B-Reel Films has added queer, Two Spirit, Xicanx artist, director and photographer Devyn Galindo to its talent roster. This marks Galindo’s first official signing as a director.
Galindo identifies as Two-Spirit, an indigenous term that describes a third gender with both masculine and feminine traits, and Galindo goes by she/her and nonbinary pronouns (they/them.) Galindo prioritizes artistry, and allows that to enrich and inform their ad work, endeavoring to inject poetry into every frame. Above all, they aim to pave a path towards mindfulness in the commercial space, something which brands can only find appealing as they evolve and become more conscious of accountability.
“I’m interested in partnering with brands to help them elevate their outreach to QTPOC and LGBTQIA+ people beyond slapping a rainbow on a T-shirt,” Galindo explained. “That’s why I’m in the room. Advertising is a big platform with a big responsibility, and putting the camera in the hands of people who are responsible is the first step.”
When it comes to Galindo’s portfolio of still and motion photography, the boundary between commercial and personal is blurred. Some of their notable ad campaigns include “More Color, More Pride” for Converse and “We Belong to Something Beautiful” for Sephora–both of which champion queer beauty and underrepresented stories with dignity and intimacy. Other clients Galindo has worked with include Vogue, i-D, Dove, Nike, Benefit Cosmetics, Tidal, Red Bull Music, RocNation, Champion, Tommy Hilfiger, Converse, Superga, and Fila.
Recently Galindo has been on the road working on her photography series, The Van Dykes Project, inspired by the caravan of Dyke activists which traveled the U.S. and Mexico during the 1970s, seeking a life of radical rebellion and feminist empowerment. Sweet Pea, Galindo’s ’78 VW camper van, works as a traveling studio, with Galindo documenting stories from LGBTQIA+ folks from around the U.S. in order to preserve queer oral history for future generations.
By joining B-Reel Films' Stockholm and Los Angeles-based directorial roster, Galindo will continue to champion the narratives of people of color, and the queer community to help create a deeper impact within the modern storytelling landscape. Galindo’s upcoming motion work spans short films, ad campaigns and music videos, including a new piece for transgender activist Shea Diamond’s new song “Smile,” which centers around queer and trans resilience and joy, and is set to release for Pride 2021.
Of Galindo’s work, B-Reel managing director/executive producer Michael McQuhae stated, “It’s fresh — I can see Devyn’s cinematic eye very clearly, how she frames people and has a strong opinion. Getting to know who Devyn is as well–it’s super inspiring. From the moment we saw her work, everyone across the offices of BR•F was fully on board. As a whole, we couldn’t be more excited about the signing.”
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.
The one rule to follow is that... Read More