BaseCamp Entertainment has added The Wolf Brothers and Maureen Hufnagel to its directorial roster for U.S. representation. This marks the first commercial production house affiliation for The Wolf Brothers, consisting of Mike and Gary Wolf, who earned inclusion into SHOOT’s 2015 New Directors Showcase. Meanwhile Hufnagel had previously been with America Film Works for representation in the Hispanic market.
Hufnagel brings a visual and emotional warmth that has marked her work for U.S. brands including McDonald’s, Payless, Ford and Coke. Her eye was developed when she began her profession as an agency art director in Argentina, having worked for Santo, Ponce, JWT, Saatchi & Saatchi, and Young & Rubicam. An award-winning creative, her accolades include three Cannes Lions and six Clio awards.
The Wolf Brothers bring together expertise in front of and behind the camera to craft spots that are slyly hilarious in tone, structure and performance.
Mike Wolf’s directing projects have earned Telly, AEGIS, AiME and Vision Awards. He started his career as editor and colorist for television, music videos, feature films and commercials, where his advertising clients included Anheuser-Busch, Disney, Lexus, Citibank and Red Bull.
Gary Wolf, after getting a taste of directing for theater, moved into the casting side of commercial production, working closely alongside ad agencies, production companies, and directors on a multitude of national spots and branded content. He also worked as a featured actor in episodic television, film and national commercials for Carl’s Jr., Chevrolet, Pepsi, Honda, Miller Lite and Heineken.
BaseCamp Entertainment founder/EP Mary, a.k.a. Pepper, Pimienta, said of her directorial additions, “Maureen’s distinct visual style, combined with her dry sense of humor and great timing, is reflected in her ability to tell a full, impactful story in just 30 seconds, which is invaluable to our clients. The Wolf Brothers have joined their unique talents and personalities–and quirky comedic sensibilities–to create an effective and unforgettable branding experience.”
BaseCamp Entertainment has also enjoyed recent success with others in its directorial lineup, most notably Joshua Z Weinstein whose film, Menashe, debuted at the Sundance Film Festival in January. The feature follows an Orthodox Jewish widower’s battle for custody of his son and explores the nature of faith and the price of parenthood. Reviewers have praised Weinstein for his light touch with both the humor and the sentiment of the story.
Jennifer Kent On Why Her Feature Directing Debut, “The Babadook,” Continues To Haunt Us
"The Babadook," when it was released 10 years ago, didn't seem to portend a cultural sensation.
It was the first film by a little-known Australian filmmaker, Jennifer Kent. It had that strange name. On opening weekend, it played in two theaters.
But with time, the long shadows of "The Babadook" continued to envelop moviegoers. Its rerelease this weekend in theaters, a decade later, is less of a reminder of a sleeper 2014 indie hit than it is a chance to revisit a horror milestone that continues to cast a dark spell.
Not many small-budget, first-feature films can be fairly said to have shifted cinema but Kent's directorial debut may be one of them. It was at the nexus of that much-debated term "elevated horror." But regardless of that label, it helped kicked off a wave of challenging, filmmaker-driven genre movies like "It Follows," "Get Out" and "Hereditary."
Kent, 55, has watched all of this — and those many "Babadook" memes — unfold over the years with a mix of elation and confusion. Her film was inspired in part by the death of her father, and its horror elements likewise arise out of the suppression of emotions. A single mother (Essie Davis) is struggling with raising her young son (Noah Wiseman) years after the tragic death of her husband. A figure from a pop-up children's book begins to appear. As things grow more intense, his name is drawn out in three chilling syllables — "Bah-Bah-Doooook" — an incantation of unprocessed grief.
Kent recently spoke from her native Australia to reflect on the origins and continuing life of "The Babadook."
Q: Given that you didn't set out to in any way "change" horror, how have you regarded the unique afterlife of "The... Read More