In this week’s issue, we recap the panel discussions from the daytime SHOOT Directors/Producers Forum and evening New Directors Showcase; both events were held on May 10 at the Directors Guild of America (DGA) Theatre in New York (see separate section).
This is the ninth year of the Showcase; the last seven debuting at the DGA Theatre. Prominent in the mix of talent selected for the 2011 New Directors Showcase were a half dozen unaffiliated directors, five of whom earned inclusion on the basis of spec work: Matt Fackrell (Pampers’ “Freaked Out), Christopher Fata (Apartments.com’s “Novelty Cups”), Laurent Soriano (Perrier’s “Bonjour”), Kirsten Tan, currently enrolled in NYU’s Grad Film Program (IFC’s “Play Your Part” spec cinema ad), and Igor Martinovic (adidas’ “Dream”). Martinovic is well known as a DP, having shot the James Marsh-directed, Oscar-winning documentary Man On Wire.
Also in the unaffiliated batch of promising directorial newcomers was Elizabeth Orne, a recent NYU film school grad who caught SHOOT judges’ attention with her short film Crazy Glue.
Over the nine years of the SHOOT Showcase, a fair share of its directors has gone on to prominence. They include:
• David Gray, who was with Hungry Man at the time, gained a slot in SHOOT’s 2005 New Directors Showcase. Two years later he received a DGA nomination as Best Commercial Director of 2006. Gray is now with Station Film.
• Several, including Harold Einstein of Station, have gone on to direct work that’s earned Gold Lions at Cannes, AICP Show honors and other industry accolades. Einstein was in the ’08 Showcase.
• Michael Downing, who was with harvest at the time, had what was originally a spec spot, Bud Light’s “Skydiver,” earn him Showcase inclusion. “Skydiver” ascended from spec piece to 2005 Super Bowl spot, rating number one in USA Today’s Ad Meter, which ranks the popularity of each year’s crop of Big Game commercials. Downing is now with Epoch Films stateside and Suneeva in Canada.
• Keith Bearden was a Showcase director in ’08. Two years later Bearden’s theatrical feature film debut, Meet Monica Velour, premiered at the Tribeca Film Festival.
• Also in the ’08 Showcase was director Pete Circuitt, a.k.a. Bitstate which is also the name of his U.K. studio. He went on to direct Yes, Virginia, a primetime CBS TV animated Xmas special for Macy’s and JWT New York that earned a One Show Entertainment Awards’ Gold Pencil last year. He helmed that project via The Ebeling Group, which handles him stateside for commercials and branded content.
• And Ross Katz, a director who made the Showcase in ’09, went on to see his Taking Chance win the DGA Award for Outstanding Achievement in Movies For TV.
Meanwhile, we look forward to achievements from this year’s roster of Showcase directors. For the SHOOT staff, the most gratifying part of the Showcase is giving exposure to the worthwhile work of directors, seeing their careers get a jump start and then progress over the years.
Trump Asks Supreme Court To Delay TikTok Ban
President-elect Donald Trump asked the Supreme Court on Friday to pause the potential TikTok ban from going into effect until his administration can pursue a "political resolution" to the issue.
The request came as TikTok and the Biden administration filed opposing briefs to the court, in which the company argued the court should strike down a law that could ban the platform by Jan. 19 while the government emphasized its position that the statute is needed to eliminate a national security risk.
"President Trump takes no position on the underlying merits of this dispute. Instead, he respectfully requests that the Court consider staying the Act's deadline for divestment of January 19, 2025, while it considers the merits of this case," said Trump's amicus brief, which supported neither party in the case and was written by D. John Sauer, Trump's choice for solicitor general.
The argument submitted to the court is the latest example of Trump inserting himself in national issues before he takes office. The Republican president-elect has already begun negotiating with other countries over his plans to impose tariffs, and he intervened earlier this month in a plan to fund the federal government, calling for a bipartisan plan to be rejected and sending Republicans back to the negotiating table.
He has been holding meetings with foreign leaders and business officials at his Mar-a-Lago club in Florida while he assembles his administration, including a meeting last week with TikTok CEO Shou Chew.
Trump has reversed his position on the popular app, having tried to ban it during his first term in office over national security concerns. He joined the TikTok during his 2024 presidential campaign and his team used it to connect with younger... Read More