Passport Films has added to its stateside directorial roster while extending its production reach Down Under. On the former score, the Santa Monica-based Passport has secured director Mat Humphrey for U.S. representation. Additionally, Passport–headed by owners/executive producers Patti and David Coulter–has entered into an affiliation with The Guild of Commercial Filmmakers, an Australian production house launched by Humphrey and producer Helene Nicol in 2007.
This is the first of several planned international alliances for Passport, intended to give it production footholds globally.
As for Humphrey, joining Passport reunites him with Michael Romersa, who became the company’s executive producer/head of feature development earlier this year (SHOOT, 4/16). The two were together at Romersa’s since closed Reactor Films, which had handled U.S. representation for the Australia-based director. Among their collaborations was a Brinks Security spot assignment for Doner, Detroit.
Humphrey has been active stateside with select projects over the years, including a memorable PSA for the Minnesota Partnership For Action Against Tobacco, out of agency Clarity Coverdale Fury, Minneapolis. In the ad, a woman who’s holding a baby speaks to a video camera. “Hi, Emma,” she says. “It’s Mommy, and this is you. Mommy is really sick, so I wanted to do this so you’ll always know how much I love you.” Then the mother sings “You Are My Sunshine” to her daughter. A graphic reads, “Be there tomorrow. Stop smoking today.”
The PSA was produced by Aussie house Filmgraphics, which was Humphrey’s roost Down Under prior to his partnering in The Guild of Commercial Filmmakers.
Humphrey’s credits span poignant dramatic fare akin to the anti-tobacco work; actor-driven comedy; dialogue/people work; and other varied forms of storytelling. Over the years, his work has been recognized at such competitions as The One Show, Clios, the London International Awards, and the Cannes Lions International Advertising Festival.
At the latter show, “Consequences,” a PSA for New Zealand’s Land Traffic Safety Association, won a Bronze Lion in 2002. Out of Clemenger BBDO in Wellington, New Zealand, the spot depicts via flashbacks a man driving a car at excessive speed. His vehicle rear-ends an SUV that’s stopped at a crosswalk. The man examines the damage to his front fender and approaches the female driver of the SUV to tell her there’s more damage to his vehicle than hers. She looks horrified, oblivious to what he’s saying. Her eyes lead us to the crosswalk, where we see that her vehicle was hit so hard from behind that it ran over a young woman, apparently killing her. A small boy standing next to the body calls out, “Mommy!” A graphic reads, “The faster you go, the bigger the mess.”
“Consequences” also earned Humphrey a Bronze Clio for direction in ’02, one of two consecutive years he copped a directing honor at the Clio Awards. He earned a Silver Clio in the directing category in ’01 for the Traffic Accident Commission PSA “Never,” which also garnered Gold for best direction at the London International Advertising Awards (now the London International Awards).
Humphrey comes aboard a Passport directorial roster which includes Marco Schillaci, Marshall Vernet, Monty Miranda, Ari Sandel, Stephen Sommer, Domenic Mastrippolito and Larry Carroll.
Lashana Lynch, Eddie Redmayne Compare Notes On “The Day of the Jackal”
Lashana Lynch was running away from spies.
After playing Nomi in 2021's "No Time To Die," she was actively avoiding any role that involved working for the secret service. What part could beat a Bond girl who took James Bond's 007 code name from him?
"I was like, 'No, I'm not doing it again. That's a legacy role. That's something that absolutely should be untouched forever,'" recalls Lynch.
But then she read the character of Bianca Pullman for a TV series based on Frederick Forsyth's classic thriller "The Day of the Jackal." Bianca was also an employee of Britain's foreign intelligence agency, but the differences between the two MI6 workers appealed: While Nomi was slick, Bianca was a mess Lynch could dive into.
"I'd pushed against this world for a long time and it felt like it came right at me full throttle," she says.
No one is happier that she jumped on board than Eddie Redmayne, who plays the Jackal, the myth-like murderer for hire. Her "versatility is insane," he says, adding that Lynch even suggested the perfect song for the theme, Celeste's "This Is Who I Am."
"The Day of the Jackal" updates Fred Zinnemann's 1973 movie, starring Edward Fox as the cravat-wearing killer hired to kill the French president.
Redmayne's version inherits the gentlemanly style of Fox, living a life of jet-setting quiet luxury, funded by getting away with murder through ingenious devices, clever disguises and flawless planning. Bianca is the intelligence officer and arms expert who will stop at nothing to find him, much to the discomfort of her co-workers and family.
Lynch and Redmayne are also producers on the show, which is airing on Sky in the U.K. and debuts Thursday on Peacock. They didn't spend much time together on set,... Read More