Biography
Joel Bergvall is a Swedish-American filmmaker, media executive, and narrative strategist whose work spans documentary, studio features, branded entertainment, and creative strategy. He serves as Head of Film and Television for Down Home, the Nashville based media and entertainment venture founded by Tim McGraw in partnership with Shareability and backed by Skydance.
Bergvall began his career as a documentary storyteller, working across Europe, the Middle East, and South Asia. His first scripted film, the short Victor, received an Academy Award nomination, followed by the feature Den Osynlige, which won multiple international awards and was later remade by Disney and Spyglass as The Invisible. He has worked on film and television projects for Warner Bros, FOX, Sony, Disney, New Line Cinema, and others.
In branded entertainment, particularly as Partner and Chief Creative Officer at Los Angeles based media company Shareability, Bergvall became known for helping shape widely shared celebrity and brand campaigns, collaborating with Cristiano Ronaldo, John Cena, Dua Lipa, Ed Sheeran, Sylvester Stallone, and leading brands including Google, AT&T, Ford, Mars, and Intuit.
Alongside his film and media work, Bergvall has developed a proprietary seven step story framework used in workshops and training for journalists, filmmakers, creative teams, and corporate clients. Over the past three decades he has taught dramatic structure and narrative design at institutions including Folkuniversitetet, JMK at Stockholm University, Medieinstitutet Fojo, Kulturama, and other journalism and media organizations. He has also spoken at industry events and executive training programs in the United States and internationally.
Bergvall is a lifetime member of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences and regularly participates in the Academy Nicholl Fellowships in Screenwriting as well as other Academy programs.
