SixTwentySix has signed director Marysia Makowska, marking her first representation in the U.S. Makowska’s body of work includes commercials, music videos and short films. She has worked with such brands as McDonald’s, Puma, Pepsi, o.b.,Kate Spade NY, Unilever, Volkswagen, Disney, and BMG, among others. Agencies she has partnered with on campaigns include McCann NY, BBDO Atlanta, Razorfish NY, Red Antler NY, Ogilvy, McKinney, Fancy NY, DDB Warsaw, 180heartbeats + JUNG v. MATT, and VMLY&R.
Makowska grew up in Legionowo, a small town in Poland. She studied industrial design at the Academy of Fine Arts in Warsaw. Following her studies, she began her career in advertising as an art director, working in Warsaw and Cape Town for over a decade before moving to NYC and ultimately transitioning to becoming a director.
Makowska’s directorial style is characterized by a meticulous attention to detail and a deep understanding of the human experience–primarily dedicated to stories focused on women, female empowerment, and the LGBTQ+ community. She masterfully captures the subtleties of her subjects, drawing emotionally authentic performances from real people/non-actors by creating compelling narratives. Her visual storytelling showcases her ability to transform ordinary moments into extraordinary cinematic experiences by combining naturalistic performances with stylized art direction and dream-like set designs. Makowska also veers slowly into more docu-style work, and is drawn to projects that have an idealistic core. Even when it’s a beauty commercial for a big brand for clients like Estee Lauder, L’Oreal, and Ulta Beauty, she desires for the message of the film to empower people to be who they choose to be.
Makowska said, “I like the style of SixTwentySix roster – a collective or diverse creators from various backgrounds and walks of life. I admire the fresh energy that Austin and Jake bring to the table. Their energy is contagious.”
SixTwentySix partner and managing director Jake Krask shared, “We are thrilled to welcome Marysia to the SixTwentySix family and embark on this creative partnership with her. The collaboration between her unique creative voice and our innovative spirit promises to be a catalyst for groundbreaking projects that will captivate audiences and push the boundaries of visual storytelling.
Austin Barbera, SixTwentySix partner and executive producer added, “Joining forces with Marysia represents an exciting new chapter, and we look forward to collaborating with her to bring her exceptional vision to life for client projects.”
Most recently, Makowska directed a McDonald’s commercial campaign for the Central European market. Next up, she has embarked on a five-part short documentary series project for the major fashion retailer Modivo. Helming both direction and script-writing of the campaign, Makowska will capture the entire project on 16mm film, shooting this summer in five countries across Central and Eastern Europe–Ukraine, Poland, Romania, Bulgaria, and the Czech Republic.
In addition to SixTwentySix, Makowska is repped by Papaya Films in Poland and the U.K., and Caviar Brussels in Belgium and The Netherlands.
Carrie Coon Relishes Being Part Of An Ensemble–From “The Gilded Age” To “His Three Daughters”
It can be hard to catch Carrie Coon on her own.
She is far more likely to be found in the thick of an ensemble. That could be on TV, in "The Gilded Age," for which she was just Emmy nominated, or in the upcoming season of "The White Lotus," which she recently shot in Thailand. Or it could be in films, most relevantly, Azazel Jacobs' new drama, "His Three Daughters," in which Coon stars alongside Natasha Lyonne and Elizabeth Olsen as sisters caring for their dying father.
But on a recent, bright late-summer morning, Coon is sitting on a bench in the bucolic northeast Westchester town of Pound Ridge. A few years back, she and her husband, the playwright Tracy Letts, moved near here with their two young children, drawn by the long rows of stone walls and a particularly good BLT from a nearby cafe that Letts, after biting into, declared must be within 15 miles of where they lived.
In a few days, they would both fly to Los Angeles for the Emmys (Letts was nominated for his performance in "Winning Time" ). But Coon, 43, was then largely enmeshed in the day-to-day life of raising a family, along with their nightly movie viewings, which Letts pulls from his extensive DVD collection. The previous night's choice: "Once Around," with Holly Hunter and Richard Dreyfus.
Coon met Letts during her breakthrough performance in "Who's Afraid of Virginia Wolfe?" on Broadway in 2012. She played the heavy-drinking housewife Honey. It was the first role that Coon read and knew, viscerally, she had to play. Immediately after saying this, Coon sighs.
"It sounds like something some diva would say in a movie from the '50s," Coon says. "I just walked around in my apartment in my slip and I had pearls and a little brandy. I made a grocery list and I just did... Read More