Fearless Creative Adam Munnings Joins LE BERG
A master of reinvention, the Berlin-based director, who’s recently signed to LE BERG, has parlayed the whiplash-inducing twists and turns of his career into a fiercely original filmic vision. Stylish yet still raw, Adam’s work celebrates underground cultures, underrepresented communities and “people living unapologetically” through a movement-driven aesthetic, resulting in a diverse body of work spanning music videos, fashion films, docu-shorts and commercials for the likes of Zalando, adidas, Mercedes-Benz and Calvin Klein.
Born in Tasmania, Adam’s search for a 'a centre stage moment' has taken him all over the globe. Drawn into dance as 'the only outlet I had for self-expression', he’s performed on cruise ships, modelled in Tokyo, run front of house for a busy New York restaurant and launched one of Berlin’s flagship queer nights, Lunchbox Candy. Navigating the worlds of dance, fashion, hospitality, music and events taught him resilience and adaptability, but more importantly shaped his distinctive aesthetic. “I’m not referencing or trying to recreate what’s already been done [in film],” he says. “It’s my experiences through nightlife, travel, music, fashion – and the different countries, cultures and people I’ve engaged with – that essentially inspire my output, whether I know it or not.”
The 'penny drop' moment came when Adam started film school in Berlin. “Up until then, I felt like I was a jack of all trades, but master of none - I was involved in such a smorgasbord of things, but none felt like they could be a real career. For the first time ever, I felt like those elements could come together to be channelled through the framework of film and directing.” Starting out in boundary-pushing budget music videos for artists like Lucky Love and Rin, he soon moved into branded films, managing to transplant his independent way of working “and bring humanity into the commercials world”.
Despite its stylish and edgy veneer, Adam’s work is, at its heart, about emotional connection – to people, places and his own lived experiences. One of his strongest ties is to the Berlin queer community, explored in films such as Vaugahyde and Oasis, a Dazed x Calvin Klein Queer Lens project, which celebrates the journey from isolation to connection and the joy of finding an LGBTQIA+ family. “The fire and energy in my films, it’s really just a way of giving the teenage ‘me’ a voice,” he says.
Whether it’s casting 'queerdo' club kids or championing 'inspiring, resilient and sassy' members of the disabled community in spots such as Mercedes-Benz’ Inclusion is Unstoppable and Zalando Adaptive Fashion, Adam has established himself as a genuinely inclusive director known for amplifying the voices of underrepresented groups. “There’s just something really beautiful about seeing people you don’t normally see on screen,” he says. ““If there had been that visibility and diversity when I was younger, I would have felt less alone. For me, it’s a no-brainer: let’s tell stories that aren’t often told, let’s help people feel more included.”
While diversity and inclusion will always be a major driving force in Adam’s work, he’s keen to explore beyond queerness. “I want to become more of a storyteller, focusing less on stylised aesthetics and getting down to the interpersonal relationships of character building,” he says. “Shaping engaging, inspiring, emotionally driven stories is something I want to focus a lot more on.” Thanks to his background in performing arts, he also has a love of musical theatre and camp comedy – although “it’s hard to admit that in Berlin!”
That hitherto unseen sense of humour was given a chance to shine in his first commercial job through LE BERG - a trio of films for Zalando x Estee Lauder titled It’s Giving. Riffing on gay internet slang describing a mood or a vibe being embodied, the comic campaign follows a group of friends having playful conversations around gift giving. With a spontaneous, almost reality TV-esque feel, it’s a deliciously irreverent alternative to typically glossy beauty campaigns – a prime example of Adam’s knack for pivoting to new genres with panache, as well as embracing new challenges, such as scripted, to-camera dialogue.
Alongside signing to LE BERG for commercials representation, Adam’s next metamorphosis is the launch of AM Studios, an artistic studio-slash-creative playground-slash incubator dedicated to exploring his growth and creative output as a visual artist and filmmaker, from producing work to exhibit, to developing indie film concepts and building a framework to expand his creative output outside of commercial filmmaking. “You need to nurture the garden and not just pick the fruit,” explains Adam. “At the end of the day, projects feed each other. It’s time to start replenishing my creative tank and working out my vision for the future.”
Whatever that vision looks like now, one thing’s for sure: at some point, it’s going to change. “I’m all about keeping people guessing and constantly evolving,” concludes Adam. “I just can’t wait for the opportunities to push these narratives into play.”
