “Standing Still” Standing Still, LLC
1st AD: David Cluck
Line Prod. Bruce Wayne Gillies/Sabrina Ballard
2nd 2nd AD “Day of the Dead” Suruat Corporation
2nd 2nd AD “Destiny’s Child” Infinity Entertainment
Key Set PA “Columbo” Universal Studios/USA Network
1st AD: Liz Ryan
Producer: John Whitman/Peter Falk
PR Coordinator “Van Wilder” National Lampoon
East Coast Prod. Daniel Lakin/Randi Segal
TELEVISION:
1st AD “The Rules” MTV Networks/Logo
1st AD “Sandy’s World” MTV Networks/Logo
1st AD “Moochers” Paramount/CBS/Stage 29 Productions
2nd AD “ANITA” Telemundo/Moving Parts
2nd 2nd AD “EXTRA” EXTRA/Lynne Lussier Productions
2nd 2nd AD “Bunny Got Game” Playboy/Lynne Lussier Productions
1st AD: Rafael Orozco
COMMERCIALS/MUSIC VIDEOS:
1st AD/Line Producer “Learning Tree” Seven Pictures, LLC/Learning Tree
1st AD “Conflict” CRM Films/Armstrong Moving Pictures
1st AD “Lil’ Romeo: Special Girl" Master P Guttar Music/The Company
1st AD “The Pharcyde: Knew U” Mindvision Pictures/Chapter One
1st AD “DoubleMint” Baseline Entertainment
1st AD “Listening Under Preasure” Kantola Prod/Armstrong Moving Pic.
2nd AD “Botopical” Rodney Benn Productions
2nd AD “Taking Charge of Change” CRM Films/Armstrong Moving Pictures
References:
Jennifer Berthelot (UPM) 323/ 371 2148
Bob Degus (Director) 661/ 424 1320
Jessica Driscol (Prod.Man) 310/ 7528656
Bruce Del Castillo (Director) 818/ 720 3079
Bob Engelman (Producer) 818/ 399 6935
Eric Nicolas (Director) 310/ 770 2886
ACTING CREDITS:
“Nana” (Television series, 1988, Denmark)
Lead, Title role.
A story about the every day life of a young girl and her father.
Awards (including but not limited to):
Bronze prize in New York City for best children’s television series in 1988
Golden Duck - The Walt Disney Award 1988
Sold to Germany as well as the Nordic countries.
“Dage med Oldefar” / “Days with Grandpa’” (Novelle film, 1990)
Lead.
An 8 year old girl is dropped off at her grandfather’s house in the country and she’s having a hard time adapting to the quiet countryside. When she witnesses childbirth and gets a new pet rabbit; she finally decides to turn her walkman off, which has kept her from experiencing all the joys of the country.
Aired on Danish television.
“Hemlig Nemlig”/ “Secrets” (Television show, 1991, Denmark)
Lead.
A girl has a crush on her friend’s ex-boyfriend and is fighting to resist the temptation, when he approaches her at a party where his ex-girlfriend is not present.
“Krummerne”/”The Crums” (Theatrical feature film, 1991, Denmark)
Supporting, Love interest.
A family film of Krumme, an 11 year old boy who is in love with Yrsa and has trouble showing it. In the meantime he witnesses a bank robbery and has to deal with his teen-age older sister and his father who is a joke as a teacher at Krumme’s own school.
“Krummerne 2”/”The Crums 2” (Theatrical feature film, 1992, Denmark)
Supporting, Love interest.
Krumme has still not gotten far with his love for Yrsa, but his family has moved into a new house and he finds a new friend. Between trying to impress Yrsa and taking care of his crazy family, he is captured by the bank robbers who seek revenge.
“Victor and Victoria” (Theatrical feature film, 1993, Denmark)
Supporting.
The trolls in the forest are having trouble finding food. When two families of trolls meet does it mean war or love?
“Puls” (Youth television show, 1998, Denmark)
Host.
“Klinkevals” (Theatrical feature film and television series, 1999, Denmark)
Supporting.
In the late 1800’s, Copenhagen’s poverty is devastating and people’s secrets are as well.
“Barbara’s Galaxy” (Television show, 1999-2001, Denmark)
Host.
“Kopisten”/The Copier” (Novelle film, 1999, Denmark)
Herself.
Aired on DR2.
“Juliane” (Theatrical feature film and television series, 2000, Denmark)
Supporting.
The father of the family disappears and the two teen-age daughters have to go looking through the roughest neighborhoods to find him in the arms of a hooker. To keep this from their mother they sneak him home and take care of him in secret.
“Daimon” (Short film, 2001, Denmark)
Bartender.
A lonely man can no longer fight his demons. When he is confronted by a mysterious older man he chooses to test his power which ends in a church basement, after several hallucinations of man-eating angels and demonesque creatures. A strange cult challenges him to struggle with another Daimon (Greek for messenger) to see who has the strongest soul and deserves to live.
“The Biggest Fan” (Feature film, 2002, US)
Supporting.
A girl’s biggest dream comes true one morning when she wakes up and her idol is laying next to her in bed.
“Battle of Shaker Heights” (Feature film, 2003, US)
New girl.
A young war re-enactor makes a friend on the battlefield who helps him use strategy to take on his high school enemy...
