Hybrid creative and production studio Ammolite Inc. has added Ganna Bogdan to its directorial roster. This is Bogdan’s first U.S. representation.
Hailing from Kiev, Ukraine, Bogdan is a mixed-media artist and filmmaker. She grew up training as a professional figure skater bound for the Olympics, later transitioning to a career as a model that gave her entry into the creative industry. Exploring her passion for art, she gained experience working as a photographer and subsequently moved into directing.
Shaped by a present-day vision of the mid-century modernist movement, Bogdan’s dreamlike films are layered and lyrical. She has collaborated with numerous brands including Paco Rabbane, Oakley, Farfetch, Herschel, Vogue Russia, and Elder Statesman, and has directed music videos for many Russian and Ukrainian music artists. She is currently at work on her first documentary.
Founded by director Emil Nava and headed by managing director Kirsten Arongino, Ammolite specializes in 360 multidisciplinary storytelling, tapping their team’s experience across genres and disciplines to concept and execute complete campaigns across broadcast, digital, social and experiential spaces.
First-Time Feature Directors Make Major Splash At AFI Fest, Generate Oscar Buzz
Two first-time feature directors who are generating Oscar buzz this awards season were front and center this past weekend at AFI Fest in Hollywood. Rachel Morrison, who made history as the first woman nominated for a Best Cinematography Oscar---on the strength of Mudbound in 2018--brought her feature directorial debut, The Fire Inside (Amazon MGM Studios), to the festival on Sunday (10/27), and shared insights into the film during a conversation session immediately following the screening. This came a day after William Goldenberg, an Oscar-winning editor for Argo in 2013, had his initial foray into feature directing, Unstoppable (Amazon MGM Studios), showcased at the AFI proceedings. He too spoke after the screening during a panel discussion. The Fire Inside--which made its world premiere at this year’s Toronto International Film Festival--tells the story of Claressa “T-Rex” Shields (portrayed by Ryan Destiny), a Black boxer from Flint, Mich., who trained to become the first woman in U.S. history to win an Olympic Gold Medal in the sport. She achieved this feat--with the help of coach Jason Crutchfield (Brian Tyree Henry)--only to find that her victory at the Summer Games came with relatively little fanfare and no endorsement deals. So much for the hope that the historic accomplishment would be a ticket out of socioeconomic purgatory for Shields and her family. It seemed like yet another setback in a cycle of adversity throughout Shields’ life but she persevered, going on to win her second Gold Medal at the next Olympics and becoming a champion for gender equality and equitable pay for women in sports. Shields has served as a source of inspiration for woman athletes worldwide--as well as to the community of... Read More