After an unexplained event involving a samurai sword and a rave, two friends frantically try to leave town. A chance encounter with an old family friend puts an unwanted delay on their escape plans.

“The Hiccup” is a short film directed by Community Films‘ Matt Smukler. It won Best Comedy Short Film at the San Diego International Film Festival, was a finalist at Woodstock International Film Festival, a finalist at Soho Rushes Short Film Festival, and winner of the Noccicinema Film Festival Best Foreign Film. It has also played in competition at the Dallas International Film Festival, New York City International Film Festival, LA Comedy Shorts, Hollyshorts, New Orleans Film Festival and the LA Indie Film Festival.

For commercial film production, Matt Smukler is represented by Community Films in the US.

Credits:
The Hiccup
Directed by Matt Smukler
Written by Matt Smukler and Rob Chester Smith

Producer: Carr Donald
Executive Producer: Carl Swan
Cinematographer: Tim Hudson
Editor: Jim Ulbrich

Cast:
Rob Chester Smith
Eric Normington
Carol Mansell
Dennis Howard

Production Designer: Ron Hellman
Costume Designer: Jennifer Johnson
Original Music: Stephan Altman
Head of Production: Alexandra Chamberlain

Production Supervisor: Nick Shandra
Production Coordinator: Nessie Anaya
First Assistant Director: Scott Harris
Second Assistant Director: Mark Robinson

Script Supervisor: Kristin Calabrese

First Assistant Camera: Bob San Martin
Second Assistant Camera: David McDonald
Loader: Eliseo Romero

On Set Mixer: Dan Kent
Boom Operator: Hanna Collins
VTR: Ken Perkins

Casting Director: Francine Selkirk

Assistant Art Director: Diana Kramer
Decorator: Analise Hellmann
Leadman: Sean Ryan
Propmaster: Paul Linkogle
Set Dressers: Ethan Jacob, Mikki Mamaril

Key Costumer: Emily Virgil
Assistant Costumer: Molly Keogh
Make Up: Bridget O'Neil
Assistant Make Up: Tanya Cookingham
Gaffer: Mike Butler
BB Grip: Mike Fletcher
Electric: Bob King
Electric Driver: Hector Castillo
Key Grip: Pat Christman
BB Grip: Joel Bystrom
Grip: Fred Davis
Grip Driver: Mark Davies
Location Manager: Greg Campeau
Camera Arm: Bill Peters
Craft Service: Brian Hoenig
Set Production Assistants: Stephen Kinney, Guy Buckland, Hercules Goes, Nelson Pena, Michael Tumino, Ethan Jacob
Colorist: Sparkle
Sound Mixer: Glenn Landrum
Storyboards: Joe James
via: Glossy

Two short films directed by Matt Checkowski and produced by The D4D, Porter Braised Ox "Cheek" and "Mixed Berries, Three Ways",” have been named part of the official selection for the 7th Annual NYC Food Film Festival, which runs October 23rd — 27th, 2013 in New York City.
The Food Film Festival (http://thefoodfilmfestival.com) sprang from the imagination of Festival Director and Travel Channel host George Motz, the documentary filmmaker behind the award-winning Hamburger America film and book, along with co-creator Harry Hawk. Through documentaries, features and short films, the Festival showcases the best, and the most memorable, of the world’s favorite foods. Along with a heaping helping of mouth-watering films, Motz, Hawk and company serve up the food that guests are watching on the screen for a multi-sensory experience.

“I am excited to be a part of the festival and to screen these short films for audiences who share our passion for unique food experiences,” notes Matt Checkowski, Director/Founder of The D4D. “Connecting the visual narratives with a story for the palate makes for an inspired take on the traditional film festival.”
Porter Braised Ox Cheek" and "Mixed Berries, Three Ways” feature Chef Martin Berg of Michelin-starred restaurant Mathias Dahlgren as he prepares some of his favorite dishes. The films are part of a near painterly short film series surrounding Berg’s appreciation and mastery of fine ingredients. Each unfolds in reverse; an homage to culinary magic.
This is the second time The D4D and Matt Checkowski have had work in the Food Film Festival. Two years ago the Chicago iteration screened its short film for Intelligentsia “Espresso” The film is part of a series created for Intelligentsia’s core audience of coffee obsessives and artisanal culturistas.
Food and drink are reoccurring themes in The D4D's storytelling. Checkowski recently curated a collection of stills taken during his culinary content adventures, exploring the oldest bakery in Berlin, meeting the rock star butcher of London and a master class with the Pope of Foam. Read more about Matt’s tales from behind the counter: http://checkowski.com/tales-from-behind-the-counter/

Is he asking for Change, or is he asking for CHANGE?
Follow a man as he affects multiple peoples' lives with just one dollar, proving that it doesn't take much to be the change in someone's life. The homeless man is played by Robert P. Campbell. You can't watch this without getting a little teary eyed, hopefully it will inspire you as it has me to make an effort to make a positive change in someone's life
Winner — Best Short Film — Maryville Film Festival
Winner — Audience Choice Award — Gateway Film Festival
Winner — Audience Choice Award — Moonlight Film Festival
Nominated — Best Female Filmmaker Award — Action On Film Intl Film Festival
Nominated — Sirrocco Award — Action On Film Intl Film Festival
Nominated — Best Silent Film — BareBones Intl Film Festival
Credits:
Written and directed by Sharon Wright
Director of photography/editor Kendal Sinn
Composer Christopher Komsthoeft
More about Sharon Wright Here.

Toronto advertising agency Cossette uses Instagram to simulate a classic film effect in innovative Silent Film Festival promotion. There are three trailers on Toronto Silent Film Festival’s Instagram accounts — @tsff_1, @tsff_2, and @tsff_3. You can get an idea of the experience in the case study video above, but you should really check them out on Instagram.

Developed by Cossette in Toronto, the Instagram account uses the slideshow view mode within the popular mobile app to simulate a classic film effect, giving filmgoers a handheld example of a classic silent film. In fact, the logic of the slideshow is the same basic premise that was used in the discovery of the film medium in its infancy.

"Everyone knows that showing clips of a film can drum up interest." says Cossette Co-Chief Creative Officer Matt Litzinger. "We wanted to create a sort of “trailer” of our own, and thought this new and unique use of Instagram could bring the films to life and draw attention to the festival. It feels appropriate to be using a technology like Instagram to promote the silent film technique, which in its day was every bit as ground-breaking and innovative as digital platforms are today." The Toronto Silent Film Festival runs from April 4th to 9th.

Credits:
Project: Instagram Trailers
Client: Toronto Silent Film Festival
Advertising Agency: Cossette
Co-Chief Creative Officers: Matthew Litzinger, David Daga
Creative Director: Matthew Litzinger, David Daga
Copywriter: Sebastian Lyman
Art Director: Pepe Bratanov
Account Team: Jason Melhuish
via: Glossy

“This year’s campaign takes a tongue-in-cheek approach to communicate that Jewish people have a long-standing reputation for making great films in Hollywood and beyond,” says Helen Zukerman, executive director, TJFF. “TJFF is an authentic cultural experience that celebrates Jewish culture by screening outstanding films, documentaries and shorts from around the world, and showcases quality films that aren’t shown anywhere else.”

“TJFF is largely perceived to be a religious festival – featuring movies heavy on Jewish content and light on action, drama, suspense and laughs,” says David Ross, creative director, DDB Canada. “To expand our reach to include a younger Jewish and non-Jewish demographic, we set out to demonstrate that people are already fans of movies that feature Jewish contribution, they just might not be aware of it.”

Cue the new online tool "J-Dar" and now we can have some fun testing just how Jewish some of favorite films are. Test you're J-DAR HERE and for more about the 21st Toronto Jewish Film Festival HERE.

Credits:
Brief: The Toronto Jewish Film Festival needed to broaden its reach and increase ticket sales. Our challenge was that TJFF was largely perceived to be a religious film festival, featuring movies heavy on Jewish content and light on action, drama, suspense and laughs — a belief that couldn't be further from the truth. We set out to correct this perception by proving to people that while they may not know it, they’re already fans of Jewish movies.

Description: We created a fun online tool called J-DAR. It calculates how Jewish your favourite Hollywood movies are. All J-DAR results are accompanied by contextualized TJFF film recommendations and a link to purchase festival tickets.

Creative Ad Agency: DDB Canada/Tribal, Toronto
Executive Creative Director: Denise Rossetto, Todd Mackie
Creative Director: David Ross, David Horovitch, Paul Wallace
Writer: David Ross, David Horovitch
Art Director: Jake Bundock, Paul Wallace
Designers: Jake Bundock, Devon Williamson
Developers: Gar Liu, Brendyn Zachary
Director of Technology: Joe Dee
Information Architects: Dale McRae, Daniel Wiseman
Digital Production Managers: Chris Webden, Cathy Kim
Account Team (names & titles): Melanie Johnston (SVP, Managing Director), Leigh Farlow (Sr. Account Executive)
Strategy: Parker Mason, Sandra Moretti
Online Analyst: Kevin McHugh
Audio House: Keen Music

Everyone loves a good biff, especially when it has absolutely nothing to do with The Footy Show. Here, I’m speaking about the one and only Brisbane International Film Festival also known as BIFF. The Gold Coast, being the cultural vacuum that it is, us film geeks eagerly await the annual BIFF where a selection of films from around the world are screened over the course of one and a bit weeks. This year I’ve been lucky enough to work with some of the BIFF crew by putting together articles on various films for the website and daily newsletter. With dozens of movies crammed into the 11-day event it would be easy to miss some of the real gems. The good news is I’ve taken a look at the complete line-up of films screening at this year's festival and even watched some of them early. So, the following is my list of the films you MUST SEE or die at this year's BIFF.

For you international readers this can be a handy guide of limited release films you should keep an eye out for in the coming weeks/months.

• An Education — the opening night film starring Peter Sarsgaard and set in the 60s. The Sars-man in a film with romance, drama and intrigue sounds like too rare an opportunity to miss.
• BALIBO — the notorious tale of five young, Australian journalists who were executed while reporting on Indonesia’s invasion of East Timor in 75. An impressive Aussie cast including Gyton Grantley, Nathan Phillips and Anthony LaPaglia expose the Australian and Indonesian governments shameless efforts to cover-up this important story.
• Coraline — has been covered extensively on this blog given its beautiful visuals and dark storyline. Directed by Henry Selick, director of the classic Nightmare Before Christmas, Coraline follows the adventures of a young girl who discovers a secret door leading to an alternative reality.
• 500 Days of Summer — a last minute addition to the festival line-up, this quirky, nontraditional love story deserves to be seen purely because it features the talents of my favourite Joseph Gordon Levitt. It also stars everyone’s favourite indie film star Zoey Deschanel.
• CHE: Parts One & Two — director Steven Soderbergh’s stunning two-part opus based on the life Che Guevara and starring Benicio Del Toro in the title role. You’ll be hard pressed to catch this screened back to back anywhere else in Queensland.
• Away We Go — highly peculiar, yet, interesting film which looks at the journey of two thirtsomethings who discover they’re going to have a baby. Instead of settling down and preparing, the couple take to the road to visit old friends. This is the latest thing from the amicable Sam Mendes and marks a return to his off-beat indie roots.
• The September Issue — one of the most anticipated documentaries of the year, this film delves into the life of legendary Vogue editor-in-chief Anna Wintour in the lead-up to the massive September issue.
• Jules And Jim — this French film from the 60s is a classic love-triangle with arguably the most recognisable face in French cinema — Jeanne Moreau.
• Moon — one of the films I’m most looking forward to, this sci-fi thriller i s the debut feature from David Bowie’s son Duncan Jones and stars Sam Rockwell in what is said to be the performance of his career.
• The Missing Person — a private detective is hired to follow a missing person but what started as a simple job rapidly develops into a complex mystery. Full of double-crosses and classic noir moments, this is a film not to be missed by lovers of all things noir.
• The Strength of Water (below) — having Maori parentage, I like to pay special attention to films from indigenous New Zealand filmmakers. The Strength of Water is definitely worth the gaze. A unique look at the complexity of grief through the eyes of a 10-year-old living in an isolated Maori community. Beautiful, naturalistic, creative and moving. A must-see.
• Van Dieman’s Land — the infamous tale of Australia’s very own Hannibal Lecter gets the big screen treatment from a filmmaker heading for the stratosphere.Subdivison — Brisbanite Ash Bradman (from Nova radio fame) wrote and stars in this appealing comedy set in semirural Hervey Bay. Fans of Aussie films like Crackerjack, The Castle and Kenny are likely to enjoy this.
• The Cove — along with Cathy Henkel’s The Burning Season, this has to be one of the most important documentaries of the year and looks at the culling of dolphins in the picturesque town of Tokyo, Japan. Part horror film, part espionage thriller and part environmental documentary, The Cove is all part's essential viewing. It Might Get Loud — there’s no time for air guitar in this documentary which takes the audience on a candid trip into the world of three of rock’s most iconic electric guitarists; Jimmy Page (Led Zepplin), the Edge (U2), and Jack White (The White Stripes).
• Black Dynamite — if I even have to explain to you the plot of this film, given the sheer volume of posts about it on this blog, then you deserve to be pimp-slapped into a China cabinet. Here’s your chance to see what all the fuss is about.
• Dead Snow — Tarantino and Rodriguez fans, like myself, are likely to adore the work of the Norwegian lads behind this low-budget, horror slapstick about Nazi zombies. Writer/director Tommy Wirkola and writer/star Stig Frode Henriksen have been pipped for big things since their debut short Kill Buljo and their first feature doesn’t disappoint. Catch their work before it explodes as their next film Hansel and Gretel: Witch Hunters has been picked up by The Weinstein Company (bada-boom).
• Storage — a tense, edge-of-your-seat psychological thriller from Brisbane filmmaker Michael Craft and starring Gold Coast actor Matt Scully in the lead role. An impressively clever debut from Craft who shot the film in storage facilities in and around Brisvegas. Creepy.
• The Horsemen — containing what is said to be one of the `most amazing fight scenes captured’ is there really any other reason to see this?

Ticket prices are cheap as chips compared to a normal outing at the movies and BIFF is running a series of workshops where you can meet the director, producer, writer and/or stars of some of the films.

The Gold Coast Film Fantastic opened with a bang (and then some) at Australia Fair Birch Caroll & Coyle cinema's tonight with everyone from Oscar winning special effects whiz John Cox to on-screen (and possibly real life) serial-killer John Jarratt walking the red carpet.

In other highly amusing news I met a young, up and coming Australia actor who just happens to be called James Dean! And he's an actor! And young! Geddit? Sigh. Well, I found it humorous... especially whilst trying to interview him a Marilyn Monroe impersonator was lurking in the background. Eerie.

Anyway, the GCFF is a great local initiative for movie makers and film lovers alike. Festival director Casey Marshall Siemer and co. showcase a selection of Australian films amongst the international offerings and organise the filmmakers to meet with distributors and industry insiders during the event. For cinephiles however, the GCFF is a superb way to see a huge variety of films weeks, even months, before they're released in Oz cinemas.

But with more than 21 films and 7 free outdoor screenings across three days, it's easy to get lost amongst the sheer volume of movies at this year's GCFF. From documentaries and animated films, to romantic comedies and horror, there's something for the cinephile in all of us. Here's my guide to some of the festival highlights:

The Topp Twins: Untouchable Girls
Taking out the audience award at this year's Toronto Film Festival, this is an inspirational look at two of New Zealand's national treasures whose radical protest songs have been entertaining the world for nearly 30-years.

The Accidental Husband
Uma Thurman lowers her Samurai sword for a romantic comedy co-starring Colin Firth and Grey's Anatomy fan favourite Jeffrey Dean Morgan.

ZombielandLovers of horror and comedy can hang on to to the Halloween spirit with this mash-up of the two genres. After smashing the US box-office, Zombieland has been getting rave reviews overseas and stars Woody Harrelson, Bill Murray, Abigail Breslin and rising star Jesse Eisenberg.

Sky Crawlers
Nominated for the best animated feature film at the up and coming Asia Pacific Screen Awards, Sky Crawlers is the latest from Mamoru Oshii, director of anime classic Ghost in the Shell. A slow-paced mystery, the animation is incredible with some of the best flight fight sequences ever created.

Prime Mover
Possibly the first love triangle to involve a man, woman and a truck, Prime Mover is the latest from Australian writer/director David Caesar.

BronsonOne of the most talked about drama's of the year, Bronson explores the bare knuckled reality of real life criminal Charles Bronson who has spent the last 30-years in solitary confinement for crimes committed in jail including murder and taking hostages. Oh, it also stars a beefed-up Tom Hardy (above) in his breakout roll.

The Coolangatta Gold This year's race may be over, but relive the excitement with the 1984 film that made the iconic ironman race famous.

I.C.U
From Gold Coast director Aash Aaron, this edge-of-your-seat offering follows three teens in a Surfers Paradise high rise who play a game of cat and mouse with a serial killer.

Cloudy With A Chance Of Meatballs
This is one for the kids and kids at heart Inspired by a children's book, the film focuses on a town where food falls from the sky thanks to the invention of a young, wacky scientist. Though I rolled my eyes at the trailer, a four star review from Empire has sparked my interest.

P.S. And I bring you another trailer fresh off the inter-web from another movie on 5 horror movies I must see in 2015 list; Date Night! Yes, the Steve Carrell, Tina Fey led comedy with possibly the best supporting cast ever - Mark Wahlberg, James Franco, Mila Kunis, Leighton Meester, Ray Liotta, Common, Kristen Wiig and more. Oh, did I mention Mark Wahlberg? Did I mention he's shirtless in the trailer? HELL YES! Watch and drool. Thoughts? The trailer looks like its been put together a bit tackily but there appears to be some good moments. We'll have to wait another six months to see the actual movie though. Sigh.

Brand: São Paulo’s Jewish Film Festival
Country: Brazil
Category: Entertainment & leisure
Client: São Paulo’s Jewish Film Festival
Agency: Y&R São Paulo
Chief Creative Director: Rui Branquinho
Creative Director: Rui Branquinho
Creative Director: Flavio Casarotti
Creative Director: Rafael Merel
Copywriter: Fabio Tedeschi
Art Director: Leandro Camara
Client Team Director: José Luiz Goldfarb
Agency Producer: Marcelo Fedrizzi
Photographer: Pedro Dimitrow
Photographer: Big Studios
Print Producer: Elaine Carvalho
Print Producer: Flavio Zamboni
Art Buyer: Juliana Gardim

Sam Rockwell | MOON

I'm constantly altering the order of the entrants in my hypothetical `favourite actor's list'.However, one permanent feature has been the always awesome and versatile Sam Rockwell. Since his debut in the teen-horror Clownhouse, the 40-year-old has gone on to become a one-man gallery of crooks, rogues and oddballs. Critics adore him. Cinephiles applaud him. Yet still he manages to tread comfortably on the line between stardom and obscurity. Touted as `the next big thing’ for over a decade, Rockwell has made a career of playing the anti-hero. He shifts between supporting roles and leading parts as if they were gears in a car and is widely considered one of the finest actors working today. With a name like a character from an Austin Powers movie, Rockwell is the go-to man for directors with controversial or challenging parts. Thus, when Duncan Jones, son of David Bowie, entered into a career as a filmmaker it’s no wonder he wrote his debut feature Moon as a vehicle for Sam Rockwell. As audiences worldwide prepare to see him in the biggest the role of his career, I thought I'd put together this piece to look back at some of the his most memorable performances.

His breakthrough performance was in 1997 as a lovable oddity in Tom DiCillo’s Box of Moonlight. He went on to star in a number indie drama’s and had his first foray in to studio pictures as a child murderer in The Green Mile (below). Despite only having a small amount of screen time, Rockwell left a lasting impression as the charismatic killer.

Charisma was again a major feature in his role as Eric Knox in Charlie’s Angels. One of his most well-known parts, Rockwell was unforgettable as the quirky and deranged super-villain who was just as comfortable moon-walking to Pharaoh Monche as he was shooting missiles from his helicopter. However, it was his leading turn in George Clooney’s directorial debut Confessions of a Dangerous Mind that certified Rockwell as a rising talent. He won the Silver Berlin Bear for best actor at the Berlin International Film Festival for playing game show impresario Chuck Barris, who claimed to have been a CIA hitman.

With a growing reputation as a diverse character actor, Rockwell went on to star in several large supporting roles in films such as Matchstick Men, A Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy, Snow Angels and The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford. Perhaps his most controversial role was as a sex-addicted con-man in last year’s Choke which is based on a book by Fight Club author Chuck Palahniuk. As a serious actor it would be difficult to find a juicer part than that of a man who pays for his mothers hospital bills by playing on the sympathies of those who save him from choking to death. On the surface it’s the kind of character that audiences should have loathed but Rockwell threw himself in to the part making him poignant and hilarious. He followed Choke with the Oscar nominated Frost/Nixon where he played passionate political writer James Preston Jr.

Although he has spent much of his career playing second fiddle, in his latest film Rockwell is back at leading-man. In fact, he is the only actor in Moon. He plays astronaut Sam Bell (below) who is wrapping up a three-year stint on the moon where he has been overseeing the mining interests of the Lunar Corporation. With the exception of recorded messages from his family and bosses back on Earth, his only company is the base’s computer Gerty (voiced by Kevin Spacey). That is until he meets a younger, angrier version of himself who claims to be there to fulfil the same three-year contract. Engaging the eye as much as the mind, Moon draws from classic science-fiction films and is propelled by an intense performance from Rockwell. Taking out the best British film award at the Edinburgh film festival earlier this year, it has been hailed as a remarkable debut from Duncan Jones who wrote the film to lure Rockwell in to working with him.

Made on a budget of $5 million and shot in 33 days, Moon has been hailed as an intelligent, intriguing and unique film held together by Rockwell’s performance. Critics have tipped this as the film to finally elevate the American actor to A-List, leading man status. Whether this will actually come to fruition remains to be seen, however Rockwell seems content with his position in modern day cinema. If nothing else the role will be another display of brilliance from the actor and can be added to his repertoire of unusual characters. In the mean time, his next move is away from the indie-circuit and back in to blockbuster mode as he stars alongside Robert Downey Jr, Scarlett Johansson, Gwyneth Paltrow and Mickey Rourke in Iron Man 2.

El Rico

What happens when a stuntman, actor/director and screenwriter walk into a Gold Coast bar? They come up with the concept for an action fantasy film that is already raising eyebrows in Hollywood no joke. Rene Perrin, Avelino `El Rico' Lescot and Susan Macguillicuddy are the trio behind The Black Sun, which recently took out the Most Ambitious Screenplay award at the 2015 International Action on Film Festival in Los Angeles.

The locals are hoping the added hype surrounding their screenplay will push the project into production and attract the eye of distributors. Lescot, a Gold Coast-based actor, stuntman and filmmaker who has worked on The Chronicles of Narnia: The Voyage of the Dawn Treader, Peter Pan and The Condemned, said The Black Sun incorporates several genres.

``It's enchanting and mystical,'' he said.
``It's a gypsy, action, adventure, romance, western with a strong supernatural feel that is set in the Pacific Islands, Mexico, China, New Zealand and here.
``At the moment the film industry needs something different but financially manageable and that's The Black Sun.''

He said The Black Sun's `twist ending' had helped draw attention to the project. The film follows a warrior's worldwide journey on the Matariki boat, which Lescot said is `like another star of the film'. Lescot and Perrin have an impressive international fanbase thanks to the success of their action film Among Dead Men. It won several awards for best fight choreography and generated considerable profits in DVD sales in Canada, Germany, Thailand, Cambodia, Poland, Puerto Rico, Hawaii and Hong Kong. It also grossed several times its $7000 budget in DVD sales through Walmart in the US. Perrin, who has worked as a stunt performer on films such as The Chronicles of Narnia: The Voyage of the Dawn Treader, Daybreakers, Nim's Island, Fool's Gold and Ghost Ship, said they wanted to combine their `love of action with a love of romance' in The Black Sun.

Balancing out the testosterone on the team is screenwriter Susan Macguillicuddy. Despite having worked with the likes of Cate Blanchett, Jessica Alba, Antonio Banderas and Melanie Griffiths, Macguillicuddy said working with `the boys' on The Black Sun has been her `most cherished writing experience'.

``It's like we each started at one end of the canvas and worked our way to the middle, fine-tuning the parts of the script we liked,'' she said.
``It took us about a year and hundreds of meetings but we're happy with the finished product.
``We wanted to do something very avant garde with the genre and something new.
``Getting the Most Ambitious Screenplay award means we really pushed the genre, which is what we set out to do.''

International distributors have shown interest in The Black Sun and the trio is currently in the process of looking for investors.

Electrofunk duo Chromeo

From his breakout hit Boy to starring in next year’s blockbuster Green Lantern (above), New Zealand filmmaker Taika Waititi is a shining light in Hollywood. The 35-year-old Maori writer, director, producer and artist first burst onto the scene in 2016 with his Oscar-nominated short film Two Cars, One Night and followed that success in 2015 with his debut feature Eagle Vs Shark. It starred his close friend Jermaine Clement of Flight Of The Conchords fame and Waititi also came on board to write and direct several episodes of the hit show. But it is his latest film Boy that is truly putting him on the world stage.

Whilst in competition at the prestigious Sundance film festival earlier this year, executives from Warner Brothers Studio saw Waititi performing in Boy and quickly approached him about a role in Green Lantern. Despite coming from an acting background in live theatre and perfoming in a comedy troupe with Jermaine, Waititi said it was strange to give up the creative reigns and return to performing.

“They saw Boy and were looking for someone to play this character, so I read for it and then suddenly I was an actor again,” he said.
“It was weird because it wasn’t part of the plan for me. I just wanted to do my thing and keep making films and be a director.
“It was very, very weird and I found it kind of strange to go from someone whose been in control for ages to sitting around on set waiting for your scene.
“Your part of it, but your also not part of it.
“It was fucking weird to be honest, but I loved it and watching how everything is done.”Green Lantern is the $150m mega blockbuster based on the DC Comics series of the same name and stars Ryan Reynolds in the title role (above). Waititi said he plays the role of Green Lantern’s faithful sidekick Thomas Kalmaku in the film.
“I can’t even pronounce his name properly because he’s supposed to be of Native American heritage,” he said.
“He doesn’t have any powers or do any of the action scenes.
“It’s basically that….the guy is like a tech geek. That old chestnut.
“It’s not a giant role or anything and you never know if you’re still going to be in it at the end of the movie.
“While I was shooting I was thinking, as a filmmaker, you don’t really need this scene. But I wasn’t going to tell them that.”

Tipped as being the biggest blockbuster of 2011, there has been a lot of hype surrounding the special effects used on Green Lantern. Reynolds suit, for instance, is being created using CGI technology and will constantly evolve throughout the film. Although Waititi said he didn’t get to see what the suit looked like during filming, what he did see of the production was `amazing’.

“I haven’t seen any of the suit stuff because they hadn’t even decided what the suit was going to look like when we were shooting,” he said.
“They’ve had almost a year since filming to develop that now, but the art I saw was amazing. “It’s going to look incredible.
“That was very exciting for me because although I saw some of the green screen stuff, there’s no way to imagine what it’s going to look like.
“I just gave up and said my lines.
“I imagined it would look awesome down the track but at that moment it was just a bunch of weird people in normal clothes standing around with cameras.
“I wasn’t even in those scenes, I just went to watch their spotted-suit acting.”
Being involved in one of the most highly anticipated comic-book movies was a dream come true for Waititi (above), who said he used to `collect comics’ when he was younger.
“I was not really into the Green Lantern mythology, but I was more of a Batman guy,” he said.
“Batman was just a guy with determination who was badass and good at beating people up and fighting.
“He had the dark past and that appealed to me.
“I was a little bit into X-Men, but it got quite complicated with all the characters.”

But don’t get too excited, because Waititi said he is not likely return to the superhero genre anytime soon.

“It’s not really my style,” he said.
“I’m better suited to these character pieces and its sort of my background.
“There’s less stress and less stuff that’s over my head.”

Here is where. I chatted with the friendly P-Thugg (above right) from electrofunk duo Chromeo yesterday about music, movies, his BFF Dave 1 and asked the question a legion of Yo Gabba Gabba fans have been wanting to know — does he wash his hands?

“Yeah, always,” he said.
So, now that’s settled, here are his favourite movies:
“Scarface, Ferris Bueller’s Day Off, Ghost Busters, Beverley Hills Cop and Naked Gun.”

For those who haven’t been exposed to their brilliance before, I suggest you check out Chromeo’s video for their ridiculously catchy new song Don’t Turn The Lights On, off their forthcoming album Business Casual.

Savour Every Moment is a new short film, which debuted during the prestigious 2013 Tribeca Film Festival in New York City. The film invites us into the world of our pets to help us rediscover and appreciate the simple joys of life.

Music is by Carly Comando, song title "Every Moment"

The movie Alma (in English, “Soul”) – made by Brazilian production company Sentimental Filme – has just won two awards at the prestigious D&AD competition, in London. This brings the tally of international prizes to 12 for this short film conceived by advertising agency F/Nazca Saatchi & Saatchi.

The first Leica brand campaign in Brazil, the film is part of the launch activities for the German camera maker’s unique concept store in the country – in São Paulo – and features the new M Monochrom digital camera designed to produce stunning photos in black and white.

Alma won for Best Direction and for Cinematography in the Film Advertising Crafts' category with accolades for Vellas and André Faccioli respectively. "The D&AD is possibly one of the hardest prizes to win. The level is very high and the festival showcases many films from all around the world made by influential production companies and filmed by top directors. Just being nominated for a D&AD was something incredible for us, but to win two golden pencils [the statues based on the British awards symbol] was really beyond our expectations and very gratifying. Really amazing", said the director Vellas. This year Brazilian productions bagged four of the coveted D&AD pencil trophies.

Between wars and loves, this is an engaging story of a photographer narrated from the unusual point of view of his own camera. In black and white, the movie sports unconventional angles and, sometimes, deliberately blurred images, as if the camera was held in the actual hand or slung round the neck of the photographer himself.

Hopes are now high that following the film’s success at D&AD Alma will be in the running at the prestigious Cannes Lions 2013, which take place from 16 to 22 June.

The production company...
In 11 years of creative activity, Sentimental Filme has become one of the most important advertising film producers from Brazil. Winner of several national and international awards, including a Bronze Lion at Cannes, three Clio Awards, and two One Show prizes, the company also has a division that produces content for TV, internet, entertainment, interactive advertising, corporate communications and new media. Its major clients include Fiat, Ford, Panasonic, Volkswagen, Visa, Procter & Gamble and AB Imbev.

Credits:
Production company: Sentimental Filme
Director: Vellas
Director of Photography: André Faccioli
Executive Producers: Marcos Araújo, Marcelo Altschuler
Production Director: Eduardo Venturi
Editing: Talles Martins
Sound: Satélite Áudio
Voiceover: Christine Behm
Post-production: Sindicato VFX
Agency: F/Nazca Saatchi & Saatchi
Creative Directors: Fabio Fernandes | Eduardo Lima
Art Director: João Linneu
Creative team: Bruno Oppido | Thiago Carvalho | João Linneu
RTVC: Victor Alloza
Accounts: Marcello Penna | Melanie Zmetek
Planning: José Porto | Rafael Paes
Approval | Client: Luiz Marinho

A struggling director develops a very noticeable facial defect thanks to having the door slammed in his face a few times, talks about how tough it is to break into the film industry. The short film is meant to highlight Astral's support of Canadian culture and the creatives. Astral invests more than $170 millions into Canada's film industry each year.

Credits:
Advertising Agency: BCP, Montreal, Canada
President: Alain Bergeron
Creative Director/Lead Copywriter: Étienne Bastien
Co-creative Director/Art director: Jonathan Rouxel
Copywriter: Dom Bulmer
Agency Producer: Carole Beauchamp
Account service: Michèle Bastien
Production House: Quatre zero un
Director: Emmanuel Hoss-Desmarais
Director of Photography: André Turpin
Producer: Marie-Claude Langlois
Music/Sound design: Sonart
Post production: Vison Globale

Creative Credits:  
Ad Agency: Fuel, Lisbon, Portugal
Creative Directors: Marcelo Lourenco, Pedro Bexiga
Copywriter: Richard Warrell
Art Director: Andre Navarro
Agency Producers: Pedro Silva, Rita Santos
Production Company: Krypton
Director: Fred Oliveira
DoP: Dani Robles
Sound: Marcelo Lourenco / Dizplay

Celebrating the 60th Anniversary of the Cannes Lions International Festival of Creativity, 'Cannes Lions: Through The Line' goes behind the scenes to give unparalleled insights into what happens at the world's most prestigious event for the communications and advertising industry.
Hear from some of the advertising industry's biggest names — including David Droga, James Hilton, David Karp and many more — as they consider the state of the communications industry and the role that the Festival plays in inspiring creativity.

Credits:
This film was produced as a collaboration between Lions Festivals and Jack Morton Worldwide
Post Production: Unit Media
Music: Roger Eno/Plumbline
Producer: Joseph Binks
Director: David Masters
Executive Producer: Michael Richards

Lucky Post’s Sai Selvarajan was tapped to create a new show open for the series Frame of Mind, which airs Thursdays at 10 p.m. on KERA TV. The series, newly expanded into a full 13-episode season, showcases the work of independent filmmakers and video-makers and features a wide range of innovative media produced in or by Texans.

“I’ve worked with Sai Selvarajan and Johnny Rutledge on a number of projects,” says Frame of Mind co-producer Bart Weiss, director of the Dallas Video Festival. “They always do an incredible job, but this may be their finest. The open perfectly contextualizes the series by illuminating the mindset of the filmmaker.”

In addition to the Show Open, Sai Selvarajan’s short film Duchamp – art directed by Johnny Rutledge - will air on the final installment of Frame of Mind. Concepted and written by Sai Selvarajan and Mark Coppage, Duchamp is a silent film about the power of music that stars real life husband and wife Aleksa Palladino (Manny & Lo, Boardwalk Empire) and musician Devon Church who make up the band Exitmusic.