A terrifying clown, a mass murderer with a chainsaw, and death itself–they all are fighting for their life underwater. Something seems to be pulling them down to their demise. They desperately try to fight their way up to the surface. But their fight is in vain, and all three of them lifelessly sink to the bottom. The resolution appears at the end of the film: an oversized tea bag was tied to each victim’s leg.
A super reads, “Drown your fears,” accompanied by a Herbaria logo and the branding description, “calming tea.”
Organic food producer Herbaria is breaking with the tea industry’s conventions by advertising their calming tea with this unusual film. It was directed by Andreas Roth, whose reinterpretation of the horror cult film “The Exorcist” for Dirt Devil caused a stir on the web and in creative competitions, including earning a slot in the 2012 SHOOT New Directors Showcase.
The film was produced by Tempomedia Hamburg in cooperation with Jung von Matt /Neckar and the Filmakademie Baden-W�rttemberg. The German Wahnsinn Team delivered music and sound composition and Harvest Digital was responsible for postproduction.
Shooting took place at Pinewood Studios in London, which have also served as a location for underwater scenes in the latest James Bond movies. The spot is run online, in German movie theaters and on www.herbaria.com.
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