International creative production company Couscous has signed directors Dawit N.M. and Michael Middelkoop for their first U.S. commercial production representation. The former is based in New York while Middelkoop is an Amsterdam resident.
Couscous EP and founding partner Salim El Arja cited each directors “unique ‘visual trickery’ style, depth of storytelling and culturally multi-faceted backgrounds” as making them strong additions to the company roster.
With a signature style rooted in truth-telling, Dawit has lent his photography talents to media brands including The New Yorker, The Wire and Interscope. Pivoting to filmmaking, he has helmed projects for artists such as Charlie Puth. N.M.’s short film Mereba: Planet U earned him recognition as an emerging director during the 2019 American Black Film Festival.
N.M. said of his new roost, “I’m proud to be at a place that understands there’s a human behind this creative person. With that understanding, we’re able to effortlessly come together and create timeless pieces.”
Born in Ethiopia, N.M. moved to Virginia at the age of seven, developing a curiosity surrounding filmmaking which was piqued by recording video game plays as a childhood hobby. While attending Old Dominion University, he discovered his love of photography, beginning his first comprehensive photobook project “The Eye That Follows: Photographs by Dawit N.M.,” capturing the spirit and culture of his native Ethiopia through an objective lens. Through images, N.M. broke through the stereotype-driven narratives he’d send concerning Ethiopia. He is currently in pre-production on a second photo book and a short film.
Michael Middelkoop
Middelkoop captures creative concepts through a directorial sensibility that is quiet and raw. With an agency background and diverse experience concepting campaigns, he infuses his work with authenticity and strong multiculturalism. His advertising and filmmaking has earned top-tier awards including a Cannes Lion, an AMVF Award and two Shortcutz Amsterdam award nominations for the short film Snor.
Middelkoop credited Couscous co-founders El Arja, Bear Damen and Jordan Cardoso with establishing “a well-curated roster of global talent and I’m looking forward to complementing the diverse flavors they’ve already assembled, as well as expanding their offerings with my story and world-building approach in directing both music videos and commercials.”
Amsterdam-born and enraptured by film classics, Middelkoop studied filmmaking techniques from a young age, eventually majoring in Film and minoring in American Studies at the University of Amsterdam. While in university, he fell in love with the writing craft and followed his education with advertising agency positions at Saatchi & Saatchi Netherlands, Leo Burnett Amsterdam and more. He pivoted his copywriting background back into filmmaking in 2015; two years later, his crowdfunded film Netflix & Chill made lauded appearances at worldwide film festivals and earned him a nomination in the Debut Competition of the Netherlands Film Festival. He is currently in pre-production on two additional film projects.
Sinners and Saints Adds Apple Pie To Its Branded Menu
Bicoastal Sinners and Saints--the multidisciplinary studio overseen by managing director/executive producer Heather Heller, and partners/EPs Yann Henric and Thomas Carroll--has added Apple Pie Tabletop to its roster for branded content. Known for its food and beverage content creation, Apple Pie comprises the husband-and-wife team of director/DP Gene Dubin and director/art director Alisa Volodina. In addition to representation, the move expands Apple Pie’s production capabilities through the combination of its centrally located full-service studio in New York and a newly established mobile studio in Los Angeles. Apple Pie recently teamed with Sinners and Saints on a Wienerschnitzel project created by Innocean.
“We believe that our dual studio strategy positions us uniquely in the competitive landscape of food and beverage storytelling,” said Heller. “By blending the artistry of the New York studio with the flexibility of our Los Angeles location, we can tailor our productions to meet the unique demands of each project, regardless of geography.”
“Working with Sinners and Saints in the demanding field of tabletop was an absolute pleasure,” shared Apple Pie Tabletop in a joint statement. “Warm welcome, unwavering support and dedication--everything a director can ask for. The entire experience was both enjoyable and rewarding. We will not miss an opportunity to collaborate with them again.”
“The first thing you notice is that Apple Pie has beautiful work,” Heller observed. “Having worked with them, I can say that Gene and Alisa are extremely meticulous and detail-oriented; their combination of talent and agility appeals to agencies and clients.” Also appealing to Heller is Apple Pie Tabletop’s brisk international... Read More