Director Dan DiFelice has come aboard the roster at Biscuit Filmworks. The self-taught filmmaker has an extensive background in digital visual arts, and most recently directed Jordan athletic apparel's "The Jordan Breakfast Club” spot via W+K featuring professional athletes Dez Bryant, Andre Ward, and Victor Odelipo.
DiFelice first gained notice in the commercial world for his ambitious independent short film project, The Great Unknown. A resourceful filmmaker, DiFelice learned the crafts of motion graphics, visual effects creation, design and editing to get projects off the ground early on in his career. A true next-generation filmmaker, he sourced collaborators from around the world via professional relationships forged through Vimeo, Twitter and other social mediums to complete 2014’s Anomaly and 2016’s Carved in Mayhem. Anomaly gained the attention of an M&C Saatchi producer in Beirut who hired DiFelice to direct a commercial for SGBL called “Let’s Get Things Moving.” DiFelice has also directed a branded short for Lincoln commissioned by Vimeo, a brand film for the World Surf League and most recently a two-spot campaign for Reebok via Venables Bell & Partners.
The aforementioned short Carved in Mayhem earned DiFelice, then unaffiliated with a production house, a slot in this year’s Saatchi & Saatchi New Directors Showcase unveiled at the Cannes Lions Festival of Creativity.
“I’ve been able to turn my passion for filmmaking into my livelihood, and have pretty much fallen into incredibly fortunate projects and creative collaborations both in commercial and independent pursuits,” said DiFelice. “I’m really looking forward to having formal commercial representation for the first time in my career. At Biscuit I’ll be supported by a team of incredibly accomplished producers and reps and look forward to working with them to push my work in new and broader creative directions.”
Shawn Lacy, co-founder of Biscuit, related, “We saw Dan’s work and recognized it as something special–a quality we look for in all of our roster talent. He has amassed a sophisticated portfolio of projects with limited resources and an incredible amount of passion for his craft, and we’re looking forward to nurturing his career.”
DiFelice joins a Biscuit directorial lineup which includes company co-founder Noam Murro, Aaron Ruell, Aaron Stoller, Andreas Nilsson, Ayse Altinok, Christopher Riggert, Clay Weiner, Gary Freedman (The Glue Society), Isaiah Seret, Jeff Low, Matt Devine, Matt Dilmore, Michael Downing, Mundo Sisters, Ruairi Robinson and Steve Rogers.
“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