Filmmaker earned Short Subject Documentary Oscar nomination earlier this year for Open Heart
Production company B-Reel has added director Kief Davidson to its commercialmaking roster. He comes over from Believe Media and earlier this year earned a Best Short Subject Documentary Oscar nomination for Open Heart, which centers on eight Rwandan children who embark on a life-or-death journey to Sudan in order to have high-risk heart surgery performed at The Salam Centre, Africa’s only hospital offering free cardiac procedures for families in need. Open Heart is now airing on HBO.
Known for his storytelling and ability to elicit performances from real people, Davidson has been active in commercials, directing campaigns for GE, Absolut, American Express and Cadillac.
Currently, Davidson is directing Beyond the Brick, the first official feature-length film on the global phenomenon of LEGO, slated for theatrical release in 2014. Davidson’s prior films include the feature documentaries Kassim the Dream (a winner at the AFI Film Festival) and The Devil’s Miner (a winner at the Tribeca Film Festival and nominated–with fellow director/writer Richard Ladkani–for the DGA Award in 2006)
“Kief’s approach and sensibilities in filmmaking are in line with the evolution of advertising,” said Susan Anderson, managing director and executive producer, B-Reel.
With offices in Los Angeles, New York City, London, Barcelona, Berlin and Stockholm, B-Reel maintains three divisions: Commercials and Branded Content; Digital; and Feature Films.
B-Reel’s directorial roster for commercials includes: Drake Doremus, Anders Hallberg, Filip Tellander, Miles Jay, Steven Tsuchida, Josh Miller, Kief Davidson, Patrik Bergh, Tom Malmros, Emil Moller, Johan Perjus, Jens Sj๏ฟฝgren, Anders Forsman, Mikael Marcimain and Jon+Torey.
“Heretic” and “Maria” Set As Red Carpet Premieres At AFI Fest
The American Film Institute (AFI) has announced that Heretic, the psychological thriller starring Hugh Grant, and Maria, based on the life of opera singer Maria Callas starring Angelina Jolie, will round out the Red Carpet Premieres section at this yearโs AFI Fest. The Heretic Gala Screening will take place on Thursday, October 24, and the Maria Gala Screening will be held on Saturday, October 26. The complete Red Carpet Premieres section includes the world premieres of Music By John Williams, Robert Zemeckisโ Here, Wallace & Gromit: Vengeance Most Fowl and Clint Eastwoodโs Juror #2. All Red Carpet Premieres will take place at the historic TCL Chinese Theatre. The full lineup for AFI Fest 2024 will be unveiled on October 1.
โAt the heart of AFI Fest is an unwavering dedication to celebrating the best in global cinema--together,โ said Bob Gazzale, AFI president and CEO. โWe look forward to uniting artists and audiences once again to be inspired by the art form in a powerful sense of community.โ
Heretic follows two young missionaries (Sophie Thatcher and Chloe East) who are forced to prove their faith when they knock on the wrong door and are greeted by a diabolical Mr. Reed (portrayed by Grant), becoming ensnared in his deadly game of cat-and-mouse. The film is directed by Scott Beck and Bryan Woods and produced by Stacey Sher, Beck, Woods, Julia Glausi and Jeanette Volturno. The film will be released nationwide by A24 on November 8.
Directed by Pablo Larraรญn, Maria presents a tumultuous and beautiful depiction of one of the worldโs most renowned artists and reimagines the legendary soprano in her final days in Paris, as Callas (Jolie)... Read More