Integrated content studio Humble has signed Dutch director Ismael ten Heuvel, a.k.a. Ismael, for commercials in the U.S. This marks his first exclusive representation in the American ad market (he had been handled for U.S. work earlier via a worldwide arrangement with Media Monks’ TheBoardRoom).
Based in Amsterdam, Ismael is an idea-driven storyteller who has collaborated closely with European agencies like DDB, Ogilvy, and TBWA. His work spans such brands as Ford, Volkswagen, and most recently Heineken for which he and his colleagues re-created 1880s’ Paris.
Ismael honed his skills as an art director and worked at Lowe Amsterdam for over a decade and credits his agency background with giving him the gift of being able to recognize a good idea in a matter of seconds. This deep knowledge of the creative process helps him cultivate ideas alongside agency teams in his work today. Ismael films have garnered honors including Cannes Lions and Epica Awards.
In his latest piece, Ismael collaborated with J. Walter Thompson Amsterdam to tell the bittersweet story of a young girl going back and forth between her divorced parents’ homes for PLUS Supermarket’s holiday campaign. The piece was directed by Ismael and female filmmaker Basha who are both on the roster of Pink Rabbit, his production company in Amsterdam. The PLUS short earned inclusion this week into SHOOT’s The Best Work You May Never See gallery.
“I was immediately drawn to Ismael’s work because of his range,” said Humble president/founder Eric Berkowitz. “Whether he’s telling a story using ornate art direction and production design, or a simple, more restrained approach, the takeaway remains the same–his films are extraordinary.”
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