Serial Pictures, the collective of artists, directors and photographers involved in commercials, music videos, long form and digital content, has signed celebrated Swedish filmmaker, Director Christian Larson.
Larson, who started out as a drummer, dancer, and then renowned editor, before turning to directing, has collaborated with some of the most notable musical acts. His short film, Take One," documenting the larger-than-life tour of Swedish House Mafia, reached cult status amongst EDM fans and brought widespread attention to his directing career. His 2014 debut feature, Leave The World Behind, was chosen as an official selection at SXSW, broadcast on Showtime, and shot to #1 on the iTunes documentary charts.
Larson’s unique understanding of music and pop culture has led to directing commercial work for the likes of Mercedes Benz, Beats, H&M, as well as iconic videos for Sigur Rós, Kylie Minogue, and Icona Pop, and more. He has been awarded a Swedish Grammy for writing and directing the 2013 Sigur Rós short, Valtari.
Canada orders TikTok’s Canadian business to be dissolved but won’t block app
Canada announced Wednesday it won't block access to the popular video-sharing app TikTok but is ordering the dissolution of its Canadian business after a national security review of the Chinese company behind it.
Industry Minister François-Philippe Champagne said it is meant to address risks related to ByteDance Ltd.'s establishment of TikTok Technology Canada Inc.
"The government is not blocking Canadians' access to the TikTok application or their ability to create content. The decision to use a social media application or platform is a personal choice," Champagne said.
Champagne said it is important for Canadians to adopt good cybersecurity practices, including protecting their personal information.
He said the dissolution order was made in accordance with the Investment Canada Act, which allows for the review of foreign investments that may harm Canada's national security. He said the decision was based on information and evidence collected over the course of the review and on the advice of Canada's security and intelligence community and other government partners.
A TikTok spokesperson said in a statement that the shutdown of its Canadian offices will mean the loss of hundreds of local jobs.
"We will challenge this order in court," the spokesperson said. "The TikTok platform will remain available for creators to find an audience, explore new interests and for businesses to thrive."
TikTok is wildly popular with young people, but its Chinese ownership has raised fears that Beijing could use it to collect data on Western users or push pro-China narratives and misinformation. TikTok is owned by ByteDance, a Chinese company that moved its headquarters to Singapore in 2020.
TikTok faces intensifying scrutiny... Read More