Production company Voyager has added versatile comedy, lifestyle and visual storytelling director Christopher Nataanii Cegielski to its roster for his first exclusive U.S. commercial representation.
The Brooklyn-based shop has already wrapped its first production with Christopher–a spot out of Cashmere Agency for AriZona SunRise Hard Seltzer, a beverage born out of a partnership between Heineken USA and AriZona.
Cashmere Agency producer Zack Williams said of Christopher, ““He brings such a youthful enthusiasm to every conversation and was so collaborative throughout the entire process, making sure to incorporate key client and agency focuses into his overall vision for the project.”
Christopher said. “Cashmere and their team were collaborative throughout the entire process and it just felt like we were working as a collective to create a piece/pieces we all love.”
Christopher was a recent fellow of the Commercial Diversity Directors Program (CDDP), created by the DGA and AICP to increase diversity representation in commercial filmmaking. Christopher’s narrative work has received international recognition from festivals such as the Berlinale, SXSW, and the L.A. Film Festival. He has received artistic development from the Sundance Native Lab’s Time Warner Producers Fellowship and Film Independent’s Project Involve Program, where he received the Sony Pictures Diversity Fellowship Grant.
Voyager EP Andrew Hutcheson said, “Whether he’s making a stirring, poetic anthem or a funky, offbeat comedy spot, Chris always taps into his cinematic sensibilities to create something that you can’t help but grin at. Behind it all is this hungry energy that’s constantly driving him forward. Couple that with his sincere humility and you’ve got the makings of someone truly special.”
“I’ve been a fan of Voyager’s work for a long time and in getting to know their philosophies, their culture and what kind of work they aspire to make,” said Christopher, “it felt like the perfect home to continue developing my artistic voice and pushing my work to the next level.”
Changes Afoot For Cannes Lions 2025, Including Increasing Festival Access For Underserved Communities
The Cannes Lions International Festival of Creativity is putting plans in motion for its 72nd edition, set to take place from June 16-20, 2025 in Cannes, France. The Festival has announced that it will double funding to provide €2m (some $2,150,000) worth of complimentary passes to underrepresented talent and underserved communities through its Equity, Representation and Accessibility (ERA) Pass, returning for a second year.
Frank Starling, chief DEI officer, Lions, said the increased investment was “crucial to continue to drive progress for both Cannes Lions and the industry.” Starling added, “The ERA pass plays an important role in fostering a global representation of talent within the creative communications industry at Cannes Lions, and to date our funded opportunities have reached creatives in 46 countries globally. With the Festival being the destination for everyone in the business of creativity, we recognize the importance of creating equitable access to it, and this is why we’re prioritizing increased representation from the Global South to support a greater range of voices and perspectives from the region at the Festival.” Applications for the ERA pass are open now and close on December 5, 2025. More details can be found here.
With submissions into the Cannes Lions Awards opening on January 16, 2025, innovations to the Awards have also been announced today. Glass: The Lion for Change celebrates 10 years since its introduction. The Glass Lion was launched to champion work that used creativity to drive a shift towards more positive, progressive and gender-aware communication, and Marian Brannelly, global... Read More