BBDO New York won agency of the year honors while Smuggler earned the production company of the year mantle, and Henry-Alex Rubin was named the year’s best director at the recently wrapped CICLOPE Festival 2017 in Berlin. All three wins were tied in large part to Sandy Hook Promise’s “Evan,” one of three pieces to earn a CICLOPE Grand Prix–directed by Rubin of Smuggler for BBDO NY.
The short film is the story of Evan, a teen counting down the days to summer break, who demonstrates his boredom by writing on a table in the school library. The next day he finds someone has responded back. While we watch Evan’s story, another darker tale is unfolding simultaneously. The other story contains warning signs that a teen may be planning a school shooting. Those signs–which initially go unnoticed even though they were right in front of us–are later called to our attention.
The other two Grand Prix winners at CICLOPE WERE Jay-Z’s “The Story of O.J.” directed by Jay-Z and Mark Romanek, produced by The Mill, and Audi’s “Enter Sandbox” directed by Kjetil Botten Skogly and produced by Media Monks.
Among other special honors, The Mill was named animation company of the year, MPC the top VFX studio, NO6 the best editing company, Ring The Alarm the outstanding music company, ArtOfficial Agency the leading sound company, and MediaMonks the digital company of the year.
More than 100 entries were awarded in different categories at CICLOE. For a full rundown of winners, click here.
“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