Writer, director and artist Michael Haussman has joined VANDAL–the company founded by director Francis Lawrence and producer Heather Heller–for commercials, music videos, and branded content in the U.S. As a music video director, Haussman has created a canon of music videos featuring the likes of Justin Timberlake, Chemical Brothers, and Kanye West, garnering numerous honors, including six MTV Video Music Awards and a Museum of Modern Art Award. In the commercial arena, Haussman has distinguished himself with high-profile ad campaigns for Levi’s, Diesel, Absolut, BMW, Yves Saint Laurent, Guinness, and more. VANDAL will produce new work in association with Haussman’s Person Films, the global production company behind many of the director’s acclaimed longform projects such as Do Not Disturb and The Audition, and commercials for Bulgari, Roger Vivier, Tods, Volvo, Fiat, and Hagenhas; Person Films also serves as leading service company in Italy.
Haussman recently completed the feature film Edge Of The World (formerly titled Rajah), starring John Rhys Myers. The film is being distributed in the U.S. by Samuel Goldwyn Films and is based on the true story of James Brooke, the inspiration behind Rudyard Kipling’s "The Man Who Would Be King" and Joseph Conrad’s "Lord Jim" and "Heart Of Darkness."
“I believe it is important to keep a balance between films, commercials, music videos and the fine arts, as this cross-pollination of creativity constantly brings a fresh approach to each medium,” said Haussman, whose past films include Rhinoceros Hunting In Budapest, starring Nick Cave, which premiered at the Sundance Film Festival; Blind Horizon, starring Sam Shepard; The Unsinkable Henry Morgan, which also premiered at Sundance; and The Audition, which premiered at The Venice International Film Festival. To date, Haussman has won six international film festivals. Do Not Disturb, the anthology series he created, wrote, directed, and produced with Jude Law, was officially selected for the Cannes Series Festival 2019.
“Michael has the ability to weave natural performances into delicately told stories, across multiple media,” Heller assessed. “He is the kind of artist we had in mind when we created VANDAL.”
Haussman joins a VANDAL directorial roster consisting of Lawrence, director/screenwriter Scott Cooper, director/photographer Sharif Hamza, director/photographer Patrick Hoelck, director Munachi Osegbu, multi-hyphenate Steve Pink, director/photographer Eugenio Recuenco, director Jesse Salto, directing duo SKNX.TV, writer/director Gene Stupnitsky, director Eli Sverdlov, and director Jean-Claude Thibaut.
VANDAL is represented by head of global sales Carl Forsberg and sr. agent Justin Lassoff (Apostle) on the East Coast, Sarah Gittersonke (SGP Partners) in the Midwest, Julie Koellner (Remedy Reps) in Texas, and Deirdre Rymer Rivard (Blush Creative) and Lisa Gimenez (Lisa G & Company) on the West Coast. Tommy Labuda (Labuda Reps) handles VANDAL for music videos. Estelle Leeds reps Osegbu and SKNX on the commercial and content fronts.
