Mill+ has added creative director Ergin Kuke to its Chicago studio.
Kuke is a multidisciplinary, hands-on creative director. He’s a live action director, a VFX supervisor and, has created media for advertising, motion pictures and, for experiential and interactive installations.
Kuke hails from Tirana, Albania where he was a translator for U.S. journalists covering the War in Kosovo before starting his career in advertising. He moved to Los Angeles in the early 2000s, studying at Gnomon, then working for Sony, Rhythm & Hues and Mind Over Eye.
Kuke has worked on blockbuster films including Polar Express and Superman Returns and crafted onstage visuals for bands such as Korn, Red Hot Chili Peppers and Bon Jovi, among others. He’s also extensively collaborated with automotive brands including Dodge, Jaguar and Infiniti.
Brian Smego, executive producer of Mill+ at The Mill in Chicago, said, “Having someone of Ergin’s breadth of knowledge and versatility based in our Chicago studio bolsters our growing team of extremely talented Mill+ creatives. His automotive and experiential work in particular are areas of focus that we look forward to bringing to our market. He’s a tremendous addition to the city and I think his joining is indicative of the quality of work that’s happening in the Midwest, making it possible to draw talent of his caliber from the coasts.”
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