In this Fall Directors Series Issue, there are assorted examples of directors crossing over between or among disciplines.
This week’s lineup of profiles includes: long-time commercial director Gary McKendry who earned an Oscar nomination several years ago for best short film and is now in post on his theatrical feature debut, The Killer Elite starring Robert DeNiro, Jason Statham and Clive Owen; Nanette Burstein, an accomplished documentary filmmaker who diversified into commercials and recently saw the release of her romantic comedy Going the Distance starring Drew Barrymore and Justin Long; Dennie Gordon, nominated for a DGA Award for HBO’s Tracey Takes On…, and director of multiple episodes of such comedies as 30 Rock and The Office, as well as spots, promos and branded content; and Tom Hooper, director of the acclaimed HBO miniseries John Adams, and the feature The King’s Speech, which has generated considerable Oscar contender buzz based on recent debut screenings at the Telluride Film Festival followed by the Toronto International Film Festival.
This week’s news coverage also includes production studio Bandito Brothers‘ signing of noted indie filmmakers The Polish Brothers for commercials and longer form branded entertainment. With a filmography that includes three movies that have debuted at the Sundance Film Festival over the years, Mark and Michael Polish also have several commercial campaigns to their co-directorial credit.
Yet standing out for his diverse endeavors–even in a landscape where crossover has become common–is Richard Ayoade, writer/director of Submarine, which too scored kudos at the recently concluded Toronto International Film Festival.
Ayoade is well known in the U.K. as a comedian, an actor, writer and director. On the acting front, for example, he became noted for his role as the socially awkward tech genius Maurice Moss in Channel 4’s The IT Crowd, winning best actor in a TV comedy series at the Monte Carlo Television Festival.
Ayoade also co-wrote (with Matthjew Holness) and performed in the noted stage show Gareth Marenghi’s Fright Night.
The Marenghi character later surfaced in the parody horror comedy series Garth Marenghi’s Darkplace. Ayoade directed and acted in a supporting role in the television series. He also had a writing hand in The Mighty Book of Boosh, which spawned a radio series and then a TV show (he acted in the pilot).
Ayoade was also a stand-up comedian for a brief stretch, performing on The Stand Up Show on BBC1, before transitioning to acting in comedies.
Beyond directing comedy series, Ayoade has also helmed music videos for such artists as the Arctic Monkeys, Super Furry Animals, The Last Shadow Puppets, the Yeah Yeah Yeahs and Kasabian.
Via production house Tomboy Films in London, Ayoade diversified into commercials, directing several jobs before moving over to bicoastal/international Moxie Pictures for spot and branded content representation in the U.S. and U.K. He continues to be repped for music video assignments by Warp Films, London.
And now Ayoade has made his narrative feature directorial debut (he earlier helmed a feature-length concert film The Arctic Monkeys at the Apollo) with the aforementioned Submarine, a teen film adapted from the novel by Joe Dunthorne.
Submarine is told from the unique perspective of Oliver Tate, a witty, endearingly odd 15-year-old lad who is coming to grips with a most confusing world, which includes the impending breakup of his parents as well as his first romantic relationship.
The film has scored rave reviews, singling out such elements as Ayoade’s writing and direction, the performances of newcomer Craig Roberts as Oliver, Yasmin Paige as his romantic interest, and Noah Taylor and Sally Hawkins as Oliver’s parents.
Reviews have also cited the different dimensions of the movie, ranging from humorous to introspective, moody and melancholy.
As for what drew him to a film project centered on adolescents, Ayoade told SHOOT, “I liked the book a great deal. That was the starting point.” And while he understands that American audiences might wonder why the need for yet another adolescent film, Ayoade explained that the genre is not nearly as common in the U.K. and thus represents a departure for his home marketplace.
“America seems to be the leader in films and television shows with teens and adolescents, TV series like The Wonder Years, and I very much like Dawson’s Creek,” related Ayoade. “But this is more an American form than I suppose a British one, and capturing that mindset with a bit of a different twist interested me.”
Plaintive ballads written by Alex Turner from the band Arctic Monkeys also help to set the mood and feel of Submarine.
Turner has collaborated with Ayoade over the years on the alluded to Arctic Monkeys music videos and concert film.
Ayoade is gratified over the favorable reviews that Submarine has received but resists the temptation to dwell on them.
“If the reviews are bad, you can become depressed. If they’re good, you can be overly confident. And if they’re bad, it’s too late to do anything about it anyway.”
His perspective on positive reviews is akin to the observation attributed in some circles to George Bernard Shaw which went along the lines of it being easy to ignore bad reviews. But the hard thing to do–which is necessary for personal balance, integrity, humility and creative success–is to ignore the good ones.
Ayoade joined Moxie for commercials just as Submarine was green lit. He wants to remain active in spotmaking and said he’s attracted to the discipline based on the work done by such directors as Spike Jonze (whose roost is MJZ), Wes Anderson (also handled by Moxie Picutres) and Jonathan Glazer (of Academy Films).
Among Ayoade’s directorial credits are a humorous trailer for The Mighty Boosh, and comedic commercials for Nokia and Peugeot.
The latter consists of tongue-in-cheek, cut-down versions of well known feature films (Lord of the Rings, The Blair Witch Project) to reflect a reduced production footprint simpatico with the reduced carbon footprint of the eco-friendly Blue Lion accredited Peugeot 308 automobile.
The Blair Witch Project parody, for example, features several young folks running around screaming in a field, each holding a video camera.
Utah Leaders and Locals Rally To Keep Sundance Film Festival In The State
With the 2025 Sundance Film Festival underway, Utah leaders, locals and longtime attendees are making a final push — one that could include paying millions of dollars — to keep the world-renowned film festival as its directors consider uprooting.
Thousands of festivalgoers affixed bright yellow stickers to their winter coats that read "Keep Sundance in Utah" in a last-ditch effort to convince festival leadership and state officials to keep it in Park City, its home of 41 years.
Gov. Spencer Cox said previously that Utah would not throw as much money at the festival as other states hoping to lure it away. Now his office is urging the Legislature to carve out $3 million for Sundance in the state budget, weeks before the independent film festival is expected to pick a home for the next decade.
It could retain a small presence in picturesque Park City and center itself in nearby Salt Lake City, or move to another finalist — Cincinnati, Ohio, or Boulder, Colorado — beginning in 2027.
"Sundance is Utah, and Utah is Sundance. You can't really separate those two," Cox said. "This is your home, and we desperately hope it will be your home forever."
Last year's festival generated about $132 million for the state of Utah, according to Sundance's 2024 economic impact report.
Festival Director Eugene Hernandez told reporters last week that they had not made a final decision. An announcement is expected this year by early spring.
Colorado is trying to further sweeten its offer. The state is considering legislation giving up to $34 million in tax incentives to film festivals like Sundance through 2036 — on top of the $1.5 million in funds already approved to lure the Utah festival to its neighboring... Read More