Backyard Productions has added Los Angeles-based director Jeff Aron Lable to its roster for U.S. commercial representation and content creation.
A humor director with a flair for strong art direction and a slightly off-beat visual/narrative style, Lable has brought his talents to such brands as Visa, Toyota, Sears, HBO, DiscountHotels, and Pepsi. His work has been honored in Cannes, The One Show, and the LA Shorts Fest. In 2007 he earned a slot in the SHOOT New Directors Showcase for Naturalmarket.com’s “Birth” spec spot, a piece which also helped him win the Cannes Young Director Award. Lable’s work additionally gained recognition in the BCC’s “World’s Funniest Commercials.”
Equally comfortable directing celebrity/athlete talent or cast actors, Lable had prior to Backyard been with Bully Pictures. Backyard EPs Kris Mathur and Emily Malito cited Label’s comedic sensibilities and directorial style while company CEO Kevin Allodi noted that the director joins a lineage of strong comedy helmers whose careers Backyard has advanced over the years.
Lable said of Backyard, “Their long-standing reputation as a high-quality production partner to world-class agencies and brands, particularly in the comedy realm, is what drew me to them. Their capabilities to address the broader range of work now being demanded by agency creatives and brands takes advantage of my strengths as both a director and former creative/art director.”
“Heretic” and “Maria” Set As Red Carpet Premieres At AFI Fest
The American Film Institute (AFI) has announced that Heretic, the psychological thriller starring Hugh Grant, and Maria, based on the life of opera singer Maria Callas starring Angelina Jolie, will round out the Red Carpet Premieres section at this year’s AFI Fest. The Heretic Gala Screening will take place on Thursday, October 24, and the Maria Gala Screening will be held on Saturday, October 26. The complete Red Carpet Premieres section includes the world premieres of Music By John Williams, Robert Zemeckis’ Here, Wallace & Gromit: Vengeance Most Fowl and Clint Eastwood’s Juror #2. All Red Carpet Premieres will take place at the historic TCL Chinese Theatre. The full lineup for AFI Fest 2024 will be unveiled on October 1.
“At the heart of AFI Fest is an unwavering dedication to celebrating the best in global cinema--together,” said Bob Gazzale, AFI president and CEO. “We look forward to uniting artists and audiences once again to be inspired by the art form in a powerful sense of community.”
Heretic follows two young missionaries (Sophie Thatcher and Chloe East) who are forced to prove their faith when they knock on the wrong door and are greeted by a diabolical Mr. Reed (portrayed by Grant), becoming ensnared in his deadly game of cat-and-mouse. The film is directed by Scott Beck and Bryan Woods and produced by Stacey Sher, Beck, Woods, Julia Glausi and Jeanette Volturno. The film will be released nationwide by A24 on November 8.
Directed by Pablo Larraín, Maria presents a tumultuous and beautiful depiction of one of the world’s most renowned artists and reimagines the legendary soprano in her final days in Paris, as Callas (Jolie)... Read More