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Director Nanette Burstein signs with Institute
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Institute welcomes the acclaimed director Nanette Burstein to its roster for commercial representation.
Production company Institute has signed award-winning director Nanette Burstein for commercial representation.
Known for her ability to blend authenticity, empathy, and humour, Burstein crafts compelling narratives across documentary, scripted, and commercial work.
Her commercial portfolio includes campaigns for global brands such as Verizon, Google, Microsoft, Coca-Cola, Facebook, and JP Morgan Chase. She has received multiple industry accolades, including two Emmy nominations and a Silver Lion at Cannes. A lifelong cinephile, Burstein embraces the creative possibilities of filmmaking, whether profiling iconic figures in documentaries or crafting short-form narratives.
Her latest feature documentary, Elizabeth Taylor: The Lost Tapes, premiered at the 2024 Cannes Film Festival to widespread acclaim. In 2022, she directed the three-part Netflix series Killer Sally, and in 2020, the Emmy-nominated Hillary, a four-part documentary on Hillary Clinton’s 2016 presidential campaign. Offering rare behind-the-scenes access, Hillary provided an intimate portrait of a political figure navigating a male-dominated landscape. Burstein also directed Gringo: The Dangerous Life of John McAfee for Showtime, and The Price of Gold, her contribution to ESPN’s 30 for 30 series, which won an Emmy Award and Best Documentary at the Cinema Eye Awards.
“I’ve known Lauren for quite some time and admired Institute’s vision and diversity,” says Burstein. “In an industry long dominated by a singular voice, it’s exciting to be part of a movement that challenges the status quo. What Lauren, Frank, and Tori have built is inspiring, and I’m thrilled to join the team.”
“Nanette is an incredible filmmaker who continues to surprise, enlighten, and move audiences with her work across genres,” says Lauren Greenfield, founder and creative director at Institute. “Her undeniable talent, professionalism, and passion for storytelling have caught our attention for years, and we’re excited to collaborate with her. I can’t wait to see what we create together.”
Burstein began her career co-directing On the Ropes with Brett Morgen, earning an Oscar nomination for Best Documentary, winning the Special Jury Prize at Sundance, and receiving the DGA Award for Outstanding Directorial Achievement. She later co-directed The Kid Stays in the Picture, an award-winning biography of Robert Evans, using hallucinatory animation to illustrate the life of the Hollywood producer. Her documentary American Teen, which followed high school students in Warsaw, Illinois over ten months, earned the Documentary Directing Award at Sundance. She also made her narrative feature debut with Going the Distance, a romantic comedy starring Drew Barrymore and Justin Long.
Currently, Burstein is in production on a feature documentary about Carl Sagan for National Geographic, exploring the universe and the impact of human actions on its future.
