Jordi Morera is an award-winning creative producer, who won the BAFTA for best short animation Do Not Feed The Pigeons. He is currently working as a producer on various short-form projects across fiction and animation and developing a slate as an independent producer. His range of skills covers the development and physical production. He holds an MA in Producing from the National Film and Television School and a BA in Design from Goldsmiths University.
Can you tell us a bit about yourself and your background in filmmaking? What inspired you to pursue a career in the film industry?
Hi, Jordi Morera here. I am an independent film producer based in London. I was born in Barcelona and I've been living in the UK for 16 years. My skills range from development to physical production. I have produced many short films that have been selected and awarded internationally. In 2022 we won the BAFTA for Best Short Film Animation with the film Do Not Feed The Pigeons. I am now concentrating on my feature film slate, working with British writers and directors. The rest of my time I work as a tutor in the producing and animation department at the National Film and Television School in Beaconsfield.
It happened organically. Having trained as a designer at Goldsmiths University, my work and practice have always revolved around moving images and filmmaking, so it seemed inevitable that I would find myself making films and becoming a producer, and it's a job where no two days are the same and it suits my personality and energy very well. I can't think of a more inspiring, exciting and ever-changing medium than filmmaking - the possibilities are endless. What inspired me to pursue a career in film is the collaborative nature of it and working with talented, passionate people, as it's a constant learning process from which I always gain!
What does being part of Berlinale Talents mean to you? Is there something about the city that resonates with your creative process?
This will be my first time at the Berlinale and I'm really looking forward to it. I applied last year and was on reserve, so I was very happy to be accepted this year. Berlinale Talents is a unique opportunity to meet like-minded filmmakers from all over the world and see what potential collaborations might arise. Berlin is a great city and cultural hub. It also shares some similarities with the UK in terms of film funding. As a UK-based producer working with UK talent and with some co-production projects in development on my slate, this could be a great opportunity for those projects. I'm also planning to organise some meetings to pitch my projects and meet new potential collaborators.
How do you balance expressing your unique voice while creating work that resonates with audiences around the world?
As a film producer, I'm only as good as the talent of the writers and directors I work with. It is a matter of finding people who resonate with you and whose work you believe needs to be brought to an audience. It is REALLY hard to know what will resonate with audiences around the world, but you have to trust your instincts and champion it!
This year’s theme is 'Listen Courageously – Cinematic Narratives in Times of Dissonance.' How does the theme connect to your work and the stories you want to tell?
I like this year's theme and wonder how it relates to the programme we will be taking part in. I am always drawn to stories and people that offer a fresh perspective on universal themes. Every filmmaker has a unique creative vision and it's my job as a producer to help them elevate that and get the film made.
The Berlinale is the leading festival when it comes to bold and radical storytelling. I always look to it. It is worrying to see how government policy can influence the official discourse of the festival when it comes to discussing the Palestinian genocide. When I read this year's theme, I can't help but reflect on this and hope that the Berlinale can keep being a platform to openly discuss and show films that challenge politics, universal themes and conflicts across the globe that affect us all!