“What started as a story about two boys from Oz who happened to be born on that same November day developed into a mutual passion for sharing the narratives of others.” Novemba is the directing duo, Blair Macdonald & Oliver Clark. Their thing is “directing life without the boring bits,” and their brand film, A Graphic Novel, shows how good they are at it.
The film has made it into the second Next Director Award shortlist, judged by panel that included David Bruno, Dougal Wilson, Laura Gregory and Juliette Larthe. The winner of the Next Director Award by D&AD and YouTube will be announced at the D&AD Professional Awards Ceremony in May 2015.
The full shortlist is:
A Graphic Novel, branded content directed by Blair Macdonald & Oliver Clark (Novemba) for Bacardi
Alan Moore: His Heavy Heart, a documentary directed by Emile Rafael
Andrew Belle: “Sister”, a music video directed by Will Morgan Holland
Playstation: “Our Shoes”, a test commercial directed by Ciaran Foy
Roy Kafri: “Mayokero”, a music video directed by Vania Heymann
The Mountaineer, branded content directed by Clara Aranovich for C3 Energy
VH1 Dating Naked: “Naked Dancing Stunt”, a commercial directed by Ellis Bahl
Want to see all the shortlisted films, including the 16 selected in the first round of judging? Click here.
The Next Director Award is open to filmmakers with less than two years commercial experience. Shortlisted directors receive international exposure for their work and mentoring from a top production company such as Partizan, RSA Films, Great Guns, Hungryman, Rattling Stick, Academy Films, Sonny, Jelly London and Lobo Sao Paulo. Each shortlisted director also receives a production grant from MOFILM to work on a commissioned brief.
David Bruno, senior creative at Google Creative Labs commented, “I’ve been overwhelmed by the standard of the work that I’ve seen and believe that these initiatives are essential, so that the true talent out there don’t remain undiscovered and find the opportunities that they deserve.”
Laura Gregory, D&AD Trustee, founder of Great Guns and jury foreman commented, “The second round of entries was a movement away from the ‘dark’ inaugural session earlier in the year. Perhaps it reflects the mood of the seasons. The charm of Mayokero made everyone smile for lost memories and the thoughtful observations made by Emile Rafael in his documentary ‘Alan Moore’ sat comfortably alongside any director with years more experience. Bacardi’s ‘A Graphic Novel’ was pure entertainment and got better with each viewing, one of the few that had us all chuckling.”
The third and final entry period for the 2015 Next Director Award is now open. Filmmakers are allowed to submit one entry per deadline. Films do not have to be commercially released and must be less than five minutes in length. The deadline for submissions is Wednesday 4 February 2015. The 3rd shortlist will be announced on 20 April, 2015.
Think you might enter? Click here.
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