Washington Square Films has signed director Alex Ogus for commercial representation. His work has earned global award recognition, including Cannes Lions, Clio Awards, One Show Awards and Bessie Awards. His client list included AMEX, McDonald’s, Nestle, Advil, TurboTax, Pfizer and Snickers. Recently, Ogus helmed the music video “Gonna Be You” for 80 for Brady featuring Dolly Parton, Belinda Carlisle, Cyndi Lauper and Gloria Estefan.
Jonathan Schwartz, director of marketing and sales/managing director of NY-based Washington Square Films, said, “Alex understands how to create great comedy using wonderful visuals, great performances and a perfect sense of timing. His work has a richness that makes you laugh and also makes you want to watch it again.”
Ogus added, “The team at Washington Square Films is made up of truly down-to-earth, real people, but what sets them apart is their vision for the future of the industry and their dedication to the careers of their directors. I’ve always had a lot of my work come out of New York and their strong presence in the city makes this such a great fit.”
Ogus was drawn to filmmaking at an early age, transitioning from amateur comic book writing and illustration to filmmaking class while growing up in Toronto. After going to film school, he funded his initial directorial reel by creating and distributing a salad dressing based on a coveted family recipe. His creativity quickly splashed over from the salad bowl to the screen, striking literal commercial gold with one of his earliest spots for The Fight Network going on to earn top awards, including four Cannes Gold Lions. Following this powerful entry into the commercial directing scene, he started helming spots across the globe, shooting campaigns in Paris, London, Moscow and Zurich, while continuing to grow his body of work in the U.S. Prior to Washington Square Films, Ogus was represented in the U.S. by CoMPANY Films.
Outside of commercials, Ogus directed the 2022 short ICE, which follows a young Latina who comes home only to find that her mother has been taken by immigration. The film recently earned a Remi Award from the Worldfest-Houston International Film Festival.
First-Time Feature Directors Make Major Splash At AFI Fest, Generate Oscar Buzz
Two first-time feature directors who are generating Oscar buzz this awards season were front and center this past weekend at AFI Fest in Hollywood. Rachel Morrison, who made history as the first woman nominated for a Best Cinematography Oscar---on the strength of Mudbound in 2018--brought her feature directorial debut, The Fire Inside (Amazon MGM Studios), to the festival on Sunday (10/27), and shared insights into the film during a conversation session immediately following the screening. This came a day after William Goldenberg, an Oscar-winning editor for Argo in 2013, had his initial foray into feature directing, Unstoppable (Amazon MGM Studios), showcased at the AFI proceedings. He too spoke after the screening during a panel discussion. The Fire Inside--which made its world premiere at this year’s Toronto International Film Festival--tells the story of Claressa “T-Rex” Shields (portrayed by Ryan Destiny), a Black boxer from Flint, Mich., who trained to become the first woman in U.S. history to win an Olympic Gold Medal in the sport. She achieved this feat--with the help of coach Jason Crutchfield (Brian Tyree Henry)--only to find that her victory at the Summer Games came with relatively little fanfare and no endorsement deals. So much for the hope that the historic accomplishment would be a ticket out of socioeconomic purgatory for Shields and her family. It seemed like yet another setback in a cycle of adversity throughout Shields’ life but she persevered, going on to win her second Gold Medal at the next Olympics and becoming a champion for gender equality and equitable pay for women in sports. Shields has served as a source of inspiration for woman athletes worldwide--as well as to the community of... Read More