Roger Nygard has directed, produced, written, and
edited for film and television. Nygard's first feature was the comedy, HIGH STRUNG,
starring and written by comedian Steve Oedekerk. His second feature was BACK
TO BACK (a.k.a. AMERICAN YAKUZA 2), starring Michael Rooker. BACK
TO BACK screened at film festivals in Dallas and Seattle before
premiering as an HBO Original Motion Picture. But the film may be best
known for having blown Bobcat Goldthwait to bits.
Nygard next directed and
edited TREKKIES, a documentary described as
"affectionate, nonjudgmental" (Hollywood Reporter & Daily Variety), or
"terrifying, unsettling" (National Post), depending on who you ask.
The film was acquired by Paramount
Pictures and released theatrically in 1999. Nygard followed that with a
docu-comedy about
UFO-enthusiasts, SIX DAYS IN ROSWELL, which was released in 2000, and
unceremoniously
called "...pants-peeing funny!" by Film Threat Magazine. Nygard revisited Star Trek
fans with TREKKIES
2, released worldwide by Paramount in 2004.
Jumping back to narratives, Nygard
co-wrote, edited, and directed, SUCKERS, a dramatic- comedy about
car salesman, starring Daniel Benzali, Louis Mandylor, and Lori
Loughlin.
SUCKERS premiered at the US Comedy Arts
festival in Aspen, was acquired by HBO in 2001, and has also aired on the IFC
network-- it's hard to find a car salesman who hasn't seen it. The
Minneapolis Star Tribune said, “...Roger Nygard’s
exhilaratingly cynical car salesman film Suckers has the macho
punch of a David Mamet drama.” Nygard also edited two features
for writer/director Mike Binder: THE SEARCH FOR JOHN GISSING
and MAN ABOUT TOWN.
In television,
Nygard has directed and edited episodes of the HBO series, THE
MIND OF THE MARRIED MAN, as well as editing episodes of CURB
YOUR ENTHUSIASM, and directing episodes of the FOX series THE
BERNIE MAC SHOW and THE LOOP, the NBC series THE
OFFICE, and the DisneyXD series ZEKE & LUTHER,
and many others.
His current feature documentary is about THE
NATURE OFEXISTENCE, asking why we exist, and what is
man's purpose—little questions…big answers. Nygard traveled
around the world interviewing religious scholars, physicists,
artists, philosophers, spiritual visionaries, and others who
have influenced, inspired, or freaked out humanity