Boutique commercial production company Native Content has added Stewart Hendler to its directorial roster. Among his credits are assorted commercials and wide-ranging digital content. On the latter score he directed Halo: Forward Unto Dawn, a five-part digital action series for Microsoft which earned a primetime Emmy nomination (for Main Title Design) and multiple Streamy Awards, including for Best Drama Series. He also directed and executive produced (alongside Bryan Singer) the digital series H+ for Warner Bros., which features 48 short non-linear episodes that can be rearranged for different storytelling experiences. H+ also earned several Streamy Awards including for Best Director.
Hendler has directed spots for such brands as Volkswagen, Maserati, Budweiser, Adidas, MTV, Mercedes-Benz and Motorola. His Zune spot, “Music Is Life,” won an AICP Show honor in the spec category in 2008. Five years earlier, he earned inclusion into SHOOT’s 2003 New Directors Showcase.
Hendler–who’s skilled at both live action and CG-heavy projects–was freelancing prior to joining Native Content. His last production house affiliation before Native Content was BRW USA. Earlier in his career, Hendler was repped by Omaha Pictures, Uber Content, and Bandito Brothers.
“Stewart is a really interesting director whether he’s working on commercials or short- or long-form original content–his work always reflects his innovative thinking,” shared Tomer DeVito, founder of Native Content.
Hendler said of his new roost, “Native strikes the right balance between being established and respected, and being forward thinking and open minded. They understand that the landscape is changing and there’s a need to be nimble. Native’s projects come in all shapes and sizes and they’re well-positioned to take on whatever comes next.”
Hendler joins a Native Content talent roster which includes Ben Jacks, Eivind Holmboe, Iain Mackenzie, Rich Lee, Russ Lamoureux, Sorrel Brae, The Cronenweths, and Tom Dey.
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 โ and those many "Babadook" memes โ 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 โ "Bah-Bah-Doooook" โ 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