Call Me Al, the directorial duo comprised of Alisa Allapach and Phillip Montgomery, has come aboard the roster of production house Rakish.
The directing team–which draws inspiration from the daring spirit of Al Allapach, Alisa’s immigrant dad and Montgomery’s father-in-law–has turned out work for brands including Google, Uber, Jack Daniel’s and IBM.
“Rakish is like a homecoming,” shared Call Me Al co-director Montgomery. “I had the pleasure of working with Preston [Garrett, Rakish’s managing director] years ago and knew what he was building with the other incredible directors would be something special. So, when we had the opportunity to join Rakish as Call Me Al, it was a no-brainer.”
“Rakish is the best of both worlds: a boutique operation that gives tons of love to its directors, agencies, and clients, while doing top-shelf, prestigious work. It’s an honor to be part of the family,” added Call Me Al co-director Alisa Allapach.
Garrett added, “When Call Me Al decided to join Rakish it was like I was suddenly allowed to exhale a deep breath after holding it in for five years. We are friends, first and foremost. Having the opportunity to work with your near-and-dears in such a competitive industry is literally the dream. The stars aligned in a blessed way. So much of it has to do with the unique vision Phillip and Alisa share and the work that’s resulted from their creative chemistry.”
Recently of note, Call Me Al collaborated with McDonald’s and international hip-hop sensation Young Miko for their anime-inspired “WcDonald’s” series and vibrant pop-up stores. Call Me Al also directed a compelling campaign for Deloitte, highlighting its partnerships with organizations including the LA 2028 Olympics, USGA, and WNBA. The directors have additionally produced a series of engaging films for COX Business in collaboration with FCB Chicago.
Currently, Call Me Al’s heartfelt campaign for the Stop AAPI Hate organization is making waves across digital platforms. The campaign marks a poignant tribute to AAPI Heritage Month, igniting a multimedia movement that unites the community under themes of resilience, celebration, solidarity, and resistance. Featuring an array of diverse stories showcased on a dedicated microsite, the initiative beckons nationwide engagement across multiple mediums. Notable voices driving the campaign’s narrative include David Rasavong, Sunayana Dulama, Bรนi Nhฦฐ Mai, and the esteemed choreographer Tiana Liufau, recognized for her contributions to Disney’s Moana.
“There’s a future I see with Call Me Al that excites me very much,” concluded Garrett. “It’s underpinned by an evolution of what it looks and feels like to be irreverent in advertising. Their sensibility embraces the notion that irreverence can still go down smoothly and with joy.”
Rounding out their partnership with U.S.-based Rakish, Call Me Al’s global presence is further solidified through representation by Pull The Trigger for the Ireland/U.K. market and by GoEast Films for the Eastern Europe and Asian territories, thus rounding out the helming duo’s expansive reach across diverse cultural landscapes. Call Me Al was previously represented in the U.S. market via production house Society.
Prior to becoming half of Call Me Al, Allapach initially established herself as an actress. She brings those sensibilities to the director’s chair. Meanwhile Montgomery first established himself as a solo director, earning a slot in SHOOT’s 2013 New Directors Showcase. He went on to be repped as an individual director by such shops as Tool and Farm League before becoming a co-director with Allapach in Call Me Al.
Carrie Coon Relishes Being Part Of An Ensemble–From “The Gilded Age” To “His Three Daughters”
It can be hard to catch Carrie Coon on her own.
She is far more likely to be found in the thick of an ensemble. That could be on TV, in "The Gilded Age," for which she was just Emmy nominated, or in the upcoming season of "The White Lotus," which she recently shot in Thailand. Or it could be in films, most relevantly, Azazel Jacobs' new drama, "His Three Daughters," in which Coon stars alongside Natasha Lyonne and Elizabeth Olsen as sisters caring for their dying father.
But on a recent, bright late-summer morning, Coon is sitting on a bench in the bucolic northeast Westchester town of Pound Ridge. A few years back, she and her husband, the playwright Tracy Letts, moved near here with their two young children, drawn by the long rows of stone walls and a particularly good BLT from a nearby cafe that Letts, after biting into, declared must be within 15 miles of where they lived.
In a few days, they would both fly to Los Angeles for the Emmys (Letts was nominated for his performance in "Winning Time" ). But Coon, 43, was then largely enmeshed in the day-to-day life of raising a family, along with their nightly movie viewings, which Letts pulls from his extensive DVD collection. The previous night's choice: "Once Around," with Holly Hunter and Richard Dreyfus.
Coon met Letts during her breakthrough performance in "Who's Afraid of Virginia Wolfe?" on Broadway in 2012. She played the heavy-drinking housewife Honey. It was the first role that Coon read and knew, viscerally, she had to play. Immediately after saying this, Coon sighs.
"It sounds like something some diva would say in a movie from the '50s," Coon says. "I just walked around in my apartment in my slip and I had pearls and a little brandy. I made a grocery list and I just did... Read More