London-based Academy Films is opening an office in Los Angeles after nearly 40 years of developing director, photographer and artist talent, creating work that's earned Cannes Lions, Yellow & Black Pencils, AICPs, Clios and British Arrows.
The U.S. arm of Academy will be led by John Nguyen as managing director/EP. Having started his career producing commercials, documentaries and branded content, he has worked on both the creative agency and production company sides of the aisle. Most recently he served as executive producer at Hecho Studios, m ss ng p eces and RSA Films. Nguyen will be working alongside Medb Riordan and Simon Cooper, global managing directors and co-owners, to navigate this next phase in Academy’s already lauded history.
“It’s about time!” exclaimed Riordan. “Academy has spent so many years telling impeccable stories and breaking boundaries in filmmaking. We’ve never been limited to any specific creative output and we love that. The U.S. has been on our minds for so many years, and now with this roster of exciting, diverse and brilliant talent, and John Nguyen at the helm, we feel hungrier than ever to take on this new challenge and to work with some of the world’s greatest creative minds and brands in America.”
“Our relationship with the U.S. market has always been one-step removed, until now,” said Cooper. “We are immensely excited about the opportunity of working directly with U.S. agencies and brands and being able to bring Academy's passion and dedication to recognizing and developing new talent to the U.S. market.”
Nguyen added, “Academy has such a rich history for producing genre defining work as well as identifying and developing strong storytellers that have impeccable taste. I’m excited and honored to collaborate with Medb, Simon and Jon [director Glazer] as we bring forward the next generation of talent and chart the company’s next evolutionary phase in the U.S.”
Founded in 1985 by Lizie Gower, Academy’s guiding philosophy has always been to nurture and develop emerging young talent and this approach has led to their unrivaled reputation for launching stars of the future. Directors Jonathan Glazer, Kim Gehrig, Seb Edwards, Martin De Thurah, Frederic Planchon, Savanah Leaf, Nick Gordon and the directing duo Us all signed to Academy at the beginning of their careers. On top of developing emerging talent over the years, Academy has signed and worked with some of the biggest names in the industry including Ian Pons Jewell and Henry Schofield.
In 1999 Academy produced what is widely regarded as one of the best commercials ever made–Glazer’s “Surfer” for Guinness. The film won two D&AD Black Pencils and “Commercial of the Year” at almost every award show. The Times of London conducted a poll that voted “Surfer” as the most iconic ad of all time and the film continues to top ad polls inside and outside the industry.
“Opening Academy U.S. is arguably long overdue but how exciting to be here now,” said Glazer. “Building on Academy’s reputation in the UK, the new office translates that legacy into a U.S. based production hub where the creative opportunities remain as strong and exciting as ever. For our directing talent, this opens the doors for even more creative opportunities and sharing of ideas.”
As well as Glazer, Academy comes to the U.S. with a firmly established roster which includes:
- Sophia Ray has worked with Nike, Google, the BBC and recently directed the highly lauded “Sex X Cancer” campaign for BBH London. From a music video background, she has also worked with international music artists such as Little Mix, Sigrid and Years & Years.
- Jack Driscoll has worked on huge global campaigns for bet365, Gatorade, and Lays, with major sports stars like Messi and Jayson Taytum, and won numerous international awards.
- Novemba is the duo whose work crosses between high energy sports documentary to hard hitting, emotional storytelling, directing campaigns for Adidas, Amazon/Ad Council, Samsung and Uber. Their Frontline 19 Campaign, created with adam&eveDDB, won the agency its first D&AD Black Pencil. They are currently directing a huge TV doc series with Disney.
- Billy Boyd Cape, the highest awarded director at this year’s British Arrows, taking home nine awards over three spots for BBC, Alzheimers K and Justice & Care. BBC also won Best Of Show at the AICP Post Awards.
- Nadia, known for her sensitive casting, beautiful cinematography and after a successful 2022 campaign, she has recently shot the promo commercials for Netflix’s jewel The Crown, leading her to work with some of the industry’s most exciting acting talent.
Based in Los Angeles, the U.S office of Academy and its complete roster of directors, photographers and artists will be represented on the West Coast by 1961 Representation, and on the East Coast by Sasha Stern & Jamie Scalera of Miss Smith.
After 20 Years of Acting, Megan Park Finds Her Groove In The Director’s Chair On “My Old Ass”
Megan Park feels a little bad that her movie is making so many people cry. It's not just a single tear either — more like full body sobs.
She didn't set out to make a tearjerker with "My Old Ass," now streaming on Prime Video. She just wanted to tell a story about a young woman in conversation with her older self. The film is quite funny (the dialogue between 18-year-old and almost 40-year-old Elliott happens because of a mushroom trip that includes a Justin Bieber cover), but it packs an emotional punch, too.
Writing, Park said, is often her way of working through things. When she put pen to paper on "My Old Ass," she was a new mom and staying in her childhood bedroom during the pandemic. One night, she and her whole nuclear family slept under the same roof. She didn't know it then, but it would be the last time, and she started wondering what it would be like to have known that.
In the film, older Elliott ( Aubrey Plaza ) advises younger Elliott ( Maisy Stella ) to not be so eager to leave her provincial town, her younger brothers and her parents and to slow down and appreciate things as they are. She also tells her to stay away from a guy named Chad who she meets the next day and discovers that, unfortunately, he's quite cute.
At 38, Park is just getting started as a filmmaker. Her first, "The Fallout," in which Jenna Ortega plays a teen in the aftermath of a school shooting, had one of those pandemic releases that didn't even feel real. But it did get the attention of Margot Robbie 's production company LuckyChap Entertainment, who reached out to Park to see what other ideas she had brewing.
"They were very instrumental in encouraging me to go with it," Park said. "They're just really even-keeled, good people, which makes... Read More