Production company Believe Media has added director Phil Lind to its UK roster. Lind’s commercial work has steadily gained recognition, much of which involves directing a range of famous talent in addition to actors. For instance Jamie Oliver, the celebrity chef, was at the helm of Sainsbury’s Summer campaign for AMV. Another project with Oliver for “Jamie’s Return to School Dinners” received unexpected media attention when paparazzi got wind of the shoot, which required Jamie to be in full body fat suit prosthetics, leading to the set in Battersea to be overwhelmed by a swarm of photographers. Lind also had the opportunity to direct the entire cast of Shane Meadows’ celebrated mini-series “This is England ‘86” for a viral promo film showing them throwing a house party. Lind’s longer-form work includes a 5-piece online series featuring Bear Grylls for Dos Equis’ Most Interesting Man Academy, as well as a short film featuring documentary filmmaker Nick Broomfield, who parodied himself to extol the public service remit of Channel 4. Most recently, Lind shot an Enel campaign for Saatchi & Saatchi Rome, as well as a spot for James Holiday Villa’s for McCann, currently airing in the UK. Lind made his first industry mark on the agency side, serving as creative head of 4Creative and then executive creative director of ITV Creative….Agency kbs+ Toronto has appointed Matt Hassell as its chief creative officer. He will head up creative for Target Canada and Bank of Montreal at kbs+. Previously, Matt was CCO of OgilvyOne where he led work for Unilever and helped the agency secure clients Tim Hortons and InterContinental…..Santa Monica-based production company Detour Films, headed by founder/executive producer Josh Canova, has signed director Jordan Kelley for exclusive commercial representation in the U.S. His credits include debuting the Dr. Martens x Pendleton Autumn/Winter capsule collection with a campaign highlighting the craftsmanship and quality of the two heritage brands partnering to create a colorful and vibrant collection. And for a personal short-form piece “The Craftsman,” Jordan turned the lens on himself taking a pause from the modern fast-paced life to pursue learning the hands-on discipline of leatherwork. Kelley got his filmmaking start in action sports….
“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 year’s 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 Zemeckis’ Here, Wallace & Gromit: Vengeance Most Fowl and Clint Eastwood’s 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.
“At the heart of AFI Fest is an unwavering dedication to celebrating the best in global cinema--together,” said Bob Gazzale, AFI president and CEO. “We look forward to uniting artists and audiences once again to be inspired by the art form in a powerful sense of community.”
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 Larraín, Maria presents a tumultuous and beautiful depiction of one of the world’s most renowned artists and reimagines the legendary soprano in her final days in Paris, as Callas (Jolie)... Read More