Producer Jason Michael Berman feels he has an advantage with the launch of A/Vantage Pictures.
The former president of Mandalay Pictures has built his career identifying the space where artistry meets impact. Now, with A/Vantage, he’s placing that mission front and center, starting with the Cannes Film Festival premiere of the Spike Lee-directed “Highest 2 Lowest,” starring Denzel Washington.
Launched in April, A/Vantage is committed to culturally resonant, commercially viable films. The name reflects its goals: “A” for authentic, “Vantage” for a unique point of view, and a nod to Berman’s childhood as an AV club kid.
“I’m an AV kid at heart,” he says with a chuckle and smile. “This is about perspective, giving filmmakers the vantage to tell stories that matter, and giving audiences a vantage to see the world differently.”
Berman has long supported visionary storytellers with something personal to say. His credits range from Sundance favorites like “Nine Days” with Winston Duke to high-profile studio titles such as Ben Affleck’s “Air.” Many of his projects have featured first-time directors and underrepresented voices.
“Since my first film in 2009, I’ve gravitated to stories that reflect lived experiences I didn’t have,” he says. “I grew up in Baltimore — a diverse city — and was dyslexic as a kid. I always felt different. That’s probably why I’m drawn to filmmakers with unique perspectives.”
While “Highest 2 Lowest” will undoubtedly make headlines, another A/Vantage film speaks to the company’s broader ambitions: an upcoming feature about the invention of Gatorade, seemingly plucked out of an episode of Seth Rogen’s comedy series “The Studio.” The project tells the story of Dr. Robert Cade and Dr. Dana DeCastris, a Cuban immigrant, who helped develop the world’s first electrolyte beverage to keep athletes hydrated.
“It’s not just about the birth of a sports drink,” Berman says. “It’s about doctors trying to solve a health crisis — and how their innovation changed sports and medicine.”
The story’s emotional core centers on the immigrant experience, highlighting how world-changing ideas often emerge from unexpected places.
“That’s what excites me — when a movie can entertain and still provoke a conversation. That’s the heart of what A/Vantage is about.”
Still, “Highest 2 Lowest” is the company’s calling card. A modern reimagining of Akira Kurosawa’s 1963 classic “High and Low,” the film is set in contemporary New York and follows a powerful music executive caught in a moral crisis after a ransom plot unfolds. The cast includes Washington, Jeffrey Wright and A$AP Rocky. Written by Alan Fox, the script has circulated in Hollywood for decades, with the likes of Mike Nichols and David Mamet once attached.
Launching a new company in today’s volatile climate — following strikes and major industry contraction — is no easy feat. But Berman embraces the challenge.
“You have to be entrepreneurial,” he says. “You can’t just wait for a greenlight. You build, you negotiate, you stretch every dollar.”
As “Highest 2 Lowest” prepares to debut on one of the world’s biggest stages, Berman sees A/Vantage as a future echo chamber for storytellers.
Berman keeps it simple: “Impact and reach. You shouldn’t have to choose one or the other. The best stories do both.”
Denzel Washington in “Highest 2 Lowest”
