Press Lions become Print & Publishing Lions; Digital Craft split off from Cyber and Mobile Lions
The Cannes Lions International Festival of Creativity has announced changes to the 2016 awards which will see the Press Lions become the Print & Publishing Lions and Digital Craft split from the Cyber and Mobile Lions.
The addition of the Press Lions is considered to be a milestone in Cannes Lions’ history, being the second award to be added to the competition. Simon Cook, director of awards, Lions Festivals, commented, “This is an award that’s been with us since 1992. By renaming it the Print & Publishing Lions, we are evolving the category, just as the print and publishing world itself is evolving, to recognize other forms of publishing, along with best uses of press and interactive press.”
Commenting on the splitting out of Digital Craft, Terry Savage, chairman, Lions Festivals, said, “The Cyber and Mobile Lions juries have told us that with more and more UX and Craft focused entries, it is necessary to have experts in this field sitting on the jury. We’ve chosen to split it out so that this specialist area can have its own dedicated jury, which will also make the hugely labor intensive Cyber Lions judging much more manageable going forward.”
The Digital Craft Lions will celebrate the creative skills and digital craftsmanship behind the content including the quality of design, the technical execution and the overall experience across all digital platforms and devices.
Additionally, Cannes Lions has adapted and changed other Lions for 2016. After continued consultation with a network of product design advisors, the Product Design Lions evolve significantly for 2016 with expanded and redefined categories that recognize the importance of the product as both a medium and brand embodiment, with new additions including Service & Interactive Design for Products.
The Titanium & Integrated Lions are being separated, with Titanium and Integrated now being judged as standalone Lions. Elsewhere, the Design Lions see a new suite of Experience Design categories and an expanded Social section, and the Outdoor Lions grow to include a large Digital Outdoor section.
As previously announced the launch of Lions Entertainment will see two associated Lions. The Entertainment Lions will replace the Branded Content & Entertainment Lions, while the Entertainment Lions for Music are launching due to music’s significant role within the entertainment sector.
Entries for Cannes Lions open on January 21.
First-Time Feature Directors Make Major Splash At AFI Fest, Generate Oscar Buzz
Two first-time feature directors who are generating Oscar buzz this awards season were front and center this past weekend at AFI Fest in Hollywood. Rachel Morrison, who made history as the first woman nominated for a Best Cinematography Oscar---on the strength of Mudbound in 2018--brought her feature directorial debut, The Fire Inside (Amazon MGM Studios), to the festival on Sunday (10/27), and shared insights into the film during a conversation session immediately following the screening. This came a day after William Goldenberg, an Oscar-winning editor for Argo in 2013, had his initial foray into feature directing, Unstoppable (Amazon MGM Studios), showcased at the AFI proceedings. He too spoke after the screening during a panel discussion. The Fire Inside--which made its world premiere at this year’s Toronto International Film Festival--tells the story of Claressa “T-Rex” Shields (portrayed by Ryan Destiny), a Black boxer from Flint, Mich., who trained to become the first woman in U.S. history to win an Olympic Gold Medal in the sport. She achieved this feat--with the help of coach Jason Crutchfield (Brian Tyree Henry)--only to find that her victory at the Summer Games came with relatively little fanfare and no endorsement deals. So much for the hope that the historic accomplishment would be a ticket out of socioeconomic purgatory for Shields and her family. It seemed like yet another setback in a cycle of adversity throughout Shields’ life but she persevered, going on to win her second Gold Medal at the next Olympics and becoming a champion for gender equality and equitable pay for women in sports. Shields has served as a source of inspiration for woman athletes worldwide--as well as to the community of... Read More