Director Gavin Bowden, whose filmography spans commercials, music videos and long-form fare, has come aboard Culver City-based Bandito Brothers for exclusive U.S. spot representation. His ad credits include Chevrolet, Toyota, Subaru, Ford, Fanta, VH-1 and Nike.
Bowden got his start filming music videos in the 1990s, when, as he described it, “Bands were open to having experimental and challenging ideas in their videos and MTV was playing them based upon their creative merits.” His work includes videos for the Red Hot Chili Peppers, Rage Against The Machine, Henry Rollins, and Matchbox 20, as well as the 1992 documentary Funky Monks, which is a revealing look at the recording of the Chili Peppers’ landmark album, “Blood, Sugar, Sex, Magik.”
Bowden made the jump into advertising with Original Film when his video “Pepper” for the Butthole Surfers caught the attention of Wieden + Kennedy, Portland, Ore., which recruited him to apply a similar style to spots for Nike. Bowden also directed spots through A Band Apart, Plum Pictures, Uncle and most recently Safehouse Pictures before joining Bandito Brothers.
His latest and best-known commercial work has been for car makers. For Saatchi & Saatchi LA, Bowden directed a campaign for Toyota’s launch of its redesigned RAV-4, and employed his trademark style of animation using stills. He wanted to explore and develop more unique ways of showcasing the cars in the spots rather than relying solely on running footage. Bowden has a track record in this regard, spanning such approaches as a CG rendering of the Chevrolet Sonic’s engine and a single-shot motion control exploration of the Nissan Rogue. His atypical automotive spot endeavors include Subaru’s “Peel Out” which entailed an animated rendition of the Subaru Impreza as it emerges from magazine pages. SWAY Studio was visual effects house on the job, which Bowden directed during his Plum Productions tenure. Bowden teamed with a graphic designer to personally create the scores of magazine pages featured in the commercial.
At Bandito, Bowden will be able to tap into the VFX talent and resources of Cantina Creative. Bandito partnered in Cantina’s launch, bringing VFX capabilities in-house.
Bowden rounds out a Bandito roster comprised of partners/directors Mike “Mouse” McCoy and Scott Waugh, directors Stewart Hendler, Sinuhe Xavier and Jacob Rosenberg, the helming duos of Gentlemen, and The Polish Brothers, and directors/cinematographers Shane Hurlbut, Mitchell Amundsen, Peter Rodger, Matt Goodman and Vic Huber. Hispanic division Los Banditos includes directors Igor Jadue, Flavio Labiano, Robert Maya, and Leonardo Ricagni.
Utah Leaders and Locals Rally To Keep Sundance Film Festival In The State
With the 2025 Sundance Film Festival underway, Utah leaders, locals and longtime attendees are making a final push — one that could include paying millions of dollars — to keep the world-renowned film festival as its directors consider uprooting.
Thousands of festivalgoers affixed bright yellow stickers to their winter coats that read "Keep Sundance in Utah" in a last-ditch effort to convince festival leadership and state officials to keep it in Park City, its home of 41 years.
Gov. Spencer Cox said previously that Utah would not throw as much money at the festival as other states hoping to lure it away. Now his office is urging the Legislature to carve out $3 million for Sundance in the state budget, weeks before the independent film festival is expected to pick a home for the next decade.
It could retain a small presence in picturesque Park City and center itself in nearby Salt Lake City, or move to another finalist — Cincinnati, Ohio, or Boulder, Colorado — beginning in 2027.
"Sundance is Utah, and Utah is Sundance. You can't really separate those two," Cox said. "This is your home, and we desperately hope it will be your home forever."
Last year's festival generated about $132 million for the state of Utah, according to Sundance's 2024 economic impact report.
Festival Director Eugene Hernandez told reporters last week that they had not made a final decision. An announcement is expected this year by early spring.
Colorado is trying to further sweeten its offer. The state is considering legislation giving up to $34 million in tax incentives to film festivals like Sundance through 2036 — on top of the $1.5 million in funds already approved to lure the Utah festival to its neighboring... Read More