Bert and Bertie

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For the Canadian curler, see Kathie Ellwood.

Bert and Bertie
Two women with black hats are standing in front of a crowd of people, and are posing for cameras. The left woman is wearing a green shirt and jeans. The right woman has a red shirt with a brown skirt.
Bert (left) and Bertie (right) premiering their short film Phobias in 2006
Born
Bert: Amber Templemore-Finlayson
Bertie: Katie Ellwood
Other namesBert & Bertie
OccupationDirector, writer, producer
Years active2002–present
Notable work
Troop Zero, Hawkeye

Amber Templemore-Finlayson and Katie Ellwood, collectively known as Bert and Bertie, respectively,[1][2][3] are British film and television directors. They are best-known for directing the film Troop Zero. They directed a block of episodes for the Disney+ series Hawkeye.

Career[]

Bert and Bertie met in 2005 in London when Bert was making a short film series to go along with The Getaway, and Bertie was the game's writer.[2][4] Bertie used to work for Sony Computer Entertainment as an assistant producer and script consultant.[5] Their first project was the short film Phobias.[4] The two have also directed commercials for McDonald's.[6][7]

In 2019, they directed the comedy-drama film Troop Zero. They were inspired to create the film after realizing the social and cultural impact the film could have on young girls, and discovering that there had never been a film made about a group of girls "that go on an adventure to achieve something by working together and succeeding".[8][4] They convinced producer Todd Black at Escape Artists to help them create the film. After being approved by Escape Artists, producer Ted Hope and his Amazon Originals team let them pitch the film.[8] For the pitch, they created Birdie Scout manuals filled with ideas how to create the film. They also made a "rip-o-matic" of reference movies to give Amazon Studios a sense of "the comic yet emotional tone of the movie", and chose 20 images that defined the film they wanted to create.[8]

In July 2020, it was announced they would direct a block of episodes for the Disney+ series Hawkeye, which premiered in November 2021.[9][10]

The two will direct Queen Bitch & The High Horse, a film about the largest municipal fraud in American history.[11] Cate Blanchett and her production company Dirty Films will produce, along with New Republic Pictures.[12][11]

Personal life[]

The two are from London,[8] and are based in Los Angeles and London as of January 2019.[2] Bert grew up in Johannesburg.[8] Bertie grew up in Leicester, England.[8] The two like to call themselves "the Berts".[13][2]

Their influences include the Coen brothers, Guillermo del Toro, Jean-Pierre Jeunet, Marc Caro, and Tim Burton.[2]

Filmography[]

Film[]

Year Title Credited as Notes
Director Writer Producer
2006 Phobias Yes Yes No Short film
2006 Antonio's Breakfast No No Bert Short film, credited as Amber Templemore-Finlayson
2006 Glue No No Bert Co-producer, credited as Amber Templemore-Finlayson
2009 The Taxidermist Yes Yes No Short film
2012 Worm Yes No No Short film
2016 Dance Camp Yes No No
2019 Troop Zero Yes No No
TBA Queen Bitch & The High Horse Yes No No

Television[]

Year Title Notes
2020 Kidding Directed: "The Acceptance Speech", "A Seat on the Rocket"
2020 The Great Directed: "And You Sir, Are No Peter the Great", "Moscow Mule"
2021 Hawkeye Directed: "Echoes", "Partners, Am I Right?" and "Ronin"

Video games[]

Year Title Notes
2002 The Getaway Bertie only, credited as Katie Ellwood

Awards[]

Year Award Category Work Result Ref.
2006 British Academy Film Awards Best Short Film Antonio's Breakfast Won [14][15]
2009 Rhode Island International Film Festival First Place: Best Cinematography The Taxidermist Won [16]
2009 Palm Springs International ShortFest Best Live Action Over 15 Minutes Won [17]
2012 Leeds International Film Festival Special Mention: Best British Short Worm Won [18]

They were also named one of Variety's 2019 Directors to Watch.[19][2]

References[]

  1. ^ Serba, John (20 January 2020). "Stream It Or Skip It: 'Troop Zero' on Amazon Prime, an Indie Comedy That'll Test Your Twee Tolerance". Decider. Retrieved 10 July 2021.
  2. ^ a b c d e f Morfoot, Addie (4 January 2019). "10 Directors to Watch: Bert and Bertie Combine Forces on Underdog Comedy 'Troop Zero'". Variety. Retrieved 10 July 2021.
  3. ^ Kit, Borys (17 July 2020). "Marvel's 'Hawkeye' Disney+ Series Lands 'Troop Zero,' 'Comrade Detective' Directors (Exclusive)". Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved 10 July 2021.
  4. ^ a b c Bert and Bertie (17 January 2020). "Bert&Bertie's Great Girl Adventure". Talkhouse. Retrieved 14 July 2021.
  5. ^ Lambie, Ryan (26 February 2008). "Katie Ellwood interview". Den of Geek. Retrieved 10 July 2021.
  6. ^ Gariano, Francesca (14 November 2021). "McDonald's new emotional Christmas ad 'Imaginary Iggy' is seriously a tearjerker". TODAY.com. Retrieved 18 November 2021.
  7. ^ Kiefer, Brittaney (12 November 2021). "McDonald's Sweet Christmas Ad Reminds Adults to Embrace Their Childlike Imagination". Adweek. Retrieved 18 November 2021.
  8. ^ a b c d e f Stewart, Sophia (28 January 2019). "Sundance 2019 Women Directors: Meet Bert & Bertie – "Troop Zero"". womenandhollywood.com. Retrieved 10 July 2021.
  9. ^ Kit, Borys (17 July 2020). "Marvel's 'Hawkeye' Disney+ Series Lands 'Troop Zero,' 'Comrade Detective' Directors (Exclusive)". The Hollywood Reporter. Archived from the original on 17 July 2020. Retrieved 11 July 2021.
  10. ^ Boone, John (10 December 2020). "Marvel Debuts New Trailers for 'Loki' and 'Falcon and Winter Soldier,' Announces 'Fantastic Four' Movie". Entertainment Tonight. Archived from the original on 11 December 2020. Retrieved 11 July 2021.
  11. ^ a b D'Alessandro, Anthony (5 February 2021). "Bert And Bertie To Direct 'Queen Bitch & The High Horse' For New Republic Pictures & Cate Blanchett's Dirty Films". Deadline. Retrieved 10 July 2021.
  12. ^ Rubin, Rebecca (5 February 2021). "Cate Blanchett to Produce Embezzlement Drama 'Queen Bitch and the High Horse'". Variety. Retrieved 10 July 2021.
  13. ^ Ritman, Alex (10 November 2019). "British Film Duo on Capturing Zeitgeist With Elizabeth Taylor Biopic". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved 10 July 2021.
  14. ^ Wilkes, Neil (19 February 2006). "In Full: BAFTA 2006 Winners". Digital Spy. Retrieved 10 July 2021.
  15. ^ Hernandez, Eugene (20 February 2006). ""Brokeback Mountain" Wins 4 BAFTA Awards, Including Best Picture". IndieWire. Retrieved 15 July 2021.
  16. ^ "2009 Film Festival Award Winners Announced". Rhode Island International Film Festival. 9 August 2009. Retrieved 10 July 2021.
  17. ^ Admin (29 June 2009). "2009 Palm Springs International SHORTFEST Announces WINNERS". cinemawithoutborders.com. Archived from the original on 14 July 2021. Retrieved 14 July 2021.
  18. ^ "Thomas Vinterberg's The Hunt and Other Winners of 2012 Leeds International Film Festival". VIMOOZ. 25 November 2012. Retrieved 14 July 2021.
  19. ^ Debruge, Peter (27 November 2018). "Variety Names 10 Directors to Watch for 2019". Variety. Retrieved 14 July 2021.

External links[]

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