Aero Film, the Santa Monica-headquartered house headed by president Skip Short and executive producer Lance O’Connor, has hired Bernie Wesson as its head of production. Wesson will oversee the production needs of Aero’s directorial roster, which includes Klaus Obermeyer, Henrik Hansen and Ken Arlidge. The company is known for its high-end spot fare as well as for its extensive production contacts and work for the military/defense industry.
Wesson brings industry experience from both the production house and ad agency sectors to his new roost; he is perhaps best known for his 14-year tenure as executive producer/CFO at Venice, Calif.-based Cucoloris Films. Most recently he served as executive producer at Motel Films, Hollywood.
In late ’00, as an adjunct to his work at Cucoloris, Wesson served as CFO to help set up Digital Kitchen, a hybrid creative shop with offices in Chicago and Seattle. Prior to Cucoloris, Wesson directed commercials via now defunct Spots Films for two years. Earlier, he spent nine years at Ogilvy & Mather, New York, where he produced and directed commercials all over the world, working with such clients as American Express, AT&T, Peugeot and Paco Rabanne. He also had a hand in helping start the careers of directors Adrian Lyne, Ridley and Tony Scott, among others.
Wesson comes aboard Aero as it’s in the throes of a busy stretch. In recent months, directors Obermeyer and Arlidge split a package of Farmer’s Insurance spots for Campbell Ewald, Los Angeles. Arlidge just wrapped commercials for GM via McCann Erickson, Detroit, in addition to winning three Caddys for automotive work out of Detroit agencies. He is currently in New York on post for a new Gillette campaign via BBDO New York. Obermeyer has been helming special two- and four-minute films for the National Guard to be shown in some 9,000 theaters across the country during summer blockbuster movie season. He has just come off of a 10-day Nissan shoot and is currently on location for a Northrop Gruman campaign out of McCann Erickson, Los Angeles. And Hansen has directed a multi-spot public service campaign for Hurricane Katrina relief, as well as a new Mercedes-Benz branding ad out of Merkley+Partners, New York.
DGA Feature Nominees: Audiard, Baker, Berger, Corbet and Mangold
The field of feature nominees for the Directors Guild of America (DGA) Awards spanning two categories is set. Nominated for the DGA honor for Outstanding Directorial Achievement in Theatrical Feature Film for 2024 are: Jacques Audiard for Emilia Pérez, Sean Baker for Anora, Edward Berger for Conclave, Brady Corbet for The Brutalist, and James Mangold for A Complete Unknown.
The DGA also revealed the nominees for the Michael Apted Award for Outstanding Directorial Achievement in First-Time Theatrical Feature Film. The first-time narrative feature directors are: Payal Kapadia for All We Imagine as Light, Megan Park for My Old Ass, RaMell Ross for Nickel Boys, Halfdan Ullman Tondel for Armand, and Sean Wang for Diddy.
“2024 has been a truly extraordinary year for storytelling--and today’s nominees have created audacious and unique films that expand the possibilities of cinematic excellence,” said DGA president Lesli Linka Glatter. “I am thrilled to congratulate all our nominated directors for their brilliant work, which is visionary, inspirational and speaks to the depth of the human experience. To be chosen by one’s peers is the true marker of outstanding directorial achievement and what makes these nominations so very special.”
The winners will be announced at the 77th Annual DGA Awards on Saturday, February 8.
Here’s a fuller rundown of the nominees in both DGA Award categories:
THEATRICAL FEATURE FILM
Outstanding Directorial Achievement in Theatrical Feature Film for 2024 (in alphabetical order):
JACQUES AUDIARD
Emilia Pérez
(Netflix)
SEAN... Read More