Creative and production studio Stept has added director Andrew De Zen to its talent roster.
De Zen has worked on assorted forms of content, including commercials, documentaries, music videos, short films, web fare, and everything in between. He has helmed campaigns for global brands such as Nike, PlayStation, SiriusXM, Cadillac, ESPN, and Sony. He directed Under Armour’s SS21 “Mental Health” campaign, featuring American Olympic icon Michael Phelps and two time unified world heavyweight champion Anthony Joshua; the campaign was shortlisted at Berlin Commercial 2021. De Zen created, directed, and produced a series of connected short films called Of Walls & Mountains, which was shortlisted at the Young Director Awards at Cannes Lions in 2018. His film Places for Alaskan Tapes was also shortlisted at Cannes. He is currently in production on two short films and his short Oasis, which premiered at LA Shorts, will be released online later this month.
Growing up in Mississauga, Ontario, De Zen was drawn to cinema as a child and has since become a filmmaker guided by a love and passion for long narrative formats and classic filmmaking. His films are inspired by animation, international foreign filmmaking, and a touch of anime, which he considers to be a breath of fresh air. Using elements outside of directing, such as sound design and music, he captures unassuming moments–the soft breath of a character, shuffling of a chair, keys on a piano–deepening the viewer’s connection to his films through details.
“Andrew has a killer sense of timing and human connection, which is an amazing asset for him to have as a director” says Nick Martini, founder/CEO/director of Stept Studios. “As we grow our offering of talent for our clients, filmmakers like Andrew are key. His professionalism and utter ease behind a camera make him such a pleasure to work with.”
De Zen said of Stept, “Not only do they have amazing support for their directors, there’s a real feeling of being a part of something sincere and special that embraces collaboration. Their postproduction capabilities are a rare treat for a director to have access to in-house. It’s an ideal environment for bringing a vision to life.”
De Zen is also represented by Radke in Canada, Slang in France, and Oddiout in India. He was earlier handled by Keeper Content in the U.S. market.
Stept maintains studios in Los Angeles and Jackson Hole, Wyoming.
“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