Feature filmmaker Antoine Fuqua (Training Day, The Equalizer, last year’s The Magnificent Seven) via production house Wondros directed “The Gift,” one in a series of three :60s making their broadcast debut during the Oscar telecast (2/26) on ABC. The other two :60s were helmed, respectively, by movie directors Marc Forster and the team of Seth Rogen and Evan Goldberg
The premise of each short film centers on “how every receipt tells a story,” with the directors being challenged to illustrate their vision for one receipt containing bananas, paper towels, batteries, scooter, wrapping paper and a video baby monitor. The three creative films are part of Walmart’s larger multi-year partnership with the Academy Awards that is aimed at highlighting Walmart’s commitment to the art of storytelling. Walmart is also be making a $250,000 donation to The Academy Grants Program for FilmCraft.
Fuqua directed “The Gift” which shows a scooter-riding youngster who prepares and then wraps a gift–consisting of several of the items on the Walmart receipt–for presentation to some unseen extraterrestrial beings. Their spacecraft beams up the gift from the lad–while also briefly elevating him towards the sky.
Agency is Saatchi & Saatchi NY.