Dedicated to the stories told on plates, in kitchens and restaurants all over the world, director Gab Taraboulsy’s film, Funke, premieres this week at the LA Film Festival. The doc is the story of chef Evan Funke’s comeback onto the ultracompetitive LA food scene, while he simultaneously tries to save the art of handmade pasta from extinction.
“A large part of my evolution as a filmmaker was realizing that I had an innate curiosity to explore food: where it comes from; who's making it and why; how far off the plate can the story of an ingredient ripple?” Says Taraboulsy, “Doing a cinematic deep dive into my ancestral love for pasta was the stuff of fantasy.”
Realizing that fantasy has been a more than two-year journey for Gab and producing partner, Alex Emanuele, paralleling the ups and downs of Funke’s comeback. “As documentaries go, what's bad for them is good for us: the very human drama of success and failure while navigating the notoriously difficult LA restaurant scene, with its perpetually looming financial ruin, all this was part of the film's narrative drive.”
A Montreal native transplanted to LA, Gab’s parallel love of film and food has garnered a James Beard Award and a Webby for Best Documentary Series. With both the film and Funke’s comeback complete “we now have the inside, ultra-personal story behind the creation of one of the most highly regarded restaurants in the country.”
Funke exclusive clip: https://reel.io/__XC922
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Union’s Jono Griffith Brings Fans, Animal Kingdom, and a Giant Together For “Magic Sunday”
Never before have humans, animals, and other creatures so seamlessly integrated and so fondly interacted in the shared experience of Sunday football. YouTube TV's new spot, “Magic Sunday,” is exactly as advertised: a fantastic blend of humor, whimsy, and sports fandom. Originated at the YouTube Creative Studio, directed by Matthijs van Heijningen of MJZ, with VFX by The Mill, and edited by Union’s Jono Griffith, the project succeeds in part because of the team’s attention to detail (like the ram fluffing the couch cushions and the jaguar eyeing the cardinal), which playfully captures the excitement of NFL Sunday Ticket. “This one was a treat of a job,” says Griffith. “The editing involved making sure there was space and time for the animation to communicate at its best whilst deciding what would be most charming. Movie magic is a lot of fun, and it was a team effort with the guiding eye of my friend Matthijs and the experience of The Mill; the script from YouTube Creative Studio was smart and simple and had a big smile all over it, and although it was very ambitious, everyone involved aimed for the top shelf and we got it there…with the smile still intact.” The choice of “Sunday Morning” by the Velvet Underground adds a perfect touch to the light-hearted tone of the spot. Read More