Director Alison Chernick has joined aWHITELABELproduct for global representation, marking her first career signing with a commercial production company. She is best known for her feature-length documentaries and short films covering art, culture and fashion.
Her first feature documentary, The Jeff Koons Show, captured the thoughts and processes of prolific visual artist Jeff Koons.
Chernick soon followed it up with another feature length documentary about avant-garde artist Matthew Barney, titled Matthew Barney: No Restraint, which premiered at the Berlin Film Festival and was acquired for theatrical distribution by The Weinstein Company and IFC. Both films gained worldwide release and were screened at notable festivals and museums around the world.
Chernick’s ability to capture intimate and unvarnished moments of her subjects has made her a sought after filmmaker in art, culture and fashion circles. She has directed several mini-films about iconic art and design personalities such as Julian Schnabel, Marc Newson, Jeffrey Deitch, Pedro Almodovar and the infamous restaurant in Spain, El Bulli. On the commercial side, utilizing her documentary approach she independently directed a BMW spot featuring author Glenn O’Brien, and won a Promax award for the HBO promo “You’ve Got Mail.”
Chernick’s recent short film, Confessions of Steve McQueen, can be viewed at the Louis Vuitton on-line magazine Nowness.com, where she is a regular contributor. Shot during the 2011 Toronto Film Festival, it’s a film ruminating with British director Steve McQueen in his hotel room while discussing his forthcoming feature film Shame. Chernick often toggles between covering real topics and creating fiction. The prolific director won best screenplay for her fiction short titled The Couple, which played the film festival circuit this year.
On the list of Chernick’s projects is her next feature documentary about the mysterious and intriguing French artist/fashion designer Martin Margiela. Chernick is currently shooting a video series of 10 short films, in which contemporary artists are enlisted to star in remakes of seminal video artworks, prompting a dialogue between the original artwork and the artist reinterpreting it. First is James Franco as Bruce Nauman in a contemporary update of Nauman’s Art Make-Up video piece from 1967. Further details on the series will be announced as more installments are completed.
In the feature film arena, Chernick is developing a project inspired by Maurice Pialat’s 1972 French drama Nous Ne Vieillirons Pas Ensemble / We Won’t Grow Old Together, which she is scheduled to shoot in late 2012. She will also be shooting a short video piece commissioned by the Tate Modern in London for an upcoming exhibit.
Chernick’s work has been screened at various museums around the world, including the five Guggenheims, The Smithsonian, SFMOMA, and The Walker. She comes aboard aWHITELABELproduct directorial roster that includes Arni & Kinski, Mikael Jansson, Aneil Karia, Darius Khondji, Peter Lindbergh, Carlos Manga Jr., David Michalek, Paul Middleditch, Panoptic, Adria Petty, James Pilkington, Eugenio Recuenco, Tim Richardson, Nick Robertston, Stephane Sednaoui, Benjamin Seroussi, Carter Smith, Tell No One and Mathieu Wothke.
Edelman Global CCO Judy John Named AICP Next Awards Judging Chair
Judy John, global chief creative officer at global communications firm Edelman, has been named as the 2025 AICP Next Awards judging chair. In this role, John has assembled a roster of jury presidents who will, in turn, select judges for all AICP Next Awards categories.
“I’m thrilled and honored to be named AICP Next Awards judging chair,” said John. “I’ve served as a Next jury president, and I know the caliber of work that’s entered and the level of talent judging that work. The Next Awards are special, as they recognize achievements through the lens of boundary-breaking innovations in marketing. Like great art, this work creates awe in the viewer, and reflects the times and culture in which it was created. The fact that the honored work is preserved in The Museum of Modern Art’s Department of Film’s archives for future generations adds a whole other level of significance.”
“Judy’s career in many ways reflects the DNA of the Next Awards, in that she is a globally-recognized expert in creating work using a wide range of techniques, media platforms and content formats,” said Matt Miller, president and CEO of AICP. “Her complete fluency in the current marketing communications landscape makes her an ideal judging chairperson. We’re delighted that she is serving in this role.”
The AICP Next Awards is much more than an awards competition; it’s also a platform for examining work through thought leadership and analysis. The entry deadline for the AICP Next Awards, along with the AICP Show: The Art & Technique of the Commercial and the AICP Post Awards, is Wed., February 26. Details can be found here.
Two new categories are joining the Next Awards this year, for... Read More