A Director’s Commentary
“Die, Nazi scum!”(Lucid in Freaky Tales) The first time I watched The Shining was on a VHS tape...
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Partners in Character & Chaos
ANNA BODEN & RYAN FLECK
Creators of Bold, Multi-genre storytelling
Biography
Anna Boden and Ryan Fleck are an Emmy®-winning Director-Writer-Producer duo with over two decades of collaboration, spanning a wide range of genres. Since crossing paths in college in New York City, the pair have shaped their shared creative vision into an impressive body of work.
Their latest film, Freaky Tales, is a genre-blending action comedy that premiered at the 2024 Sundance Film Festival. Inspired by Fleck’s own memories of growing up in 1980s Oakland, the film tells four interconnected stories set against the backdrop of real historical events in the city. Released in theaters on April 4 and featuring an ensemble cast including Pedro Pascal, Ben Mendelsohn, Jay Ellis, Dominique Thorne, and Normani, Freaky Tales is a love letter to Oakland’s culture, music, and grit.
BOLD VOICES IN MODERN CINEMA
FROM INDIE GEMS TO GLOBAL BLOCKBUSTERS
With roots in documentary and independent film, Boden and Fleck are also known for co-writing and co-directing the billion-dollar box office hit Captain Marvel. In 2006, Boden and Fleck made their feature debut with the award-winning film, Half Nelson, starring Ryan Gosling, who received an Academy Award® nomination for his performance. The film also won Movie of the Year at the AFI Awards; received Spirit Award nominations for Best Feature, Best Director, and Best Screenplay; and won Best Film, Breakthrough Director, and Breakthrough Performance at the Gotham Awards.
Next, they wrote and directed the independent film, Sugar, an introspective sports drama following the life of a talented Dominican baseball player, which won Movie of the Year at the AFI Awards and received a Spirit Award nomination for Best Screenplay. In 2010, Boden and Fleck wrote and directed It's Kind of a Funny Story for Focus Features, starring Keir Gilchrist, Zach Galifianakis, and Zoë Kravitz. Their fourth feature, Mississippi Grind, starred Ryan Reynolds and Ben Mendelsohn, whose performance was nominated for a Spirit Award for Best Actor.
EXPANDING UNIVERSE
INNOVATORS IN STORY & STYLE
In television, Boden and Fleck directed and executive produced the Primetime Emmy® Award-winning limited series “Mrs. America,” starring Cate Blanchett for FX. Other recent work includes “Masters of the Air,” executive produced by Tom Hanks, Steven Spielberg, and Gary Goetzman for Apple TV+, and the American crime-drama “Criminal,” to be released later this year, which Boden and Fleck directed and executive produced for Amazon Studios.
DEPTH OF FIELD
Inside the world of ANNA BODEN & RYAN FLECK
Masters of Cinema
