Director Ivan Grbovic has joined The Corner Shop for U.S. representation. He had previously been handled by BRF (B-Reel Films).
Having earned a Masters degree in cinematography from the American Film Institute in Hollywood, Grbovic soon switched to directing music videos and acclaimed short films in Canada. His first commercial work was a humorous piece for Canadian hardware store chain Rona tied into the 2010 Olympic Games. Grbovic’s other credits span such brands as Bank of America, Ubisoft, Lexus and Burger King.
Anna Hashmi, managing partner/EP for The Corner Shop assessed, “Ivan’s impressive reel of work, shows his cinematic eye and ability to tell big scale narratives whilst effortlessly employing VFX and humor. And he may well be the best under exposed director you’ve yet to work with.”
Grbovic will be repped by The Corner Store sales force consisting of Ziegler/Jakubowicz on the East Coast, Resource LA on the West Coast and Mary Kate Hatfield in the Midwest.
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