David F. Sandberg

David F. Sandberg (born 21 January 1981) is a Swedish filmmaker who is renowned for his creative no-budget horror short films and his directorial brilliance in a series of famous movies. He gained prominence under his online pseudonym ponysmasher and made his directorial debut with 'Lights Out' in 2016. Sandberg's filmography includes widely acclaimed horror films such as 'Annabelle: Creation' (2017) as part of The Conjuring Universe, and the DC Extended Universe films 'Shazam!' (2019) and 'Shazam! Fury of the Gods' (2023).

In his childhood, he developed a passion for making films using his dad's VHS-C camera. In his late teens or early twenties, Sandberg found success in creating animated short films, gaining over 1.7 million views on YouTube. He initiated his professional journey as a filmmaker by working at Film i Jönköping, a local film center in Jönköping. Sandberg's remarkable talent led him to receive offers for animation work, paving his way to work on TV shows. His work also extended to several documentary projects, continuing from 2006 to 2009. He began to shift his work towards horror films in 2013. He has been open about his struggles with depression and uncertain diagnosis of atypical autism during childhood.