Object & Animal has added directors Keith McCarthy and Haya Waseem to its roster for representation in the U.S. and U.K. spanning commercials, branded content and music videos.
A visual storyteller with a distinctive style that combines stunning cinematography and a wry sense of humor, McCarthy was formerly repped in the US. and U.K. by production house Stink. His background as a copywriter back in the day, and a finely tuned sense of comedic timing can be seen across much of his work for brands such as Nike, Suburu, adidas and Coca-Cola. He most recently directed a celeb-starring Experian campaign.
Innovative work for the C4 Grand National has led to a number of high-octane, action-driven projects, making stunt work one of many standout features in his repertoire. McCarthy's work has been recognised by BAFTA, D&AD, British Arrows and Cannes Lions.
Haya Waseem
Waseem has already wrapped her first project at Object & Animal–an Ad Council public service assignment out of Droga5.
Waseem is a Pakistani-Canadian director, raised in Switzerland, and living in Brooklyn. Since completing her debut narrative feature, Quickening, which premiered to critical acclaim at the Toronto International Film Festival in 2021, Waseem continues to develop and direct across various mediums.
Object & Animal exec producer James Cunningham was drawn to Waseem, citing the eloquence with which she presents her vision and thought process.
Prior to joining Object & Animal, Waseem was repped in the U.S. by Epoch Films.
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