A renowned Director of commercials, film and documentary, Pascui Rivas journeys to the Santa Barbara Film Festival for the World Premiere of his labor of love, “Ordinary Gods,” with Martin Gore (Depeche Mode Guitarist) and Ricky Restrepo (Estados Alterados Drummer) in attendance. Filmed in eight different countries over the course of three years, the first-time feature director offers a compassionate observation of the lives of six young professional soccer players, as they struggle with injury, homesickness, and the pressure of being a young talent on the international stage.
See below or click here to view trailer.
For over a decade, Rivas has occupied a space between film and commercials, winning a Silver Lion at Cannes Lions and "Best of Show" Award at the AdAge/AHAA Awards for a Toyota Corolla campaign he directed, the very first Lion in the history of advertising agency Conill Saatchi & Saatchi. Since 2006, Rivas has been shaping the US Hispanic market, marking him as a trailblazing Director with long-lasting relationships with the likes of CA Lottery and Toyota, resulting in riveting national and international campaigns. His contributions also include celebrated branded work with Mexican rock/pop singer Natalia Lafourcade, (for which he won a Webby Award), along with a film he directed for UNICEF receiving numerous international awards and a Gold Medal at the New York Festival. Rivas continued to pursue his passion for film with the short "Jean Lewis," which premiered at the 2012 Tribeca Film Festival.
A testament to human perseverance, “Ordinary Gods” examines what it takes to thrive — not just in the world's most beloved sport, soccer — but also in life itself. The globetrotting documentary dives deep into the captivating lives of aspiring soccer players with a unified dream – to pursue their passion on the world’s most prestigious soccer stages. Imbued with heartfelt revelations of their day-to-day realities, along with the political and economical nuances that surround them, the documentary sheds light on their ordinary struggles while navigating the extraordinary circumstances that define the world’s most popular sport.
“I have always been sensitive to ordinary people in ordinary circumstances – painting their daily human experiences with the hope of shining some light along the way,” shares Rivas. “When crafting this film, I would repeatedly remind my team that the story should be approached as if our subjects were carpenters, butchers, bank tellers or what-have-you; in that their professional skills would not be dictating their story. It was their common humanity we were unearthing, and their universal truths would surface through them first as people, and second as football players.”
“If the merit of the sports film were to be measured only by its capacity to forsake the many hackneyed stations of the genre, then Pascui Rivas’ magisterial ‘Ordinary Gods’ would surely deserve its place in the pantheon,” says Greg D. Cohen, Ph.D., Associate Programmer for Los Angeles Filmforum & UCLA Professor. “It never shrinks from the supremely mundane, altogether human dimensions of the kids’ struggles, which is perhaps the truest testament to its greatness.”
Throughout Pascui’s work, a thread of meticulous artistic precision is observed, driven further by the top cinematographers that he seeks including the legendary Fred Elmes (Blue Velvet) and Stefan Czpsky (Ed Wood). He credits various mentors for nurturing his innate ability to reveal the beauty in the ordinary, including distinguished TV Director David Semel in support of Pascui’s venture into the world of episodic television. With an invariant curiosity for the undiscovered and unknown, Pascui continues to reach far and wide for impactful storytelling opportunities, and is looking forward to discovering where his successes in film will take him in the advertising world.
More info: http://www.pascui.com
2024 AICP Awards Tour Concludes with Stops in Dallas and Chicago
The 2024 AICP Awards Tour concludes with stops in Dallas and Chicago this month as it wraps up its tour of cities across the U.S. The National Tour brought presentations, panels and screenings to marketers, advertising agencies, production and post production companies. The AICP Awards will be in Dallas on Thursday, November 14th, at the Perot Museum of Nature and Science, followed by the Chicago event, set for Thursday, November 21st at The Old Post Office. Tickets are available now for both events at www.aicp.com. In Dallas, the program kicks off at 6:45 pm with a happy hour, followed by the screening and panel discussion at 7:30. The evening ends with a networking reception from 8:30 to 11:30. The Perot Museum of Nature and Science is located at 2201 N. Field Street in Dallas. Appearing in Dallas will be Abe Garcia, Chief Creative Officer, Dieste; Julia Melle, Director of Brand and Content, Southwest Airlines; and Isaac Pagán Muñoz, VP, Executive Creative Director of PepsiCo Foods. The panel will review selected winners from the suite of the AICP Awards programs, offering insights into what made them rise to the top of their respective categories and share their viewpoints on key trends in the industry. The Chicago stop starts at 6:00pm with a happy hour, followed by the presentation and screening at 7:00pm. A reception caps the event, starting at 8:00pm and concluding at 11:30pm. The Old Post Office is located at 433 W Van Buren Street in Chicago. The panel there will feature 2024 AICP Awards Curators and Winners from the marketer, agency, production and post production sectors who’ll highlight this year’s winners. The conversation will include a discussion about the winning work, including insights... Read More