Jovan Todorovic

Jovan Branislav Todorovic is a Serbian American born artist and filmmaker based in New York. He works in film, photography, and music. He has directed The Belgrade Phantom, and short films Juvenile, You’re Dead, America.

Bography

Jovan attended High School in Serbia. It was during this time that he was introduced to the computer and demo scene and even became a part of the computer demo group Corrosion which later became known as Kosmoplovci and started making electronic music under the pseudonym DZHO. It was with Kosmoplovci that Jovan created music as an individual but also for group art and video projects while also performing in live shows.

Jovan attended his first year of college at Columbia College in Chicago from 1998 to 1999. It was then he made his first music video for a friend who was the lead singer of The Strike, as well as making the video for Shots Heard Around The World. He then transferred for his second year of college at the Faculty of Dramatic Arts in Belgrade, Serbia. For his graduation film, he directed and produced The Belgrade Phantom. Through the film, Jovan and Bogdan Petkovic founded Emote Productions, which would later be named Emote Films. Through Emote Films, Jovan started making more commercials.

Before completing his MFA at the Faculty of Dramatic Arts in Serbia, he made his first feature The Belgrade Phantom which won best documentary at both FIPRESCI Festival in Serbia and Gotham Film Festival in New York.[1] Since then, he has travelled the world creating commercial, fashion and music video work for major global brands, agencies and artists such as Nike, Samsung, Diesel, Coty, W+K, H&M, Puma, Major Lazer, Nicki Minaj, Katy Perry, XL Recordings, Universal, Sony among others.

His recent commercial for Nike Japan has provoked a political and social up-roar that led to some of the first serious discussions on race and prejudice in Japan's recent times.[2] Jovan is co-founder and managing director of EMOTE films along with Bogdan Petkovic.

Represented commercially by Anonymous Content, an entertainment company based in Los Angeles, as well as some freelance work.[3]

In 2009, Jovan, as part of the music directing duo ESNAF directed a music video for Boy Crisis, an American band influenced by post-disco–post-punk sound, called L’Homme. The album of L’Homme was supposed to be released in 2009 but due to problems with the record label, it never was. Despite the absence of a released album, along with two other official music videos, L’Homme was released in 2009.[4] The video was awarded a Vimeo Staff Pick.

Jovan also directed the feature film, The Belgrade Phantom. Released in 2009, the drama, thriller, documentary film is a Serbian historical drama taking place in post-war Yugoslavia. The film revolves around a mysterious driver managing to constantly escape police in a stolen car. The film won the Silver Eye award at the Jihlava International Documentary Film Festival 2009,[5] the award for the Best Documentary Film at the Gotham Screen Film Festival in New York 2009, and the FIPRESCI award at Fipresci Serbia in 2010. After the film was released, Jovan, along with cast members, appeared on the first season of a Serbian talk show called Fajront Republika in 2009.

In addition to film, Jovan was also a member of the band Kill Me Laser which played from 2009 to 2012. In addition to playing at the Exit festival. Kill Me Laser was also performed at The Prodigy concert in Belgrade.

In 2017, Jovan directed the music video Hard Liquor by Sohn.[6][7] Jovan also directed three commercials for Berkshire Hathaway, JD.com, and T-Mobile.[8] He also directed Synthetic Overture, a short film.[9]

In addition, in 2020, Jovan makes music as a part of the music group ZNTNDR with Ilija Duni, from bands Petrol and Ti.

Filmography

Director
  • 2020 Jessie Ware: Spotlight[10][11]
  • 2019 Major Lazer & Anitta: Make It Hot[12]
  • 2018 Adidas: See My Creativity[13]
  • 2018 JennAir: Bound by Nothing
  • 2018 Rosie Lowe: Birdsong
  • 2017 You're Dead, America[14]
  • 2017 Synthetic Overture
  • 2016 Okay Kaya: Durer[15]
  • 2016 Juvenile[16]
  • 2009 The Belgrade Phantom
  • 2005 Drzava izlaza
  • 2003 The Next Letter
  • 2002 Hu - Covek kao armija (Short)
  • 2001 Gandor: The Hunt for the Nirdal
  • 2000 Istorija moje bolesti

References
  1. Mancab, Geoffrey. "Wide Management embraces The Belgrade Phantom". Screen International.
  2. "'You Can't Stop Sport' in This Nike Japan Film Tackling Racial Discrimination". LBBOnline.
  3. "Anonymous Content Signs Director Jovan Todorovic For Spots, Music Videos". SHOOTonline.
  4. "Boy Crisis - Tulipomania". Contactmusic.com. 27 October 2009.
  5. "The Belgrade Phantom". IMDb.
  6. "Sohn 'Hard Liquor' by Jovan". Promonewstv.
  7. "Sohn – "Hard Liquor" Video". Stereogum. 4 January 2017.
  8. "Jovan Todorovic". Ad Age. 16 September 2020.
  9. "Hit godine: Britanska pop zvezda snimila spot u Beogradu u kojem su centralnu ulogu imali trubači". Noizz.rs (in Serbian). 28 February 2020.
  10. Cinquemani, Sal (28 February 2020). "Jessie Ware Returns to the "Spotlight" with New Single and Album". Slant Magazine.
  11. "The 20 Best Music Videos of 2020". Slant Magazine. 21 December 2020.
  12. Shaffer, Claire (26 June 2019). "Major Lazer, Anitta Throw Summer Bash in 'Make It Hot' Video". Rolling Stone.
  13. "Women athletes describe working hard as their version of creativity in Adidas' latest film". The Drum.
  14. "You're Dead America". Nowness.
  15. "Okay Kaya Comforts Support Group in New Music Video". V Magazine.
  16. "Intervju petkom - Stefan Đorđević: "Kada vidiš slobodu u kavezu, to te polomi"". BBC News (in Serbian (Latin script)).
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