There’s a certain sense of irony that Hollywood’s hottest properties are discovered in one of America’s coldest bastions. I think it was 9 degrees when I arrived at the Slamdance Film Festival. Even still, Main Street was brimming with activity. Parties poured from thumping clubs onto snow-covered sidewalks, and there were more skirts and high-heels than snow pants and parkas. It’s like there’s an invisible heated bubble around Park City. It must be the electricity of the festival–the fact that all of these filmmakers suspend the L.A. grind for one week to come together in that little town and embrace their communal love of film. There’s an inescapable energy, and it makes you feel…warm. I had a helluva time–even if the commercial director is a bit of a fish out of water.
At film fests, “advertising” is typically reserved for outside events or sponsors. HP hosted a party lodge, for example, and Blackmagic Design demoed their new camera in the filmmaker lounge. The films themselves, however, are usually devoid of any branding. So I was surprised when the creative director of Carhartt announced that the four-minute corporate documentary I directed for them, Made By Hand, would receive a special screening. Granted, Carhartt is a major Slamdance sponsor so pulling strings probably wasn’t advanced puppetry. But interestingly (and thankfully) the piece seemed to fit. There was a brief introduction by festival president, Peter Baxter, and a Q and A following. Questions focused not on how we positioned the brand or targeted the marketing, but on how it was shot and the nature of the performances. In short, it was received as a film, even though the piece is distinctly commercial.
As viewers become savvier, brands need to find ways to sift through the noise and establish meaningful connections with consumers. I’m certainly no industry sage but if Carhartt is an effective case study, then story-driven, character-centric narratives are offering more and more popular platforms for advertising. Branding without selling. Sure, this is nothing new, but it certainly seems like the crossover is trending, and certainly for the better.
After the Q and A, they cued up the next film: a short documentary titled Good Karma $1. It stars ad icon Alex Bogusky and chronicles his exploration of homeless signs…as marketing. Yes, advertising will always look to Park City for talent, but maybe this little ski town is starting to look back. Here’s hoping.
Director Andrew Laurich is repped by ContagiousLA which has recently partnered with The Outhouse.
Director Dag Johan Haugerud’s “Dreams (Sex Love)” Wins Top Prize At The Berlin Film Festival
A Norwegian film about love, desire and self-discovery won top honors at the 75th Berlin International Film Festival on Saturday.
A jury headed by American director Todd Haynes awarded the Golden Bear trophy to "Dreams (Sex Love)" by director Dag Johan Haugerud.
Haynes called it a "meditation on love" that "cuts you to the quick with its keen intelligence."
The film focuses on a teenager played by Ella Øverbyer, infatuated with her female French teacher, and the reactions of her mother and grandmother when they discover her private writings. It's the third part of a trilogy Haugerud has completed in the past year. "Sex" premiered at Berlin in 2024, and "Love" was screened at the 2024 Venice Film Festival.
The runner-up Silver Bear prize went to Brazilian director Gabriel Mascaro's dystopian drama "The Blue Trail." Argentine director Ivan Fund's rural saga "The Message" won the third-place Jury Prize.
The best director prize went to Huo Meng for "Living the Land," set in fast-changing 1990s China.
Rose Byrne was named best performer for her role as an overwhelmed mother in the Mary Bronstein-directed "If I Had Legs, I'd Kick You." Andrew Scott won the supporting performer trophy for playing composer Richard Rodgers in Richard Linklater's "Blue Moon."
The climax of the festival known as the Berlinale came on the eve of Germany's parliamentary elections after a campaign dominated by migration and the economy.
The national election is being held seven months early, after Chancellor Olaf Scholz's governing coalition collapsed in a dispute about how to revitalize the country's economy.
Efforts to curb migration have emerged as a central issue in the campaign — along with the question of how to handle the... Read More