Ridley Scott Creative Group companies RSA Films and Black Dog Films have added Paris-based director/photographer Neels Castillon to their rosters for global representation. RSA Films will handle Castillon for commercials and branded content while Black Dog reps him in the music video arena. Castillon continues to work in France via Motion Palace, a creative studio in Paris which he and producer Ariane Cornic founded. Motion Palace, which produces original content for brands, agencies and the arts, will become a creative partner of RSA Films, collaborating on productions in France.
A 2018 Young Guns/One Club for Creativity alumnus, Neels has a filmmaking signature characterized by marrying a poetic and cinematic aesthetic with new forms of storytelling. His award-winning shorts, music videos, feature documentaries, and commercials have been viewed by millions.
Sought after for his bold visual style, Neels has brought his love of creative challenges to brands including Lacoste, Hermès, Nikon, and Puma. His “F Major” music video for Hania Rani was April’s most-loved video on Nowness. Capturing a magnetic and meditative dance, “F Major” retains a sense of intimacy and contemplation against a backdrop of deserted Icelandic coastline.
“Neels’ work shows progression, care, and attention to detail across a breadth of different subjects and styles. We were all very impressed with ‘F Major.’ It was beautifully executed and a welcome breath of fresh air from life in lockdown. We’re delighted that Neels chose to sign with RSA, and we can’t wait to get started with both Neels and Motion Palace,” said Kai Hsiung, U.K. managing director, RSA Films.
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 — and those many "Babadook" memes — 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 — "Bah-Bah-Doooook" — 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