Los York Films has added Sinuhe Xavier to its directorial roster. His collaborations include Jeep, Ford, Toyota, BMW, Tag Heuer, Jaguar, Land Rover, Bentley, Nike, Burton, Gillette, and EA Games.
Xavier is the recipient of multiple Clio Awards: earning one for his creative content work for director Danny Boyle’s 127 Hours, another for his work on Jean-Marc Vallee’s Wild with Reese Witherspoon in 2015, and again for Nike’s 2016 “Speed Drops” campaign.
Beyond film, Xavier has evolved into an influencer of outdoor and automotive culture. He worked with Deus ex Machina and Cool N Vintage to produce Parking lot D’elegance, a new take on the stodgy automotive showcase Concours d’Elegance.
A critically acclaimed commercial director and photographer, Xavier began his career in front of the lens as professional ski mountaineer for The North Face. His storytelling is rooted in years of expertise facing the harshest environments, such as his off-road experiences charting the Utah Traverse and tackling the most demanding portion of the continental divide as a part of the Land Rover’s 25th Anniversary Great Divide Expedition.
“Early on in life I had great appreciation for landscapes, growing up between Montana and Colombia. When it comes to filmmaking I feel like the location is just as important a talent as the main actor or hero car. And in ski mountaineering there’s no room for games. So I feel a deep need to be true to myself and my clients’ needs.” Xavier said.
His approach covers the spectrum of production: from leading a crew of 60 through the volcanic region of Chile, to leading nine crewmembers–client and agency included–on a shoot 200 miles above the arctic circle.
Prior to joining Los York, Xavier had been directing independently. He earlier had been with production house Aero Film.
Seth Epstein, CEO/director at Los York, said of Xavier, “He’s an all around great storyteller, with a deep knowledge and love for adventure that comes across in every conversation.”
Regarding filmmaking in a post COVID-19 world, Xavier shared, “With the full service studio such as Los York behind me, we can implement new ways to cut down on redundancy and reduce the risk of contact with unnecessary vectors when shooting on location. We also have the power to create full CG spots with a 100% live-action feel, all with the director’s input and supervision.”
Los York executive producer Leticia Gurjao said. “Sinuhe is a true explorer with a natural ability to adapt. He has shot in over 35 countries and 6 continents. His adventurous spirit naturally influences his creative style and it translates into his work.”
Review: Writer-Director Coralie Fargeat’s “The Substance”
In its first two hours, "The Substance" is a well-made, entertaining movie. Writer-director Coralie Fargeat treats audiences to a heavy dose of biting social commentary on ageism and sexism in Hollywood, with a spoonful of sugar- and sparkle-doused body horror.
But the film's deliciously unhinged, blood-soaked and inevitably polarizing third act is what makes it unforgettable.
What begins as a dread-inducing but still relatively palatable sci-fi flick spirals deeper into absurdism and violence, eventually erupting — quite literally — into a full-blown monster movie. Let the viewer decide who the monster is.
Fargeat — who won best screenplay at this year's Cannes Film Festival — has been vocal about her reverence for "The Fly" director David Cronenberg, and fans of the godfather of body horror will see his unmistakable influence. But "The Substance" is also wholly unique and benefits from Fargeat's perspective, which, according to the French filmmaker, has involved extensive grappling with her own relationship to her body and society's scrutiny.
"The Substance" tells the story of Elisabeth Sparkle, a famed aerobics instructor with a televised show, played by a powerfully vulnerable Demi Moore. Sparkle is fired on her 50th birthday by a ruthless executive — a perfectly cast Dennis Quaid, who nails sleazy and gross.
Feeling rejected by a town that once loved her and despairing over her bygone star power, Sparkle learns from a handsome young nurse about a black-market drug that promises to create a "younger, more beautiful, more perfect" version of its user. Though she initially tosses the phone number in the trash, she soon fishes it out in a desperate panic and places an order.
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