Moxie Pictures has added the directing duo/twin brothers Matthew and Nathan Fackrell, a.k.a. MEN, to its roster.
MEN has helmed spots for the likes of Oreo, Kinder Chocolate, Maglite and Panda Express.
After receiving MFAs in broadcast cinema at the Art Center College of Design in Pasadena, Calif., Matt and Nathan Fackrell began writing and directing for Nickelodeon’s television series Yo Gabba Gabba!, for which they were nominated for a 2016 Daytime Emmy for Best Directing and a 2015 Emmy for Best Pre-School Series.
MEN was freelancing prior to joining Moxie. Earlier the duo had been represented by production house Wondros.
Matthew Fackrell earned inclusion into SHOOT’s 2011 New Directors Showcase on the basis of such work as a Pampers’ diapers spec spot which shows how a man reacts to his pending parenthood and other related developments–such as the baby shower, driving to the hospital as his wife goes into labor, and the actual birth of his daughter–by screaming at the top of his lungs. The spec ad was titled “Freaked Out.”
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