Believe Media has brought director Pietro Coppolecchia aboard its roster for commercial representation in the U.S. and U.K. Believe will be the first to represent him in these territories.
His short film For The Love I Show is the story of two young lovers dealing with the agony of their ending relationship as they say goodbye on a road trip of self-discovery and mutual growth in a modern world tied together by globalization. The film won Best Short at the 2019 Holly Shorts Film Festival and received special mention at the Filmmaker Festival Milan.
In commercial work, he has collaborated with brands Prada, Armani, Etro, Salvatore Ferragamo, Meta and his recent “Choose The Future” film with Italian outdoor brand Napapijri tells a tactile story of the world emerging outside and searching for a new equilibrium since the globally traumatic 2020, one in which important values such as intimacy and affection are upheld through a collective commitment to come together and choose the future.
“Pietro has a youthful and playful quality to his work that struck me–it draws you in and wraps you in a story with a sophistication that is connected to the human spirit,” commented Believe Media CEO Liz Silver. “You can dissect each piece for its artistry, down to how he casts for his projects. We’re excited to bring his talent to our clients and this market.”
Born in Milan to a family of film industry veterans, Pietro began working on sets as PA as a teenager. After graduating from Chapman University, Dodge College of Film and Media Arts with a degree in cinematography, he started working in the camera department for DPs such as Yorick Le Saux (Only Lovers Left Alive), Fabio Cianchetti (The Dreamers), Guillaume Schiffman (The Artist) and directors like Luca Guadagnino (I Am Love) and Xavier Koller (Journey of Hope).
Later, moving to Mexico City, Coppolecchia began directing his own projects including short films, documentaries and music videos. Often shooting on 16mm film, a format that not only allures audiences but is emblematic of his process, Coppolecchia was taken by the nuances it instills on set.
“Shooting on film seems to engage everyone on set different and that environment has influenced my whole production process,” noted Coppolecchia. “Everyone has to be in the moment, it’s more serious and exhilarating for everyone. Shifting between film and digital helps me work towards setting that tone and energy no matter the format we’re shooting.”
Coppolecchia joins a roster of directors at Believe Media known for such commercial work as Jake Nava’s film “Team Up For Excellence” for Rémy Martin from agency FRED & FARID which recently earned two D&AD Wood Pencils, Floria Sigismondi’s “A (Slightly) Life-Changing Story” for Meta from Droga5, and Bruno Aveillan’s Cannes Lion-winning “The Cry” for Fondation 30 Millions d’Amis.
“Beyond connecting with Believe on a human level, their roster of directors make work that embodies the intersection of narrative and brand,” commented Coppolecchia. “Everything with them has been straight forward from the onset of our introductions and that’s what made this feel like a good fit.”
Jennifer Kent On Why Her Feature Directing Debut, “The Babadook,” Continues To Haunt Us
"The Babadook," when it was released 10 years ago, didn't seem to portend a cultural sensation.
It was the first film by a little-known Australian filmmaker, Jennifer Kent. It had that strange name. On opening weekend, it played in two theaters.
But with time, the long shadows of "The Babadook" continued to envelop moviegoers. Its rerelease this weekend in theaters, a decade later, is less of a reminder of a sleeper 2014 indie hit than it is a chance to revisit a horror milestone that continues to cast a dark spell.
Not many small-budget, first-feature films can be fairly said to have shifted cinema but Kent's directorial debut may be one of them. It was at the nexus of that much-debated term "elevated horror." But regardless of that label, it helped kicked off a wave of challenging, filmmaker-driven genre movies like "It Follows," "Get Out" and "Hereditary."
Kent, 55, has watched all of this — and those many "Babadook" memes — unfold over the years with a mix of elation and confusion. Her film was inspired in part by the death of her father, and its horror elements likewise arise out of the suppression of emotions. A single mother (Essie Davis) is struggling with raising her young son (Noah Wiseman) years after the tragic death of her husband. A figure from a pop-up children's book begins to appear. As things grow more intense, his name is drawn out in three chilling syllables — "Bah-Bah-Doooook" — an incantation of unprocessed grief.
Kent recently spoke from her native Australia to reflect on the origins and continuing life of "The Babadook."
Q: Given that you didn't set out to in any way "change" horror, how have you regarded the unique afterlife of "The... Read More