Director Federico Brugia has signed with Beverly Hills-based Saville Productions for exclusive representation in the American ad market. He was formerly repped stateside by Tate USA, Santa Monica. Earlier in his career, Brugia was handled in the U.S. by bicoastal/international Partizan.
While the lion’s share of Brugia’s spot work has been for European audiences, he is not stranger to American commercialmaking, with credits that include Toyota for Saatchi & Saatchi, Los Angeles, and Nissan Infiniti for TBWA/Chiat/Day, Los Angeles. His work in Europe, primarily Italy, has earned recognition at such competitions as the Cannes International Advertising Festival, the Clios, Mezzominuto d’oro, Epica, EuroBest and the New York Film Festival.
The director got his start helming music and fashion videos in the early 1990s. He then successfully diversified into commercials, directing for such clients as Audi, Renault, McDonald’s, Samsung, Phillips, Volvo, Visa, Lufthansa, Damiani, Alitalia, Bravo Juices and BMW. For the latter, he shot a spot in New York promoting the automaker’s 3 Series, with an ambitious historic reconstruction of the 1940s featuring more than 200 extras and 70 classic cars. Titled “New York” and conceived by agency D’adda Lorenzini Vigorelli, Milan, the spot shows a BMW coasting past Packards and DeSotos in postwar Manhattan, fascinating onlookers, including Fedora-wearing men; the period piece was shot entirely in black and white.
Known for his prowess in storytelling with fine visual touches, Brugia comes aboard a Saville roster of spot directors that includes Amon, Frank Devos, Ray Lawrence, Patricia Murphy, Sng Tong Beng, Paul Vos, Agustin Marques and Ivo Wejgaard.
Saville also works with noted feature directors for commercials such as Fabian Beielinsky (Nine Queens), Stephen Daldry (Billy Elliot, The Hours), Barry Levinson (Bugsy, Rain Man), Roger Michell (Notting Hill), Fernando Meirelles (The Constant Gardener), Chris Noonan (Babe), Bryan Singer (X-Men, The Usual Suspects, Superman Returns), Oliver Stone (Platoon, JFK), Vincent Ward (What Dreams May Come) and Wim Wenders (Buena Vista Social Club).
Gene Hackman Died Of Heart Disease; Hantavirus Claimed His Wife’s Life About One Week Prior
Actor Gene Hackman died of heart disease a full week after his wife died from hantavirus in their New Mexico hillside home, likely unaware that she was dead because he was in the advanced stages of Alzheimer's disease, authorities revealed Friday. Both deaths were ruled to be from natural causes, chief medical examiner Dr. Heather Jarrell said alongside state fire and health officials at a news conference. "Mr. Hackman showed evidence of advanced Alzheimer's disease," Jarrell said. "He was in a very poor state of health. He had significant heart disease, and I think ultimately that's what resulted in his death." Authorities didn't suspect foul play after the bodies of Hackman, 95, and Betsy Arakawa, 65, were discovered Feb 26. Immediate tests for carbon monoxide poisoning were negative. Investigators found that the last known communication and activity from Arakawa was Feb. 11 when she visited a pharmacy, pet store and grocery before returning to their gated neighborhood that afternoon, Santa Fe County Sheriff Adan Mendoza said Friday. Hackman's pacemaker last showed signs of activity a week later and that he had an abnormal heart rhythm Feb. 18, the day he likely died, Jarrell said. Although there was no reliable way to determine the date and time when both died, all signs point to their deaths coming a week apart, Jarrell said. "It's quite possible he was not aware she was deceased," Jarrell said. Dr. Michael Baden, a former New York City medical examiner, said he believes Hackman was severely impaired due to Alzheimer's disease and unable to deal with his wife's death in the last week of his life. "You are talking about very severe Alzheimer's disease that normal people would be in a nursing home or have a nurse, but she was taking care... Read More