Independent film studio Caviar–which continues to represent Sergi Castella in the U.K., France and Belgium–has extended its handling of the L.A.-based director to the U.S. market. Born in Barcelona, Castella has helmed global campaigns for Nike, Netflix, Adidas, Audi, Lexus and Hyundai, among others. Castella’s latest spot for Levi’s and online German retailer Zalando further demonstrates the dreamlike quality of his work, with youth culture at the forefront. Entitled “It’s Our Tomorrow,” the optimistic :60 imagines a future full of hope, poetically envisioned by various creative adolescents. Castella has recently branched out into the world of film. His latest short, Tu Niño (2022), uses a lyrical shooting style to explore the poetics of loss found in the immigrant experience. The film premiered at the Hollywood Shorts Fest and won Best Experimental Short. Castella is currently in postproduction on his new short film A Summer Job (2023), and is in development on two feature projects, The Ferrymen and Tomorrow, Tomorrow, Insha-Allah….
Director Ayse Altinok Joins Good Times For U.S. Commercial Representation
Director and writer Ayse Altinok has joined commercial production company Good Times for U.S. representation. Altinok has directed campaigns for Nike, Horizon Milk, Larabar, Jose Cuervo, Unilever, Mavi Jeans, Boots, Lumene, and more.
A former art director at Wieden + Kennedy in Amsterdam and Portland, she approaches each project with careful consideration, analyzing the end goal as a first step and uncovering meaningful moments along the way. Her work features a cinematic, dreamlike quality and elevated aesthetic.
“Having the right chemistry and karma is very powerful and that’s what attracted me to Good Times, and also timing,” said Altinok. “It’s a place where I can continue to push myself as a filmmaker and try new things, whether it’s for a traditional commercial spot or a high concept art project and everything in between.”
“I’ve worked with Ayse for 20 years and she’s super talented. She’s great at finding gems in stories that would otherwise be overlooked, and her aesthetic is phenomenal,” noted Bernadette Spear, executive producer at Good Times. “She can also empathize with creatives, because she’s lived in that world and understands what our clients face and knows how to support their vision.”
Throughout her career, Altinok’s work has won many industry accolades, including awards from The One Show, Clio, Art Directors Club, AICP, and the ANDYs. In 2016, she was nominated for a D&AD Next Director Award for her short film A Day at the Mall Reminds Me of America, a motion poem. Her first short film, 2009’s Hortum was an official selection of 11 film festivals worldwide and won the Special Jury Prize for Best Drama at the Amsterdam Film Festival.
Outside of her short... Read More