Director Marcel Langenegger has joined A Band Apart, Los Angeles, for exclusive representation in the U.S. His former stateside affiliation was Biscuit Filmworks, Los Angeles.
He made his first major mark with the memorable Doctors Without Borders PSA, “Borderline,” for Advico Young & Rubicam, Zurich, in 2000. At the outset of the spot we see stitches closing a wound in human flesh. But rather than turn away from this sight, the suturing piques viewer curiosity. Slowly it’s revealed that the skin has a map on it, and the stitching is bringing back together the war torn Kosovo and surrounding countries.
Done while Langenegger was with now defunct Propaganda Films, “Borderline” went on to win a Gold Lion at the Cannes International Advertising Festival in ’01 and a Gold Clio the following year.
Langenegger’s recent endeavors include his being in Chile to direct a two-minute Toyota spot via Circle Productions, Toronto, for Saatchi & Saatchi, Toronto. The commercial debuted during the Canadian airing of the Academy Awards and tells a Romeo and Juliet style story of a woman from a town called “Need” and a man from a town called “Want.” Also among Langenegger’s latest work is a Swiss Postal Service campaign in which he traveled the alpine country interviewing real people about their experiences riding the postal service’s bus line. That project was produced by Chocolate Films, Zurich, which represents Langenegger in Europe.
As for why he chose A Band Apart, Langenegger cited its prowess across multiple disciplines–commercials, music videos and long form. “It is one of the few commercial companies with a strong and established presence in features,” he said, adding that also factoring into his decision were his longtime friendships with A Band Apart managing director Jeff Armstrong, and producer Lawrence Bender, who heads the company’s feature film operations. Langenegger is currently under contract with Fox to direct his first feature, The Tourist, set to shoot in the fall.
Langenegger joins A Band Apart directorial roster that also includes Coodie & Chike, Brendan Donovan, Per Dreyer, Derek Horn, Jennifer Little, Moses, Michael Palmieri, Corbett Scott, Martin Weisz, Andy Dick and James White.
How The Hollywood Awards Calendar Has Been Affected By The Wildfires
Hollywood's awards season has all but come to a rare halt as the wildfires continue to disrupt life and work in the Los Angeles area. There are near daily updates from the Hollywood guilds and organizations that put on awards shows as the industry navigates the ongoing crisis.
Here's an overview of the major upcoming awards shows, from the Oscars to the Grammys, including updated dates for nominations.
Producers Guild and Writers Guild award nominations
Postponed, no new dates announced
The Writers Guild of America nominations were to be announced Jan. 8, a date that was pushed to Jan. 13 and then postponed indefinitely. The Producers Guild of America nominations for feature films were to be announced on Jan. 10, which was pushed to Jan. 12 and then postponed to an unspecified date this week.
Academy Award nominations
Jan. 23
The Oscar nominations have been twice-delayed — they were initially slated for Jan. 17, then Jan. 19, before being delayed again. The delay in the announcement accommodates an extended voting deadline, as many Academy members have been affected by the wildfires.
The nominations will be announced via a "virtual presentation," eschewing press on site.
Critics Choice Awards
Jan. 26
Originally slated for Jan. 12, the awards were set to take place at the Barker Hangar in Santa Monica, only miles from the Pacific Palisades neighborhood where fire was raging.
The awards will be broadcast live on E!, hosted by Chelsea Handler.
Grammy Awards
Feb. 2
By virtue of announcing their nominations back in November, the Grammys' schedule has largely been unaffected by the wildfires. Some... Read More