With the acquisition of a majority stake in Gang Films and the digital studio Merci-Michel, the newly formed Gang Group emerges as a production house led by three partners: Jérôme Lhoist (president), Louis Gheysens (co-CEO), and Thierry Willer (co-CEO). Julien Sanson assumes the role of managing partner, spearheading Gang Group’s expansion within France. Sanson’s 25 years of production experience spans feature films (within the teams of Luc Besson and Europa Corp.) and advertising (Moonwalk Films, Omincom, BBDO Paris, WPP). The current leadership of Gang Films (Jean Villiers and Dimitri Grimblat) and Merci-Michel (Adrien Pin, Antoine Menars, Pierre-François Hagege) will continue to steer their respective entities. Gang Films' history spans over three decades in advertising production, crafting campaigns for markets spanning France, Spain, Belgium and China under the aegis of Villiers and Grimblat. Merci-Michel has turned out high-end interactive experiences since 2012. It’s team consists of some 20 experts who produce digital devices that fuse technological innovation with storytelling inspired by video game aesthetics. The new Gang Group operates across four key areas of expertise for advertisers and agencies–Gang Content, a hub dedicated to creatively producing digital and social content across various platforms for brands, supported by the Story Me studio in Belgium; Gang Films, a cornerstone center focused on crafting advertising formats, drawing on the expertise of Gang Life; Game Interactive, a division led by Merci-Michel that specializes in innovative gaming solutions for brands and institutions, attracting audiences with unique and immersive experiences; and Gang XPR, the “experiences and events” center, serving as a digital activation and events hub that utilizes a spectrum of technologies, from virtual reality to holograms, to create engaging experiences that transcend traditional boundaries. Headquartered in Biarritz, Gang Group will also establish executive production offices in Aix en Provence, and Paris….
Morten Borgestad has joined the directorial roster at Stink. He has collaborated with brands like Paypal, IKEA, Telia, and Nordea, crafting cleverly humorous narratives around relatable situations. His work has garnered recognition from Cannes Lions and Eurobeat, among other competitions. Borgestad’s previous work as an agency creative at Leo Burnett Oslo imbued him with a talent for transforming quirky concepts into vibrant realities. He also cut his teeth as a professional advertising photographer….
Review: Director-Writer Megan Park’s “My Old Ass”
They say tripping on psychedelic mushrooms triggers hallucinations, anxiety, paranoia and nervousness. In the case of Elliott, an 18-year-old restless Canadian, they prompt a visitor.
"Dude, I'm you," says the guest, as she nonchalantly burns a 'smores on a campfire next to a very high and stunned Elliott. "Well, I'm a 39-year-old you. What's up?"
What's up, indeed: Director-writer Megan Park has crafted a wistful coming-of-age tale using this comedic device for "My Old Ass" and the results are uneven even though she nails the landing.
After the older Elliott proves who she is — they share a particular scar, childhood memories and a smaller left boob — the time-travel advice begins: Be nice to your brothers and mom, and stay away from a guy named Chad.
"Can we hug?" asks the older Elliott. They do. "This is so weird," says the younger Elliott, who then makes things even weirder when she asks for a kiss — to know what it's like kissing yourself. The older Elliott soon puts her number into the younger's phone under the name "My Old Ass." Then they keep in touch, long after the effects of the 'shrooms have gone.
Part of the movie's problem that can't be ignored is that the two Elliotts look nothing alike. Maisy Stella plays the coltish young version and a wry Aubrey Plaza the older. Both turn in fine performances but the visuals are slowly grating.
The arrival of the older Elliott coincides with her younger self counting down the days until she can flee from her small town of 300 in the Muskoka Lakes region to college in Toronto, where "my life is about to start." She's sick of life on a cranberry farm.
Park's scenes and dialogue are unrushed and honest as Elliott takes her older self's advice and tries to repair... Read More