BMW has commissioned a series of short films to run on the Internet, and has hired several notable feature filmmakers to direct them. Directors John Frankenheimer (Ronin; Reindeer Games; The Manchurian Candidate) and Ang Lee (Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon; Sense and Sensibility) have completed their films for BMW. Other Internet shorts are said to involve such directors as Guy Ritchie (Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels; Snatch) and Kar-wai Wong (Chungking Express; Happy Together). Each short features a recurring character played by British actor Clive Owen (Croupier). BMW commercials slated to air on TV and to be screened in movie theaters will direct people to the Internet films. BMW’s agency, Fallon, Minneapolis, worked on creative for the project, which is being executive-produced by David Fincher of bicoastal Anonymous. A BMW spokesperson declined comment….Production League of America, Los Angeles, has signed director Francine McDougall….Director Andrew Becker is joining Santa Monica-based Stiefel+Company….Compulsive Pictures, New York, has signed director Sergio Henriques….Director Leonardo Ricagni, formerly of bicoastal Basecamp Entertainment Group, has opened New York-based production house Babilonya.…Editor Bill Marmor and executive producer Allison Nunn have partnered to form Rex Edit, a creative editorial boutique in Venice, Calif.….Minneapolis-based Uppercut Editorial has added editor Charley Schwartz, who comes over from Fischer Edit, Minneapolis….Composer Mario Grigorov has joined Crushing Music, New York. He formerly was at the New York office of Amber Music, which also has an operation in London….
