Director David Black has signed with Reverie Content, the production company founded in 2019 by partners/executive producers Rich Pring and Cathleen O’Conor Stern. This marks Black’s first commercial representation as a director.
Already at his new roost, Black has directed a short film, Rodarte SS22, which delves into fashion brand Rodarte’s spring/summer 2022 collection. With the historic Westbeth Artist Housing as a backdrop, Black’s film–which partnered the director with designers Kate and Laura Mulleavy–takes us behind the scenes during New York Fashion Week with a rare and intimate look that captures Kate and Laura’s creative process in the weeks leading up to the show. Kate and Laura share the origins of their concept, uniquely fusing their signature approach to fashion through storytelling. This time, they take us on a journey inspired by their father’s rediscovered work as a mycologist and their mother’s ethereal fungi art. The latter would be beautifully integrated into the show’s spectacular finale, celebrating mother nature, and connecting us through a billowing mushroom dress.
Black’s enigmatic lens echoes the spirit of the collection’s mystical inspiration while paying homage to the familial roots. Black was privy to their parents’ personal collection of slides and drawings that lent to the weight and depth of the film, giving the sense that their poetic artistry was cultivated and nurtured by their upbringing. Black said of the designers: “They’re sisters that feed off each other’s energy…like they’re separate parts of the same brain. There’s a creative bond there. They approach the creative process from different angles but unified at the end.”
The five-minute film is set to premiere in partnership with Amazon Luxury which exclusively features high-end, ready-to-wear brands.
Multi-disciplinary artist
Black is a photographer, director, and visual artist whose body of work includes collaborations with Apple, Google, Netflix, A&E, Coca-Cola, Alaska Airlines, Shinola, Oppo, Coors, Ray-Ban, Levi’s, Nike, Adidas, Stella McCartney, Spotify, Converse, Reebok and Peloton.
He has become sought after by contemporary performing artists having worked with top talent including Daft Punk, Giorgio Moroder, Kim Gordon, Cat Power, Kendrick Lamar, and the Kills. In 2020, Black directed a music video in collaboration with Black Lips x Gucci. The year prior, Hat & Beard published Black’s second book, “The Days Change at Night.” Black has earned honors from Photo District News, Print Magazine, and the Art Directors Club.
“Heretic” and “Maria” Set As Red Carpet Premieres At AFI Fest
The American Film Institute (AFI) has announced that Heretic, the psychological thriller starring Hugh Grant, and Maria, based on the life of opera singer Maria Callas starring Angelina Jolie, will round out the Red Carpet Premieres section at this year’s AFI Fest. The Heretic Gala Screening will take place on Thursday, October 24, and the Maria Gala Screening will be held on Saturday, October 26. The complete Red Carpet Premieres section includes the world premieres of Music By John Williams, Robert Zemeckis’ Here, Wallace & Gromit: Vengeance Most Fowl and Clint Eastwood’s Juror #2. All Red Carpet Premieres will take place at the historic TCL Chinese Theatre. The full lineup for AFI Fest 2024 will be unveiled on October 1.
“At the heart of AFI Fest is an unwavering dedication to celebrating the best in global cinema--together,” said Bob Gazzale, AFI president and CEO. “We look forward to uniting artists and audiences once again to be inspired by the art form in a powerful sense of community.”
Heretic follows two young missionaries (Sophie Thatcher and Chloe East) who are forced to prove their faith when they knock on the wrong door and are greeted by a diabolical Mr. Reed (portrayed by Grant), becoming ensnared in his deadly game of cat-and-mouse. The film is directed by Scott Beck and Bryan Woods and produced by Stacey Sher, Beck, Woods, Julia Glausi and Jeanette Volturno. The film will be released nationwide by A24 on November 8.
Directed by Pablo Larraín, Maria presents a tumultuous and beautiful depiction of one of the world’s most renowned artists and reimagines the legendary soprano in her final days in Paris, as Callas (Jolie)... Read More