Filmmaker Walid Labri has signed with Love Song–the production house founded by Kelly Bayett and Daniel Wolfe–for U.S. representation spanning commercials and branded content.
Labri, who was previously repped by Division’s U.S. branch, has a diverse body of work. His visually hypnotic ad for Nike Cortez masterfully executes visual and scripted jokes. Louis Vuitton’s “Virgil Was Here” showcases Labri’s ability to evoke sentimentality while effectively representing a high fashion brand. Labri’s other commercial collaborators include OVO, Stüssy, Aimé Leon Dore, and the British streetwear brand Corteiz. His fashion-forward sensibilities effortlessly translate to the music industry, with Labri helming trend-forward music videos for up-and-coming artists Raye, Big Zuu, cityboymoe, and Jeshi.
Labri’s filmmaking career began as a teenager borrowing a camera to make music videos with his friends. Labri would go on to cut school to spend his adolescence on film sets and later joined the Mark Lebons Studio before breaking out on his own to forge his path.
“The way I like to work is to grow with people around me and create an ecosystem, and I saw an opportunity to grow with Love Song,” said Labri. “Also, I believe the relationship between a producer and director is super important, and Daniel and I see eye to eye on things outside of film, which in return will help us make better films.”
“Walid is fantastic,” said Bayett. “He’s truly brilliant, completely hilarious, and absolutely one of a kind. Daniel and I are so excited to welcome him to the Love Song family.”
SAG-AFTRA Calls For A Strike Against “League of Legends”
"League of Legends" is caught in the middle of a dispute between Hollywood's actors union and an audio company that provides voiceover services for the blockbuster online multiplayer game.
The Screen Actors Guild-American Federation of Television and Radio Artists called a strike against "League of Legends" on Tuesday, arguing that Formosa Interactive attempted to get around the ongoing video game strike by hiring non-union actors to work on an unrelated title.
Formosa tried to "cancel" the unnamed video game, which was covered by the strike, shortly after the start of the work stoppage, SAG-AFTRA said. The union said when Formosa learned it could not cancel the game, the company "secretly transferred the game to a shell company and sent out casting notices for 'non-union' talent only." In response, the union's interactive negotiating committee voted unanimously to file an unfair labor practice charge against the company with the National Labor Relations Board and to call a strike against "League of Legends" as part of that charge.
"League of Legends" is one of Formosa's most well-known projects. The company provides voiceover services for the game, according to SAG-AFTRA.
SAG-AFTRA has accused Formosa of interfering with protections that allow performers to form or join a union and prevent those performers from being discriminated against — a move the union called "egregious violations of core tenets of labor law."
Formosa did not immediately respond to a request for comment. "League of Legends" developer Riot Games said that the company "has nothing to do" with the union's complaint.
"We want to be clear: Since becoming a union project five years ago, 'League of Legends' has only asked Formosa to engage with union... Read More