Great Guns has signed director and photographer Laura Martinova to its U.K. and U.S. roster.
Having made homes in Barcelona, Prague, London, Paris, and Berlin, Martinova’s versatile short films, documentaries, music videos, and commercials are a true melting pot of her experiences in these bustling cultural hubs. Her portfolio is characterized by her passion for cinema as well as alternative and experimental content, citing Agnes Varda, Claire Denis, Michael Haneke, David Lynch and Claude Chabrol as particular sources of inspiration.
In addition to collaborations with Stella McCartney, Loewe, Ferragamo, adidas, Zalando, Benetton, and Metal Magazine, Martinova’s standout pieces include a colorful forbidden romance for Mexican musician duo Clubz’s “Popscuro,” a decadent commercial where classic meets contemporary for Majorica, and an angelic emergence from underwater for singer Novaa’s “Supernovaa.” The director’s short Lena y Elena about a fractured lesbian relationship and Nowness documentary Monstruo de Agua, exploring artist Lisette Ros’ creative process through the symbol of the axolotl, also hold deep narrative significance.
Martinova’s most recent work via Berlin’s Soup Film includes a campaign for Deichmann x Puma, “Made for Joy,” which dives into a dynamic world of dance within a shoebox, while upcoming projects include a music video and debut feature film.
Before joining Great Guns, Martinova was repped in the U.S. by Identity for commercials and branded content. She had no prior production house representation in the U.K.
Martinova commented, “I’m so happy to join the Great Guns family. I was attracted to its roster and work, but mainly the connection we had on the first video call. For me, it’s very important to work with humans with similar values to me, such as loyalty, empathy and a sense of humor. I think we connected from the beginning! And I’m hoping to achieve more exciting international projects in the U.S., U.K., Asia and Middle East.”
Laura Gregory, founder and CEO of Great Guns, said, “Laura reached out a few months ago and we all loved her work. The energy she creates, her camera skills, her photography, and eye for movement make her a strong contender in a crowded field. She seamlessly crosses film and photography with fashion, performance, dance, and luxury brands bringing her quirky sense of style to everything she delivers.”
Michel Waxman, managing executive producer and talent management of Great Guns USA, added, “I’m thrilled to introduce the U.S. branded community to Laura’s dynamic and fresh fusion of dance and fluidity of human motion infused with incredible emotion and style.”
Damien Chazelle, Miles Teller, J.K. Simmons On The Return Of “Whiplash” To Theaters After 10 Years
Ten years after " Whiplash " took the film world by storm, Damien Chazelle's breakthrough feature is returning to theaters nationwide Friday.
In 2014, "Whiplash" was the ultimate indie movie Cinderella story — a Sundance discovery made by a 20-something that that would go on to become both a box office hit and an awards darling: It won three Oscars, including for J.K. Simmons ' portrayal of a semi-sadistic and ever quotable jazz ensemble instructor; launched Chazelle's directing career into the A-list stratosphere; and established Miles Teller as a next generation movie star. Now, audiences will get another chance to experience it on the big screen.
Chazelle, Teller and Simmons spoke recently about the re-release, their memories of the 20-day shoot (including when Teller accidentally broke his co-star's rib) and making something with staying power. Remarks have been edited for clarity and brevity.
Q: What has it been like watching "Whiplash" settle into the culture in the past decade?
CHAZELLE: It's very cool, a little surreal. It doesn't feel like 10 years. It's fun to have a moment like this to relive it a little bit.
SIMMONS: It's sobering to know that I'm 10 years older. It's kind of shocking and kind of awesome that the movie actually holds up. I just saw it a few days ago in Toronto: That's a good piece of cinema.
TELLER: This is the first time I've ever had a movie re-released. I'm still fairly young into my career, but it's an incredible movie. The one thing that's frustrating for me is that people just yell out at me all the time, " not my tempo." So that's stuck around well.
SIMMONS: Maybe if you get the tempo... Read More