Beyoncé's "Formation" Music Video, Edeka Zentrale's "Home For Christmas" each earn an Entertainment Lions for Music Grand Prix honor
Capping Cannes Lions Entertainment–the specialist event dedicated to a new breed of unskippable creativity born out of brand, artist and agency collaborations (with such speakers as James Bond film director Martin Campbell, and noted music producer Mark Ronson)–was an evening awards show in which the Entertainment Lions and new Entertainment for Music honors were presented.
Claiming the Entertainment Lions Grand Prix was The New York Times’ The Displaced, a virtual reality experience from Vrse.works which was recognized for its experiential power, placing viewers directly inside the global refugee crisis and signaling VR’s arrival into the mainstream. Entertainment Lions jury president Jae Goodman, chief creative officer and co-head of CAA Marketing, said, “The New York Times embarked on The Displaced as far more than an extension of their editorial platform, and in doing so they have catapulted their brand forward. To our jury, that made it worthy of the first-ever Entertainment Lions Grand Prix.”
Earlier in the week, The Displaced earned Mobile Lions Grand Prix distinction.
The overall Entertainment Lions competition saw 1,843 entries narrowed down to 61 winners. Click here for a full rundown of Entertainment Lions winners.
Meanwhile the new Entertainment Lions for Music, recognizing original production, promotion or distribution of music for brands and creativity where music is at the core, generated 636 entries, 32 Lions and a dual Grands Prix. The first went to the “Formation” music video by PRETTYBIRD for Beyoncé and was selected for its creative bravery to challenge social issues through popular culture.
Entertainment Lions for Music jury president Josh Rabinowitz, EVP/director of music, Grey Group, said, “The video is so compelling that it not only succeeds in demanding your attention, but also helped to establish Beyoncé as an artist who pushes the boundaries of creativity and challenges the archetypal pop star image.”
The second Grand Prix was awarded to “Home for Christmas” a branded short film with an original composition for Edeka Zentrale & Co by JUNG von MATT. The musical work embraces impactful storytelling to create a powerful brand message. Click here for a full rundown of Entertainment Lions for Music winners.
Jennifer Kent On Why Her Feature Directing Debut, “The Babadook,” Continues To Haunt Us
"The Babadook," when it was released 10 years ago, didn't seem to portend a cultural sensation.
It was the first film by a little-known Australian filmmaker, Jennifer Kent. It had that strange name. On opening weekend, it played in two theaters.
But with time, the long shadows of "The Babadook" continued to envelop moviegoers. Its rerelease this weekend in theaters, a decade later, is less of a reminder of a sleeper 2014 indie hit than it is a chance to revisit a horror milestone that continues to cast a dark spell.
Not many small-budget, first-feature films can be fairly said to have shifted cinema but Kent's directorial debut may be one of them. It was at the nexus of that much-debated term "elevated horror." But regardless of that label, it helped kicked off a wave of challenging, filmmaker-driven genre movies like "It Follows," "Get Out" and "Hereditary."
Kent, 55, has watched all of this — and those many "Babadook" memes — unfold over the years with a mix of elation and confusion. Her film was inspired in part by the death of her father, and its horror elements likewise arise out of the suppression of emotions. A single mother (Essie Davis) is struggling with raising her young son (Noah Wiseman) years after the tragic death of her husband. A figure from a pop-up children's book begins to appear. As things grow more intense, his name is drawn out in three chilling syllables — "Bah-Bah-Doooook" — an incantation of unprocessed grief.
Kent recently spoke from her native Australia to reflect on the origins and continuing life of "The Babadook."
Q: Given that you didn't set out to in any way "change" horror, how have you regarded the unique afterlife of "The... Read More