Finnish director Pekka Hara has joined Little Minx–the Santa Monica-based production house headed by founder/executive producer Rhea Scott–for U.S. commercial representation. Hara comes aboard a company directorial roster that includes Malik Sayeed, Rodrigo Prieto, Joe Carnahan, A.V. Rockwell, and Luca Guadagnino.
Hara has earned more than 70 awards and nominations for his work, including a Cannes Silver Lion in 2009 for Santec Security Systems’ “Gas Station” out of Hamburg agency Serviceplan. Back in 2005 he was named Best International Director at London’s Midsummer Awards. Hara’s spot credits span such brands as Philips, Volvo, Mitsubishi, Nokia, Disney, Ikea, Sprite, and University of Phoenix,
Hara’s eclectic background informs his visually stunning and sometimes surreal style. He was born in Finland and attended the Helsinki Institute of Art and Media, where he studied producing and cinematography. He quickly moved from working as an assistant director for Finnish TV and film to directing international projects. He was previously signed to Blink and Stink in the U.K., and Furlined and RSA in the U.S.
Little Minx’s Scott cited Hara’s “multi-faceted global experience,” noting that “Pekka has made leaps and bounds outside of the U.S, for the last couple of years and he comes back to us with work that is vibrant, witty, and even bigger in scope. I am really looking forward to developing his career from this point onwards.”
Hara said of his new roost, “I’ve been a fan of the company for many years, looking forward to working with Rhea and the rest of the amazing team. After searching for the right option for a while everything finally clicked. It feels good to be back in U.S, market. I am a traveling band, a circus coming to town.”
Currently Hara is developing his first American feature film, Staying Fat for Sarah Byrnes, adapted from the young adult novel of the same name. The project is being produced by Hollywood legend Hawk Koch, known for such films as Heaven Can Wait, Primal Fear, and Wayne’s World.
First-Time Feature Directors Make Major Splash At AFI Fest, Generate Oscar Buzz
Two first-time feature directors who are generating Oscar buzz this awards season were front and center this past weekend at AFI Fest in Hollywood. Rachel Morrison, who made history as the first woman nominated for a Best Cinematography Oscar---on the strength of Mudbound in 2018--brought her feature directorial debut, The Fire Inside (Amazon MGM Studios), to the festival on Sunday (10/27), and shared insights into the film during a conversation session immediately following the screening. This came a day after William Goldenberg, an Oscar-winning editor for Argo in 2013, had his initial foray into feature directing, Unstoppable (Amazon MGM Studios), showcased at the AFI proceedings. He too spoke after the screening during a panel discussion. The Fire Inside--which made its world premiere at this year’s Toronto International Film Festival--tells the story of Claressa “T-Rex” Shields (portrayed by Ryan Destiny), a Black boxer from Flint, Mich., who trained to become the first woman in U.S. history to win an Olympic Gold Medal in the sport. She achieved this feat--with the help of coach Jason Crutchfield (Brian Tyree Henry)--only to find that her victory at the Summer Games came with relatively little fanfare and no endorsement deals. So much for the hope that the historic accomplishment would be a ticket out of socioeconomic purgatory for Shields and her family. It seemed like yet another setback in a cycle of adversity throughout Shields’ life but she persevered, going on to win her second Gold Medal at the next Olympics and becoming a champion for gender equality and equitable pay for women in sports. Shields has served as a source of inspiration for woman athletes worldwide--as well as to the community of... Read More