Director Tomas Mankovsky has signed with international production house Knucklehead for U.S. representation. He was previously handled in the American ad market by Cap Gun Collective and continues to be repped by Blink in the U.K.
The Polish-born Mankovsky grew up in Sweden and studied advertising and design at Beckmans College in Stockholm, where his interest in filmmaking was first piqued. His final exam project, the short film Little Big Love, which tells the story of a tiny robot with feelings for an electric kettle, went on to earn him the Young Swedish Design Scholarship and the new talent Chicken Scholarship at the Swedish Golden Eggs.
Mankovsky’s innovative nature found a new voice when he entered the agency world as a creative at Fallon in London. There he worked with clients such as Sony, Orange, BBC and Cadbury on campaigns that were met with awards from Cannes, D&AD, Clios, Epica, BTAA and the Creative Circle. In 2008, Mankovsky was given the prestigious Young Guns title by the Art Directors Club.
In 2009, he made the transition to directing full-time. Since then Mankovsky turned out notable spots for Ikea, Diesel, H&M, Infiniti, 02 and Nissan, among others.
His short film projects include the brilliantly imagined stop-motion short film Sorry I’m Late, as well as the recently released Grace. Inspired by mysterious true events that the director uncovered in an old newspaper clipping, Grace tells the haunting story of two teenagers exploring young love. The piece will make the rounds on the film festival circuit in 2016.
Mankovsky comes to London-born Knucklehead’s recently launched L.A. office where EP Cathleen Kisich has been building a fresh U.S. roster alongside established Knucklehead U.K. directors.
Oscar and Emmy-Winning Composer Kris Bowers Joins Barking Owl For Advertising, Branded Content
Music, audio post and sonic branding house Barking Owl has taken on exclusive representation of Oscar and Emmy-winning composer Kris Bowers for advertising and branded content.
Bowers’ recent film scores include The Wild Robot and Bob Marley: One Love, alongside acclaimed past works such as The Color Purple (2023), King Richard and Green Book. His contributions to television are equally impressive, with scores for hit series like Bridgerton, When They See Us, Dear White People, and his Daytime Emmy Award-winning score for The Snowy Day.
In addition to his work as a composer, Bowers is a visionary director. He recently took home the Academy Award for Best Documentary Short Subject for his directorial work on The Last Repair Shop. The emotionally touching short film spotlights four of the people responsible for repairing the musical instruments used by students in the Los Angeles Unified School District (LAUSD). The Last Repair Shop reflects the positive influence that musical instruments have on the youngsters who play them, and the adults in the LAUSD free repair service who keep them working and in tune.
Barking Owl CEO Kirkland Alexander Lynch said of Bowers, “His artistry, diversity of style and depth of storytelling bring an unparalleled edge to the work we create for global brands. His presence on our roster reflects our continued commitment to pushing the boundaries of sound and music in advertising.”
Johanna Cranitch, creative director, Barking Owl, added, “Kris first caught my attention when he released his record ‘Heroes + Misfits’ where he fused together his jazz sensibility with a deeply ingrained aptitude for melody, so beautifully.... Read More