Framestore Pictures has added documentary film director and artist Nicole Mackinlay Hahn to its roster.
Signing Mackinlay Hahn comes on the heels of several key additions to the Framestore Pictures roster, all part of the vision of EPs Jennifer Siegel and John Duffin, who came on board in 2014 to spearhead the global company’s operations out of Framestore’s New York, Los Angles and London offices. Siegel and Duffin have sought out to cultivate a roster of directors with diverse backgrounds that can solve a single creative vision and execution from inception to completion.
Mackinlay Hahn’s first feature documentary, Hardihood, examines the passion, courage and audacity behind women in extreme sports. She shot the Mirror/Africa in 12 countries in Africa for an interactive installation project concerning workers in the garment industry. The installation was featured in Barney’s New York, the New Museum, and the London College of Fashion. This led to The Welcome Table Project, a series of short films that were featured at the Tribeca Film Festival/Interactive. For the last few years, Nicole has worked with U2 directing exclusive short films. Recently her short film, Burkina, featuring a series of intimate portraits of a group of Burkinabé women, made its worldwide premiere at the Film Society of Lincoln Center.
“Nicole is the perfect complement to the director talent on our roster,” said Siegel. “Her background as a documentarian is really intriguing. She posses an undeniable skill for capturing impactful cultural moments that ultimately benefit society, and it’s going to be so interesting to see that vision carried over into the world of advertising.”
Review: Writer-Directors Scott Beck and Bryan Wood’s “Heretic”
"Heretic" opens with an unusual table setter: Two young missionaries from The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints are discussing condoms and why some are labeled as large even though they're all pretty much a standard size. "What else do we believe because of marketing?" one asks the other.
That line will echo through the movie, a stimulating discussion of religion that emerges from a horror movie wrapper. Despite a second-half slide and feeling unbalanced, this is the rare movie that combines lots of squirting blood and elevated discussion of the ancient Egyptian god Horus.
Our two church members — played fiercely by Sophie Thatcher and Chloe East — are wandering around trying to covert souls when they knock on the door of a sweet-looking cottage. Its owner, Mr. Reed, offers a hearty "Good afternoon!" He welcomes them in, brings them drinks and promises a blueberry pie. He's also interested in learning more about the church. So far, so good.
Mr. Reed is, of course, if you've seen the poster, the baddie and he's played by Hugh Grant, who doesn't go the snarling, dead-eyed Hannibal Lecter route in "Heretic." Grant is the slightly bumbling, bashful and self-mocking character we fell in love with in "Four Weddings and a Funeral," but with a smear of menace. He gradually reveals that he actually knows quite a bit about the Mormon religion — and all religions.
"It's good to be religious," he says jauntily and promises his wife will join them soon, a requirement for the church. Homey touches in his home include a framed "Bless This Mess" needlepoint on a wall, but there are also oddities, like his lights are on a timer and there's metal in the walls and ceilings.
Writer-directors Scott Beck and Bryan Wood — who also... Read More