Director Keenan Wetzel has joined Skunk for spot and branded content representation in the U.S. and U.K. Wetzel was previously handled by The Work in the U.S. Skunk marks his first ad roost in the U.K.
Wetzel grew up in the Detroit area and it’s in that market where he started his directorial career, turning out work for Toyota, Ford and Firestone. On his most recent shoot for Cadillac, Wetzel impressed a still shooter who introduced him to the Skunk family.
Wetzel has two long-time passions–filmmaking and basketball. From a young age, he would accompany his mother to the public access television station where she volunteered. There he got an early education about the TV industry from station vets. As Wetzel grew older, he continued his love for filmmaking by creating music videos starring his somewhat willing younger brother. A unique combination of art kid and athlete growing up, his two passions met at Michigan State University where
Keenan studied film and played varsity basketball for four years, including a Final Four trip his senior year.
Skunk president Matt Factor said, “We are moved by Keenan’s body of work for such a young filmmaker. His experience as a division one athlete reverberates through his films which explore the human experience; overcoming hardship, joy, collaboration, motivation, pride and self-exploration.”
Wetzel is currently in postproduction on his first feature-length documentary.
First-Time Feature Directors Make Major Splash At AFI Fest, Generate Oscar Buzz
Two first-time feature directors who are generating Oscar buzz this awards season were front and center this past weekend at AFI Fest in Hollywood. Rachel Morrison, who made history as the first woman nominated for a Best Cinematography Oscar---on the strength of Mudbound in 2018--brought her feature directorial debut, The Fire Inside (Amazon MGM Studios), to the festival on Sunday (10/27), and shared insights into the film during a conversation session immediately following the screening. This came a day after William Goldenberg, an Oscar-winning editor for Argo in 2013, had his initial foray into feature directing, Unstoppable (Amazon MGM Studios), showcased at the AFI proceedings. He too spoke after the screening during a panel discussion. The Fire Inside--which made its world premiere at this year’s Toronto International Film Festival--tells the story of Claressa “T-Rex” Shields (portrayed by Ryan Destiny), a Black boxer from Flint, Mich., who trained to become the first woman in U.S. history to win an Olympic Gold Medal in the sport. She achieved this feat--with the help of coach Jason Crutchfield (Brian Tyree Henry)--only to find that her victory at the Summer Games came with relatively little fanfare and no endorsement deals. So much for the hope that the historic accomplishment would be a ticket out of socioeconomic purgatory for Shields and her family. It seemed like yet another setback in a cycle of adversity throughout Shields’ life but she persevered, going on to win her second Gold Medal at the next Olympics and becoming a champion for gender equality and equitable pay for women in sports. Shields has served as a source of inspiration for woman athletes worldwide--as well as to the community of... Read More