Chelsea, which already handles directors Johan Kramer and Stacy Peralta for commercials and branded content in the U.S. market, has extended that representation to now also include the U.K. This marks the first time that Kramer and Peralta have been repped in the U.K.
Kramer, a storyteller and experimental filmmaker who loves the documentary format, has a humanitarian-driven affinity for exploring the narratives of those not often heard. His first feature-length film The Other Final won numerous awards at international film festivals including Toronto, Berlin and Barcelona, and in Holland it was chosen as the “Best Sports Documentary of All Time.” His most recent documentary Keeper received the prestigious Dutch Film Critics award.
In his former life, Kramer was a founding partner of the creative agency KesselsKramer. He left KesselsKramer to devote himself to directing but he still works with brands directing commercials, and more recently has picked up photography for which he earned praise for the humanity and documentary feel he brings to his images.
“Before I started my own agency KesselsKramer, I spent two years working in London as a creative and loved the whole atmosphere and creativity,” said Kramer, “Now so many years later, being a full-time director, it feels a bit like coming home again. Also because I was already for a long time part of the Chelsea family in the U.S.”
Chelsea UK EP Nell Jordan said, “Johan has a deep understanding of advertising, making great spots such as Medecin sans Frontieres and Citizen. Stacy’s cult films such as Dogtown & Z Boys and Riding Giants filter through to his commercial work. We think there is lots of space here for them in the U.K. market; being able to share their work here is very exciting for us.”
Peralta is a legendary skateboarder and filmmaker who has left an indelible thumbprint on everything he’s embarked on. When he was 19, he became the number one professional skateboarder in the world and revolutionized the sport. When he founded the Bones Brigade skate team he helped launch the career of Tony Hawk, Rodney Mullen, Steve Caballero, and countless others. When he was unhappy with the way his boards were being designed and marketed, he built his own business, Powell Peralta, which quickly became the top skateboarding company in the world. When he was bored by the generic skate videos being churned out, he went and made his own and forever changed the format. His first documentary Dogtown and Z Boys won him the Best Director Award at Sundance. His next film Riding Giants became the first documentary ever to open the Sundance Film Festival.
“As a filmmaker, I am thrilled to be in Chelsea’s stable of very talented working directors as this is a dynamic company that is constantly and proactively evolving forward with all of the tectonic shifts in today’s media landscape. And now with Chelsea U.K. the opportunities for doing good work will expand to an even greater reach,” said Peralta.
Throughout his career, Peralta always kept one-foot in the culture and one foot just outside in order to get unparalleled access. His films not only have the power to let you see a side of the world you might never have known about, they do it in such an intimately character-driven way that by the end of it you feel like you’re a part of their world. Peralta is currently promoting his new documentary, The Yin and Yang of Gerry Lopez, sponsored by Patagonia and rolling out on the global festival circuit.
“I am beyond stoked to be repping Johan and Stacy here in the U.K.,” maintained Chelsea UK head of sales Mel Fong. “Johan founded KesselsKramer, one of the most distinctive and eccentric agencies around and brings that unique originality to his directing and now photography too. Stacy makes films that significantly shift culture; not only is he a skateboarding legend, his films make history.”
Chelsea maintains offices in New York, Los Angeles and London, owned and managed by Lisa Mehling.
