Bicoastal production company Honor Society has signed director Kristin Dehnert for U.S. commercial representation. Dehnert is an award-winning writer and director, fusing her eye for casting and instinct for comedic timing to helm irreverent, culturally-relevant comedy work for brands including Uber, Advil, Frito-Lay, Credit Karma, Wells Fargo, Michaels and ESPN. Her commercial directorial debut was a grand slam, winning the Doritos “Crash the Super Bowl” contest with her spot “Check Out Girl.” The hilarious ad, which she also penned, soared to viral status, earning widespread media coverage and landing on The Ellen Show as one of Ellen’s top comedy spots from the big game. Her narrative short films have screened at over 60 film festivals across the globe, winning top awards including the BAFTA Award of Excellence at SXSW.
With Dehnert joining Honor Society, the roster is now made up of 42% female directors, with managing director/executive producer Megan Kelly taking a deliberate approach towards diversity and inclusion within the company, even before signing on with the launch of Free the Bid in 2016.
“Kristin not only has a natural ability for comedic storytelling, but her experience as a writer truly allows her to create in the moment and take creative concepts to the next level,” noted Kelly who hopes to develop opportunities for her in short and long-form content.
Dehnert said of Kelly, “She truly champions and supports all of her filmmakers and brings a nuanced understanding to the importance of cross-pollination between entertainment and advertising to create work that truly engages audiences.”
L.A.-based Dehnert began her filmmaking career as a location scout and manager for feature films, embracing the experience as an opportunity to work alongside top directorial talent including Nora Ephron, Robert Zemeckis and Nicholas Stoller. Dehnert made her directorial debut with Underground, a suspense thriller short she also co-wrote and co-produced. The film, which addresses themes of gender, race and fear, gained international notoriety and enjoyed a successful global festival run before getting picked up by IFC for domestic television distribution. Her background in writing and natural inclination towards improvisation shifted her focus into the comedy realm, with her short film Michael Peterson premiering at the Palm Springs International ShortFest and going on to win numerous awards and accolades. After making a splash in adland with her Doritos Super Bowl spot, she began rapidly building her comedy commercial reel as well as carving out a niche as a sought-after director of celebrity talent working with Mindy Kaling, Busy Philipps and Sophia Bush, among others. Dehnert’s standout debut work both in commercials and narrative shorts also attracted the attention of Disney, which commissioned her to pen a comedic short. Prior to Honor Society, she was signed with Spears and Arrows. In addition to her commercial work, Chicago-born Dehnert continues to write and direct her own projects and is currently in development on her first feature comedy script.
“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