Director Martin Krejci has joined Merman for commercial and TV representation in the U.K. He had previously been repped in that market by Blink. In the U.S., Krejci continues to be handled by Ruffian. His directorial credits include bold and cinematic fare for the likes of Apple, Nike, Adidas, Heineken and Carlsberg. Krejci’s work is known for his devised in-camera trickery, strong visuals and expertly crafted performances, Krejci’s commercialmaking endeavors have garnered awards for Hornbach, Honda and Lurpak including Cannes Lions, Clios and D&AD to name a few. More recently Krejci has applied his skillset to long-form projects such as The True Adventures of Wolfboy starring John Turturro and Chloe Sevigny. Krejci’s debut feature tells the story of a young boy who runs away from home in the search of his estranged mother….
Havas Group has acquired HYLAND, an independent media agency Down Under. HYLAND’s specialists will integrate into Havas Media Group to form a bigger and even more dynamic team with an extensive set of skills and in-depth knowledge base. The new team will see Havas Media Group reach a milestone of over 100 people in the Sydney office with the increased scale providing further growth opportunities for staff from both agency brands. Founded in 2005, HYLAND has constantly expanded and is known for creating highly integrated, content-rich experiences working with luxury, beauty, travel, B2B and lifestyle brands which will complement Havas Media Group’s client portfolio and its deep data and performance marketing capability. Virginia Hyland, founder and CEO of HYLAND, will take on the role of managing director, HYLAND Division, working alongside Mike Wilson, chairman, Havas Media Group, Australia-New Zealand (ANZ), and Matt Houltham, CEO Havas Media Group, ANZ, to form the sr. leadership team….
Review: Malcolm Washington Makes His Feature Directing Debut With “The Piano Lesson”
An heirloom piano takes on immense significance for one family in 1936 Pittsburgh in August Wilson's "The Piano Lesson." Generational ties also permeate the film adaptation, in which Malcolm Washington follows in his father Denzel Washington's footsteps in helping to bring the entirety of The Pittsburgh Cycle — a series of 10 plays — to the screen.
Malcolm Washington did not start from scratch in his accomplished feature filmmaking debut. He enlisted much of the cast from the recent Broadway revival with Samuel L. Jackson (Doaker Charles), his brother, John David Washington (Boy Willie), Ray Fisher (Lymon) and Michael Potts (Whining Boy). Berniece, played by Danielle Brooks in the play, is now beautifully portrayed by Danielle Deadwyler. With such rich material and a cast for whom it's second nature, it would be hard, one imagines, to go wrong. Jackson's own history with the play goes back to its original run in 1987 when he was Boy Willie.
It's not the simplest thing to make a play feel cinematic, but Malcolm Washington was up to the task. His film opens up the world of the Charles family beyond the living room. In fact, this adaptation, which Washington co-wrote with "Mudbound" screenwriter Virgil Williams, goes beyond Wilson's text and shows us the past and the origins of the intricately engraved piano that's central to all the fuss. It even opens on a big, action-filled set piece in 1911, during which the piano is stolen from a white family's home. Another fleshes out Doaker's monologue in which he explains to the uninitiated, Fisher's Lymon, and the audience, the tortured history of the thing. While it might have been nice to keep the camera on Jackson, such a great, grounding presence throughout, the good news is that he really makes... Read More