Jovan Todorović


Jovan Branislav Todorović is a Serbian–American film director and multidisciplinary artist based in New York and Belgrade.

Early life and education

Todorović was born in Belgrade in 1979. He studied film at Columbia College Chicago in 1999, and then earned a degree in Film and TV Directing at the Faculty of Dramatic Arts in Belgrade in 2010. Later, Todorović earned his MFA from the same institution. He is a member of the Directors Guild of America.

Career

Documentary and shorts

Todorović wrote and directed The Belgrade Phantom, a documentary recounting a 1979 folk tale about a stolen Porsche that drove through Belgrade at night. The film premiered at the International Documentary Film Festival Amsterdam, and later screened at the Centre Pompidou within the Hors Pistes program in 2011. Beginning in 2015, he occasionally lived inside a juvenile correctional facility in southern Serbia, filming daily life inside. The short Juvenile premiered on Dazed, which discussed the ethics and aims of the project. He later expanded the material into a feature-length film, completed in 2022, which appeared on the Energa CAMERIMAGE 2022 programme in Toruń. Todorović also directed You're Dead, America, a short film for Motionpoems based on a text by poet Danez Smith, released by Nowness.

Music videos

Todorović’s music-video credits include Jessie Ware’s "Spotlight", shot on Tito's Blue Train, which received significant coverage in the music press. His other credits include Major Lazer & Anitta's "Make It Hot", SOHN’s "Hard Liquor", Rosie Lowe’s "Birdsong", Paul Kalkbrenner’s "Schwer", and Inhaler's "Your House". Recent coverage has highlighted the technological and aesthetic character of his work: Schwer was described as ground-breaking for its fusion of volumetric capture and live action. Your House was framed as a stylized, fractured-love portrait with tight editorial rhythm.

Commercials

Todorovic's has made commercials for GM — "Crafting the One / See You on the Road" and Tissot — "Focus Forward". He is represented commercially by Smuggler. His 2020 film The Future Isn’t Waiting for Nike Japan explored bullying and discrimination. The piece was mentioned in The Guardian and The Asahi Shimbun. For Diesel — Hate Couture, he collaborated with Publicis Italy and Stink Films on a campaign which turned real online insults into couture pieces modeled by high-profile figures ; Shots profiled the staging and reception, and the campaign went on to win multiple awards including Lions at Cannes. In 2024 he directed Find Your Pace for Experience Abu Dhabi, a tourism campaign shot on 65mm with cinematographer Oliver Millar.
He also directed the global Adidas film See My Creativity, spotlighting women in sports.

ZNTNDR (music project)

Todorović is the founder, producer, and lead vocalist of ZNTNDR, an electronic music and video project based between Belgrade and New York. ZNTNDR's Untitled Us was featured by Nowness and covered by Promonews, and was shortlisted at the UK Music Video Awards 2022 for Best Alternative Video – International and Best Cinematography. ZNTNDR's Wonderful Time is among his recent directorial credits; Serbian outlet Before After profiled the project in detail.

Photography

Todorović’s editorial and personal work has appeared in Flaunt, Interview, Teeth Magazine, ODDA, Escape into Life, and Fubiz, and his portfolio is catalogued on Models.com. He has also photographed and directed elements of the Katy Perry INDI fragrance campaign.

Recognition and exhibitions

  • 2009: Silver Eye Award – Jihlava Documentary FF ; Best Documentary Film – Gotham Screen FF ; FIPRESCI Award – FIPRESCI Serbia.
  • 2011: Screening – Hors Pistes, Centre Pompidou.
  • 2018: Eurobest — Gold, Bronze ; CICLOPE Festival – Bronze ; Cannes Lions — Bronze, Silver, Silver, Bronze ; Grand Prix – Golden Drum, plus multiple Golden Drum awards.
  • 2019: Silver Clio ; Gold Clio ; D&AD Wood Pencil ; Silver Shots Award ; Recognised – APA Showcase ; LUX Awards – Grand Prix.
  • 2020: Vimeo Staff Pick ; YouTube Works Grand Prix & Force for Good ; Adweek Campaign of the Year ; MVF Awards – Best Lockdown Music Video ; Webby Awards – People's Voice Winner, Webby Honoree ; Bronze Clio ; YouTube Works US – Grand Prix & Creative Innovation ; ADC Silver Cube.
  • 2021: Shark Music Video Awards – Best Choreography.
  • 2022: CICLOPE Festival – Silver, Bronze, Bronze ; UK Music Video Awards – Shortlist ; London International Awards – 3× Gold, Silver ; Berlin Commercial Awards – Winner, Winner ; Clio Gold ; D&AD Graphite Pencil ; Exhibition — Fukakouryoku in The World of Music Video, Völklinger Hütte.

    Interviews and podcasts

  • The Nourish Podcast — “Being Present in Your Own Creativity.”
  • Good Podcast — S5E5.
  • 360 Yourself! — Episode 92.
  • Boiler Room 4:3 – JOVAN TODOROVIC & CLAYTON VOMERO ON '3OHA'.
  • Shots Magazine Interview | Vaundy Music Video.
  • Shots Magazine Interview | Hate Couture.
  • Dazed Interview – Juvenile.
  • Dazed Interview – Generation Insta.
  • Nowness Interview – You're Dead, America.
  • LBB Online – Experience Abu Dhabi.

    Selected filmography

Documentary and shorts

  • The Belgrade Phantom — feature documentary; IDFA; screened Pompidou Hors Pistes.
  • Juvenile — short documentary.
  • You're Dead, America — Motionpoems short.

    Music videos

  • ZNTNDR — Untitled Us ; UKMVA shortlist.
  • ZNTNDR — Wonderful Time.
  • Paul Kalkbrenner — Schwer.
  • Inhaler — Your House.
  • SOHN — Hard Liquor.

    Commercials / branded films

  • Diesel — Hate Couture.
  • Adidas — See My Creativity.
  • Nike Japan — The Future Isn't Waiting.
  • General Motors — Crafting the One / See You on the Road.
  • Tissot — Focus Forward.
  • Experience Abu Dhabi — Find Your Pace.

    Affiliations

  • Member, Directors Guild of America.

    Representation

  • Commercial representation: Smuggler.