The following was written by Harald's agent, Nick Reed of ICM (International Creative Management):

HARALD ZWART

Director

It takes mettle, and a touch of mischief, for a first-time feature director to deck Michael Douglas out in an exaggerated Elvis pompadour for a role, especially when Douglas' Further Films produced this feature. But a spirited, often warped sense of fun is what landed Harald Zwart a meeting with Douglas in the first place, and led, in turn, to his directing ONE NIGHT AT MCCOOL'S. A Rashoman-like black comedy starring Douglas, Liv Tyler, Matt Dillon, John Goodman and Paul Reiser, ONE NIGHT AT MCCOOL'S combines many of the elements-narrative complexity, edgy humor and a talent for casting-that earned the award-winning commercial and music video helmer a place on Variety's 1999 "10 Directrors to Watch" list.

Born in the Netherlands and raised in Norway, Zwart is as close to a dyed in the wool filmmaker as you are likely to find. He shot his first film at the tender age of eight and eventually used a reel of 8mm shorts to gain entry to the prestigious Dutch Film Academy in Amsterdam. Zwart's graduate film, "Gabriel's Surprise," was broadcast on Scandinavian television, generating sufficient acclaim to land Zwart a job directing commercials. He quickly became one of the most sought after spot directors in Europe, thanks, in part, to his talent for telling stories that are accessible and funny in any language. In 1998, Zwart became the first foreign-born helmer to win Director of the Year honors at the London Advertising Festival.

His commercial success notwithstanding, Zwart never wavered in his passion for dramatic filmmaking. From 1990-1995, he directed six government-funded shorts that departed from Norway's strict "style over substance" cinema with more mainstream American influences. In dramatic comedies like "Act Naturally," which was awarded San Francisco's Golden Gate Award for best short narrative, Zwart proved his adeptness at blending visual performance with conceptual ideas.

In 1997, Zwart was asked to direct the four-part miniseries "Commander Hamilton" starring Academy Award winner Lena Olin (UNBEARABLE LIGHTNESS OF BEING), Peter Stormare (FARGO, LOST WORLD) and Mark Hamill (STAR WARS trilogy). Based on the work of Scandinavia's biggest-selling novelist, the miniseries was edited and released theatrically and went on to become the region's highest grossing film of the year.

Harald is currently in post-production on his new MGM feature entitled: "Agent Cody Banks". It is the story of James Bonds' nephew when the fate of the world is thrust into his fifteen year old hands.

Also in development are the scripts: "Supernatural Law" with Universal and "Prometheus and Bob" with Nickleodeon.

Zwart continues to direct spots through his commercial, music video and feature film development company, Motion Blur, which he co-founded with producing partner Veslemoey Ruud Zwart.

Below is a list of Awards that Harald Zwart has won for his commercial work:

COMMERCIAL AWARDS 1997 - 1998
MIDSUMMER AWARDS - Best Director, Best Foreign Film, Silver
CREATIVE CIRCLE - 2 X Silver, 1 X Bronze
EUROBEST - Gold
NEW YORK FESTIVAL - Gold
CANNES - Shortlist
MIDSUMMER AWARDS - 1X Gold, 3 X Bronze
BRITISH TELEVISION AWARDS - Diploma
IRISH ADVERTISING AWARDS - 2 X Diploma

COMMERCIAL AWARDS 1999
MEZZO MINUTO D’ORO - Gold, Best International Commercial
MEZZO MINUTO D’ORO - Best International Film, Shortlist