PRETTYBIRD has signed prolific commercial director Matt Smukler for representation in all territories, excluding France, Germany, and Canada. His work spans such brands as Toyota, Coca-Cola, the NFL, Microsoft, Budweiser, Reebok, MTV, 20th Century Fox, AT&T and Absolut.
Whether following a gay soccer player and his boyfriend for DB Railway (“Fan”) or a mixed race couple and their daughter for Cheerios (“Gracie”), Smukler has an affinity for taking risks in the support of progressive advertising. His films are often championed for being authentically touching, due largely to subtle direction and naturalistic performances.
“There has never been a more exciting time in our business than right now,” assessed Smukler. “It feels like we’re in the middle of this amazing creative renaissance where anything is possible, so when the opportunity to join forces with PRETTYBIRD happened, I jumped at it.”
In addition to branded entertainment, Smukler continues to spearhead longer form narratives. His short film The Hiccup earned him Best Comedy Short Film at the San Diego International Film Festival; Best Foreign Film at the Noccicinema Film Festival; and finalist recognitions from the Woodstock International Film Festival and the Soho Rushes Short Film Festival. More recently, his first feature documentary went into postproduction–I Don’t Cry follows an 18-year-old track and field star as she juggles her endeavors in school with the challenge of supporting her mentally disabled parents.
“[PRETTYBIRD has] their hands in so many inspiring projects — short and long and everything in between,” added Smukler. “I couldn’t be happier [to join the team].”
Prior to joining PRETTYBIRD, Smukler had been handled by Community Films for spots and branded content.
Kerstin Emhoff, PRETTYBIRD president and co-founder, said that everyone at the company was “really inspired by Matt’s strength as a storyteller. Regardless of distribution, every project needs a strong story; it’s rare to find a creative that can take even the smallest moments and tell that story in an engaging way. We are very excited to work with Matt on projects short and long!”
