Dave Schram, born on August 23, 1958, in Nieuwer-Amstel, is a renowned Dutch film producer and director. He is also the co-founder of the Shooting Star Film Company and Shooting Star Film Distribution. Schram is the proud father of actor/composer Quinten Schram and film director Tessa Schram.
Schram began his journey in the film industry in 1973, initially working as an actor in various productions, including the NCRV youth series Orimoa and Behind the Horizon is Another Country. He then transitioned to the other side of the camera, taking on roles such as lighting, sound, camera, production, and direction. He worked on several productions, including Sabine, Flodder, A Flight of Whimbrels, Familiar Faces, Mixed Feelings, A Time to Die, and Still Smokin.
At the age of 16, Schram founded his first production company, D.E., in 1974. He received his first assignment for a 16mm film in 1976, which was about Formula 1 races and featured interviews with James Hunt and Riccardo Patrese.
Schram's educational path was marked by a slight detour. Despite failing his secondary education by a tenth of a point in 1977, he was accepted into the Dutch Film Academy in Amsterdam with a dispensation from the Ministry of Education. During his training, he and four friends bought their own film equipment under the name Quintetfilm, aiming to produce films independently. Schram graduated from the Film Academy in 1981 with the short film Tussen de Regels and went on to found the Singelfilm company.
Schram made his debut as a film producer in 1988 with the feature film Loos by Theo van Gogh. He co-founded the distribution company Shooting Star Filmdistribution BV in 1993 with Hans Pos and Maria Peters, after no film distributor wanted to show their film Daens in cinemas. Daens received an Oscar nomination in Los Angeles just a few months later.
Schram made his feature film directorial debut in 2007 with Timbuktu, followed by Radeloos (2008),Lover of Loser (2009),Razend (2011),and Regret! (2013).
As a producer, Schram has worked on numerous films, including The Conductor (2018),Prey (2016),Cutting (2016),The Boskampis (2015),Painkillers (2014),Regret! (2013),Greetings from Mike! (2012),Sonny Boy (2011),Lover or Loser (2009),Rico's Wings (2009),Film Spot (2008),Distraught (2008),Captain Rob and Professor Lupardi's Secret (2007),and Timbuktu (2007).
As a director, Schram has directed Regret! (2013),Raging (2011),Lover or Loser (2009),Distraught (2008),and Timbuktu (2007).
