Dror Soref

Dror Soref is an award-winning filmmaker who started his career directing music videos for “Weird Al” Yankovic, which helped establish the rock parodist as a star. Following his success in music videos, Soref directed Platinum Blonde, an inspirational short, which drew the attention of Paramount Studio’s President. Consequently, Soref was retained under contract to develop projects at Paramount Studios for him to write and direct.

With the help of the Studio, The Seventh Coin became Soref’s debut as a feature film writer/director. The Seventh Coin, starring Peter O’Toole, won two festival awards, including Best Picture.

During the early years of Soref’s 25-year relationship with Paramount, Soref founded Orbit Productions, serving as one of its commercial directors. As Orbit’s CEO, Soref ran one of Hollywood’s most successful commercial production companies at the time. Some of Orbit’s clients include such brands as Coca Cola, Toyota, McDonald’s, and Fujifilm. The directorial roster at Orbit included, in addition to Soref, such acclaimed directors as Wim Wenders, Carroll Ballard, Jean-Pierre Jeunet, and Bruce Beresford.

Soref later parlayed a successful career in commercials into feature films, signing a multiple-picture deal with Mike Medavoy’s Phoenix Pictures (Black Swan, Shutter Island), with one film for Soref himself to direct. The first motion picture under this deal was Basic, starring John Travolta and Samuel L. Jackson, released by Columbia Pictures.

Soref co-wrote, directed, and produced the critically acclaimed thriller Not Forgotten, starring Simon Baker, Paz Vega, Chloe Moretz, and Claire Forlani. The film was selected for a special screening at the Slamdance Film Festival, and was accorded rave reviews by The Hollywood Reporter and Variety. Not Forgotten was released theatrically by Overture Films/Anchor Bay Entertainment, to critical acclaim and sold-out showings. The film was later nominated for a Saturn Award by the Academy of Science Fiction, Fantasy, and Horror (2010).

In June 2011, Soref produced Twist: An American Musical based on the Charles Dickens’ classic. The play was written by William F. Brown (The Wiz), with music by Grammy nominated Tena Clark, and was choreographed and directed by Emmy award winning Debbie Allen. It was staged at The Pasadena Playhouse to rave reviews.

Soref received a BA in Economics from the University of Haifa, Israel, graduating with Honors. While a student, he wrote frequently on Israeli-Palestinian relations. Soref served in the Israeli Defense Force as a combat officer in the elite Golani Brigade, where the unit under his command was cited for excellence. After his military service, Soref resumed his political activities and, at the age of 23, was nominated by his party to run for parliament. Soref later immigrated to the United States to study Film Production and Theory at San Francisco State University; Filmmaking at the San Francisco Art Institute; and the MFA Production Program of Cinema Arts at the University of Southern California (USC).