Bernard Rose

Bernard Rose (born 1960 in London) is an English filmmaker, considered a pioneer of digital filmmaking. He is best known for directing the horror films Paperhouse and Candyman (1992), the historical romances Immortal Beloved (1994) and Anna Karenina (1997), and the independent drama Ivans xtc (2000), for which he was nominated for the Independent Spirit Award for Best Director and the John Cassavetes Award. He has also been nominated for the Grand Prix des Amériques and the Venice Horizons Prize. He has frequently cast actors Danny Huston and Tony Todd in his films. In the 1980s, he directed music videos for UB40, Frankie Goes to Hollywood and Bronski Beat.

Life and career Rose was born in London, the son of a father who was born Jewish and a mother who had converted to Judaism. His mother was a granddaughter of the Earl Jellicoe. He began making super 8 films when he was 9. By 1975, he won an amateur film competition hosted by BBC which led to the broadcasting of his works. He worked for Jim Henson on the last season of The Muppet Show and then again on The Dark Crystal in 1981. He attended National Film and Television School and graduated in 1982 with a Master's in Filmmaking. After this, he moved on to directing music videos for MTV, one of which was the uncensored version of Frankie Goes To Hollywood's hit "Relax".

Shortly after directing music videos, he moved on to direct British TV films such as Prospects and then finally in 1988 directed his first major full-length film, Paperhouse. Rose got his big break internationally with 1992's Candyman, which has since been seen as a cult classic. Subsequently, Rose both wrote and directed Immortal Beloved, about the life and loves of Ludwig van Beethoven, as well as a remake of Leo Tolstoy's Anna Karenina.

In 2012, Rose directed Two Jacks, a drama based on Leo Tolstoy's short story "Two Hussars," starring Sienna Miller and Danny Huston. In the same year, he released Boxing Day, another Tolstoy adaptation with Huston as a lead for a total of four from the pair (following Ivans Xtc and The Kreutzer Sonata). In 2014, Rose directed the musical drama The Devil's Violinist. This was followed by a contemporary adaptation of Mary Shelley's Frankenstein. Rose directed Samurai Marathon (2019) a Japanese-produced historical drama, and the American drama Traveling Light (2021).

In 2023, Rose was announced as the writer/director of Relax, a musical biopic about Frankie Goes to Hollywood, based upon lead singer Holly Johnson's 1994 autobiography A Bone in My Flute, and starring Callum Scott Howells as Johnson. Relax, to be produced by Working Title Films, continues Rose's association with Frankie Goes to Hollywood after directing music videos for the band's songs "Relax" (1983) and "Welcome to the Pleasuredome" (1985).

Rose is a frequent collaborator of actor and filmmaker Danny Huston. Rose is also a contributor to the webseries Trailers from Hell.

Filmography Film Year Title Director Writer Notes 1986 Smart Money 1987 Body Contact 1988 Paperhouse 1990 Chicago Joe and the Showgirl 1992 Candyman Inside Out III Segment: "Cafe L'Amour" Inside Out IV Segment: "Save the Wetlands" 1994 Immortal Beloved 1997 Anna Karenina 2000 Ivans Xtc 2005 Snuff-Movie Also cinematographer 2008 The Kreutzer Sonata 2010 Mr. Nice 2012 Two Jacks Boxing Day 2013 Sx_Tape The Devil's Violinist 2015 Frankenstein 2019 Samurai Marathon Japanese film 2021 Traveling Light Also producer TBA Lear Rex Post-production

Television Year Title Notes 1986 Prospects 2 episodes

Music video YearTitleArtist 1983 "Red Red Wine" UB40 "Relax" Frankie Goes to Hollywood 1984 "Smalltown Boy" Bronski Beat 1985 "Welcome to the Pleasuredome" Frankie Goes to Hollywood

Awards and nominations Year Title Award/Nomination 1988 Paperhouse BIFFF Golden Raven AwardSpecial Jury Award (Fantasporto)Nominated- Fantasporto International Fantasy Film Award 1992 Candyman Avoriaz Fantastic Film Festival Audience Award Avoriaz Fantastic Film Festival Grand PrizeNominated- Saturn Award for Best WritingNominated- Fantasporto International Fantasy Film Award 2000 Ivans Xtc Nominated for the Independent Spirit Award for Best DirectorNominated for the Independent Spirit John Cassavetes Award2012 Two Jacks Nominated for the Hollywood Discovery Award for Best Feature FilmNominated- Grand Prix des Amériques Boxing Day Nominated for the Venice Horizons Prize 2015 Frankenstein BIFFF Golden Raven Award