Bicoastal Chelsea has signed director Angie Bird–a Young Director Award winner at Cannes in 2016–for her first ever U.S. representation.
Bird earned the Young Director Award honor for “Mean Tweets,” a commercial depicting the genuine struggles of the homeless. The spot showcases her knack for grabbing powerful emotional moments with a true sense of craftsmanship, empathy and tact. She’s directed campaigns for Kellogg’s, Tim Horton’s, the Salvation Army and Gillette among others.
Based in Toronto but born and bred in Melbourne, Australia, Bird is an agency art director turned director, writing and directing ads for multinational brands and honing her storytelling skills with a passion for beauty and honesty.
“My gut tells me Angie will become a future star in the U.S.,” assessed Chelsea president/owner Lisa Mehling.
Bird’s first documentary short, You Won’t Regret That Tattoo, was featured in The Atlantic, UpWorthy, Huffington Post, and as a Vimeo Staff Pick. The film captures a perspective on modern culture and the tattoo phenomenon previously unexplored in the media–that of an older generation proud to sport the ink they wear. As well as being a beautiful study of human nature, the film uncovers the meaning and importance behind the social ritual of tattoos. The short screened at AFI Docs and a number of international film festivals.
Most recently, Bird completed her first narrative short, The Day Grunge Died, which tells the story of a group of girls informing their friend of the death of Kurt Cobain. The film had its’ world premiere at the Beverly Hills International Film Festival.
Bird said she has long followed and admired what Chelsea has accomplished and looks forward to working alongside Mehling, EPs Pat McGoldrick and Michel Waxman, and the shop’s roster of directors. “I can’t wait to break into the U.S. market with these guys by my side,” said Bird.
Bird joins a Chelsea roster which includes David Gordon Green, Lauren Greenfield, Alex Gibney, Stacy Peralta, Bruce Hunt, Jack Cole, Nadav Kander, Amir Bar-Lev, Gregory Jacobs, and The Bear.
Chelsea is represented by Denise Blate Roederer of RHODA on the East Coast, Doug Stephen & Partners in the Midwest, and Get Reehl/Get Davis on the West Coast.
Jennifer Kent On Why Her Feature Directing Debut, “The Babadook,” Continues To Haunt Us
"The Babadook," when it was released 10 years ago, didn't seem to portend a cultural sensation.
It was the first film by a little-known Australian filmmaker, Jennifer Kent. It had that strange name. On opening weekend, it played in two theaters.
But with time, the long shadows of "The Babadook" continued to envelop moviegoers. Its rerelease this weekend in theaters, a decade later, is less of a reminder of a sleeper 2014 indie hit than it is a chance to revisit a horror milestone that continues to cast a dark spell.
Not many small-budget, first-feature films can be fairly said to have shifted cinema but Kent's directorial debut may be one of them. It was at the nexus of that much-debated term "elevated horror." But regardless of that label, it helped kicked off a wave of challenging, filmmaker-driven genre movies like "It Follows," "Get Out" and "Hereditary."
Kent, 55, has watched all of this — and those many "Babadook" memes — unfold over the years with a mix of elation and confusion. Her film was inspired in part by the death of her father, and its horror elements likewise arise out of the suppression of emotions. A single mother (Essie Davis) is struggling with raising her young son (Noah Wiseman) years after the tragic death of her husband. A figure from a pop-up children's book begins to appear. As things grow more intense, his name is drawn out in three chilling syllables — "Bah-Bah-Doooook" — an incantation of unprocessed grief.
Kent recently spoke from her native Australia to reflect on the origins and continuing life of "The Babadook."
Q: Given that you didn't set out to in any way "change" horror, how have you regarded the unique afterlife of "The... Read More