Director Bram Van Riet of Caviar (Venice, Calif., Brussels, Amsterdam) shows us the schoolyard isn’t the only place bullying goes down in a new :60 PSA, “Safer Internet,” for the European Union and Schoolnet out of LDV United, Antwerp, Belgium. The PSA demonstrates how seemingly harmless cyber jabs can be anything but.
The spot opens on a young girl surfing the net in her bedroom. She types “Hello Everybody” on a social networking site, clicks “Post,” and the games begin. An electronic beat ushers in rapid-growing pimples, the apparent physical manifestation of another user’s mean-spirited posting. The girl’s computer chimes and we see that another user has presumably called her a pig, because her nose morphs into an oinking snout.
We cut to another bedroom where a young man posts on his computer, “You fat cow!” Back in her bedroom, the girl’s belly and cheeks balloon, splintering the backside of her chair, then her face distorts as if rubberized; the result of three other girls’ insensitive use of photo-finishing software. Finally, with her face stretching like Play-Doh and the room quaking, the girl stops the madness by clicking “Report Abuse” on her computer. Over the teary-eyed and thoroughly frightened girl, a super appears, “Block bullying online.” The PSA closes on a black screen over which the tag, “Keep it fun, keep control,” and the site www.keepcontrol.eu appears.
The LDV United team included creative director Kristoff Snels, copywriter Melanie Daems, art director Kris Lenaers and producer Petra De Roos.
Kato Maes exec produced for Caviar, Brussels, with Tatiana Pierre serving as producer. The DP was Nicolas Karakatsanis.
Editor was Simone Rau of Caviar, Brussels.
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