Click 3X has secured director Vellas (Felipe Vellasco) for exclusive representation in the U.S. and Canada, working in tandem with Sentimental Filme, his S�o Paulo, Brazil-based production company. Vellas’ spot for Leica, entitled “Soul,” earned five Lions at this year’s Cannes Lions International Festival of Creativity–a Film Craft Gold Lion for Cinematography, a Film Craft Silver for Direction, Film Craft Bronzes for Art Direction/Product Design and Editing, and a Silver Film Lion in the Retail Stores category.
Additionally, “Soul” garnered Vellas a slot in this year’s Saatchi & Saatchi New Directors Showcase which was unveiled during the Cannes Fest.
Sentimental Filme produced “Soul” for F/Nazca Saatchi & Saatchi, S�o Paulo, The cinema commercial introduces the Leica M-Monochrom a digital camera that shoots in black and white. The documentary-style piece is told from the POV of the camera itself while being used over the decades by a war photojournalist.
“I was immediately attracted to the Leica spot and to Vellas’ work as a whole,” recalled Click 3X live action managing director/exec producer Megan Kelly. “His aesthetic falls completely in line with the direction I want to take Click’s roster–focusing on intimate, highly creative work. Additionally, our partnership with Sentimental Filme in Vellas’ home country significantly broadens Click’s horizons on an international level, giving us the ability to shoot in Brazil.”
Prior to Cannes, “Soul” had earned a pair of Gold Clios, two Yellow Pencils at D&AD, and a Gold One Show Design Award.
Vellas was born in Rio de Janeiro in 1982, moving to S�o Paulo in 1995. He got his start in the advertising industry as an art director in the creative departments of agencies such as DM9DDB and Ogilvy & Mather. He eventually moved into the production space, working as an art director and animator for production companies. This quickly led to his first directorial projects, with Vellas joining the Sentimental Filme roster in early 2012.
Tinygiant Signs Director Moriah Sawtelle
Female-owned production company Tinygiant has signed director Moriah Sawtelle. She joins as part of Tinygiant’s Next Big Thing incubator program, which is dedicated to nurturing emerging directorial voices.
Sawtelle’s directorial approach has been defined by Tinygiant as “melding engineering precision with an artistic vision that transforms constraints into creative potential.” A talented photographer as well, she brings a keen eye for composition and storytelling to her filmmaking. Her work spans collaborations with brands such as Starbucks, Delta, Cadillac, and Rémy Martin.
“There’s something magnetic about truth framed in a combination of whimsy and authorship,” said Sawtelle. “I love to reimagine reality--blending sub-genres, bending visual rules, and shaping stories that linger in the back of your mind long after you’ve seen them.”
Sawtelle’s recent work includes the Jameson Holiday campaign, a cinematic journey through the intimate warmth of the Jameson family living room; Rémy Martin’s campaign, where luxury meets playful surrealism; and "TWO Hotel--Between the Lines," a fashion film noir capturing the mystery of unreliable narrators within the striking aesthetic of the TWA Hotel.
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