Director Rodrigo Garcia-Saiz has joined O Positive for commercial representation in North America and internationally. He has won a Cannes Gold Lion for the Association of Mexican Insurance Companies’ “Office,” a dramatic spot from Ogilvy & Mather, Mexico, that suggests the only thing you should be thinking about while driving is driving, while his comedic Skittles campaign—“Bleachers,” “Cranky” and “Mentor” for DDB Chicago and LatinWorks–was honored in D&AD Annual.
Garcia-Saiz has helmed a steady drumbeat of award-winning work. Other highlights include the Bronze Lion winners “Executed” for Gandhi Bookstores, a funny parody of the horror genre depicting just how swept away a person can be by a good book, and “Playground” for Todos Los Dias Es El Dia (Everyday is the Day to Not Discriminate), a PSA which casts a young boy in alarmingly violent scenes to drive home the consequences of bullying in schools. Both spots came out of Ogilvy Mexico.
What drew Garcia-Saiz to each was a strong concept and the agencies openness to working as a team. “I have had the opportunity to do different genres of commercials—comedy or drama,” Garcia-Saiz explains. “For every board, I put all my heart and cinematic learning of the past 12 years. I love the comedy, but I also love to do emotional things. I love to work with actors and tell a story. I don’t want to be pigeonholed. I’m more a storyteller than anything else.”
Garcia-Saiz, 38, attended film school at University of Mexico’s prestigious El CUEC. He was handpicked to join Alejandro G. Iรฑรกrritu’s production company as a commercial AD where he says he had ample opportunity to build his “cinematic muscle.” He went on to form his own Mexico City production company, Central Films. Prior to joining O Positive, Garcia-Saiz was repped stateside by Boxer Films.
“Both David [Shane, director/partner at O Positive] and I have followed Rodrigo’s work for years, so when an opportunity arose to meet with him we jumped at it,” said Jim Jenkins, O Positive director/partner. “David and I both have always seen a sure hand in his work, and a consistency that we really admire, especially in terms of his performances. He’s just an enormous talent.”
Garcia-Saiz said he is “an enormous fan of O Positive. Talking with Jim and David, I felt as if I knew them. They really love their work and enjoy their families; we share a similar vibe. Plus, they do some of the best work out there. I appreciate that O Positive is a small company where I can really focus and do great work.”
O Positive is headquartered in New York, with offices in Los Angeles and production affiliates worldwide. The company’s directorial roster includes Jenkins, Shane, Garcia-Saiz, Peyton Wilson, Lenny Dorfman, Jonathan Klein and Kenny Herzog.
“Beetlejuice Beetlejuice” Set To Open 81st Venice Film Festival
The 81st edition of the Venice Film Festival is kicking off in Hollywood fashion with the world premiere of "Beetlejuice Beetlejuice" Wednesday. Michael Keaton, Winona Ryder, Jenna Ortega, Catherine O'Hara and Monica Bellucci are among the cast expected to grace the red carpet.
The film is a sequel to Tim Burton's 1988 horror-comedy, which brings the Deetz family back to the family's country home after the death of Charles. Ryder's sullen Lydia is now mother to her own "surly" teenage daughter, Astrid, played by Ortega, the star of Netflix's popular series "Wednesday." And like Lydia did a few decades ago, Astrid stumbles upon that old model city in the attic and unleashes Keaton's mischievous ghoul.
A Warner Bros. release, "Beetlejuice Beetlejuice" is premiering out of competition before opening in theatres worldwide next week. The evening will kick off a busy 10 days on the Lido, the barrier island across the Venetian lagoon where the festival has been headquartered since 1932.
The festival will bring George Clooney and Brad Pitt back later in the week, with the out of competition premiere of "Wolfs" and close out with Kevin Costner's "Horizon: An American SagaโChapter 2" on Sept. 7 before the awards are announced.
Major films vying for the Golden Lion include Todd Phillips' "Joker: Folie ร Deux," with Lady Gaga and Joaquin Phoenix; Pablo Larraรญn's Maria Callas film "Maria," starring Angelina Jolie; the erotic thriller "Babygirl" starring Nicole Kidman and Harris Dickinson from filmmaker Halina Reijn; Luca Guadagnino's William S. Burroughs' adaptation "Queer," with Daniel Craig; and Pedro Almodรณvar's first English-language film, "The Room Next Door," starring Julianne Moore and Tilda Swinton.
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