99 Tigers is proud to announce that comedy director/writer Todd Berger has joined our team.
Todd hails from New Orleans and has been making movies since age 11 (Dick Tracy vs. Dr. Bubbles, in which he also starred). His first feature, The Scenesters, played over 30 film festivals in 2010 and won Most Interesting Film at the Slamdance Film Festival. His feature-length documentary Don’t Eat The Baby: Adventures at post-Katrina Mardi Gras played on the final night of the 2007 New Orleans Film Festival. His most recent film, It’s A Disaster, had its world premiere at the Los Angeles Film Festival and will be released later this year. Todd works as a screenwriter and actor in Los Angeles, with scripts currently in development at MGM, DreamWorks Animation, Sony Pictures, Jim Henson Productions, and The Disney Channel.
Here’s a review of his recent film from the Guardian:
Los Angeles Film Festival: It’s a Disaster is a triumph
Todd Berger’s comedy drama about four couples spending their last night on earth together deserves a wide audience
At the after-party for the Los Angeles Film Festival’s premiere of Todd Berger’s comedy drama It’s a Disaster at the Hotel Figeuroa, the blue drink tickets are being handed over the bar faster than you can say “not another apocalyptic couples brunch movie.” Around the pool, actor David Cross is being asked for possibly the 100th time if there’s going to an Arrested Development film. “We were supposed to shoot in the next few days,” he’d told the audience at the post-screening Q&A. “But I have yet to see a script or a contract.” So that’s that sorted. For now.
It’s a Disaster is an absolute gem of a doomsday movie about four couples who meet for brunch and find themselves in the middle of a chemical warfare attack, coping with their last few hours as best they can. Julia Stiles and America Ferrera star alongside Cross, but the project was born out of the mind of Berger, and brought to life with the help of producers Kevin Brennan, Jeff Grace and Blaise Miller, who also star. Collectively known as the comedy troup the Vacationeers (“Although we don’t really do that anymore,” says Grace), their previous movie, The Scenesters, is on its way to cult status. If there’s any justice in the world, It’s a Disaster will find an even bigger audience. “But we’re still looking for a distributor,” said Berger. “How much cash do you have on you?”
Berger says he was inspired by watching George A Romero’s Night of the Living Dead, but felt that while zombies “are kind of done,” he could write a strong piece where a group of people are contained in one small space. “I liked the idea of a bunch of people being forced to stay inside the house, because you never know when there’s going to be an earthquake or terrorist attack,” he said. He added that the cast suffered their own emotional pain as the movie was shot during the hottest two weeks in recent Californian history. “We had to turn the air-con off because it made so much noise. It was insane.”
