Kathryn Bigelow–the Best Director Oscar winner for The Hurt Locker, which also won Best Picture in 2010–has joined the roster of production house Smuggler for commercials and branded content worldwide.
The Hurt Locker earned a total of nine Academy Award nominations. Three years later, Bigelow's Zero Dark Thirty, which chronicled the hunt for Osama bin Laden, was also nominated for the Best Picture Oscar. Bigelow’s previous features include The Loveless (1982), Blue Steel (1989), Point Break (1991), Strange Days (1995) and K-19: The Widowmaker (2002). Her work in advertising includes campaigns for Schweppes, Chanel, Ford, and Revlon. She was previously handled in the ad arena by production house RESET.
Earlier this year, Bigelow teamed with VR creator Imraan Ismail to create The Protectors: Walk in the Ranger’s Shoes. This short VR documentary follows a group of Garamba National Park rangers through the Democratic Republic of Congo, exploring the African elephants’ race toward extinction at the hands of ivory-seeking poachers. The project premiered on Earth Day, April 22, at the Tribeca Film Festival. The following month National Geographic released the film on the VR app Within, and on YouTube and Facebook360. The Protectors: Walk in the Ranger’s Shoes was a co-production of the VR company Here Be Dragons and the film production company Annapurna Pictures.
Bigelow’s latest feature film, Detroit, follows the true story of a police raid at the Algiers Motel on July 25, 1967, during Detroit’s infamous, racially charged 12th Street Riot. The film is set to be released in theaters on August 4.
“Heretic” and “Maria” Set As Red Carpet Premieres At AFI Fest
The American Film Institute (AFI) has announced that Heretic, the psychological thriller starring Hugh Grant, and Maria, based on the life of opera singer Maria Callas starring Angelina Jolie, will round out the Red Carpet Premieres section at this year’s AFI Fest. The Heretic Gala Screening will take place on Thursday, October 24, and the Maria Gala Screening will be held on Saturday, October 26. The complete Red Carpet Premieres section includes the world premieres of Music By John Williams, Robert Zemeckis’ Here, Wallace & Gromit: Vengeance Most Fowl and Clint Eastwood’s Juror #2. All Red Carpet Premieres will take place at the historic TCL Chinese Theatre. The full lineup for AFI Fest 2024 will be unveiled on October 1.
“At the heart of AFI Fest is an unwavering dedication to celebrating the best in global cinema--together,” said Bob Gazzale, AFI president and CEO. “We look forward to uniting artists and audiences once again to be inspired by the art form in a powerful sense of community.”
Heretic follows two young missionaries (Sophie Thatcher and Chloe East) who are forced to prove their faith when they knock on the wrong door and are greeted by a diabolical Mr. Reed (portrayed by Grant), becoming ensnared in his deadly game of cat-and-mouse. The film is directed by Scott Beck and Bryan Woods and produced by Stacey Sher, Beck, Woods, Julia Glausi and Jeanette Volturno. The film will be released nationwide by A24 on November 8.
Directed by Pablo Larraín, Maria presents a tumultuous and beautiful depiction of one of the world’s most renowned artists and reimagines the legendary soprano in her final days in Paris, as Callas (Jolie)... Read More