Award Queen, a consultancy specializing in working with production companies and agencies to strategically enter advertising awards shows, has launched. Headquartered in New York, the company was founded by Ileana Montalvo. Award Queen launches with Biscuit Filmworks, for which Montalvo and her team will handle entries for all awards shows.
Montalvo was most recently AICP’s director of events, where she oversaw the production of the AICP Show: The Art & Technique of the American Commercial and the AICP Next Awards. In addition to producing the events and judging for each competition, including the annual Curatorial meetings, she also managed the entry process. “I noticed all too often opportunities were missed by entrants because the work was not placed to its best advantage.”
An industry vet, she knows all the pitfalls and crunches companies can encounter when entering the every-growing number of advertising awards shows. “I’ve created flexible services to help companies feel confident that their work is being presented in the best light – saving them time and money.”
Award Queen holds personalized discovery sessions with its clients to determine the best entry strategy for its work. Award Queen and its team collaborates with Provider Media postproduction services and EP/partner Joanne Ferraro to also create case studies and other entry assets.
Additional client announcements are expected soon.
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