Havoc Content has added New York-based director Byron Quandary to its roster for representation in the U.S. and Hispanic markets. Havoc becomes the first U.S.-based company to sign Quandary in the ad arena. He is also currently repped by Photoplay/Playtime in Australia and Dirtyfilms in the U.K.
The Filipino-Australian director started out in music videos, collaborating with Australian artists on a slew of narrative and conceptual-based clips. His video for Little Scout’s single “We Are Walking Out” earned him a Vimeo Staff Pick and propelled him into the world of commercials.
Since directing and editing commercials, Quandary has established himself as a global player, working with brands in the European market as well as the Southern hemisphere. Previous clients include Lexus, Adobe, HSBC, Google, JCPenney, Nike, and Mountain Dew.
As a writer, video editor, and occasional cinematographer, Quandary has embraced an era of multidisciplinary artists. He commented, “There’s a time and a place for wearing multiple hats. You have to respect the value of designated roles and the mastering of a craft that comes from choosing one thing. But equally, building competence across multiple domains means I can at least speak the language, as well as having the option of getting my own hands dirty when it feels right.”
Quandary was attracted to Havoc in large part due to its executive producer and owner Leslie Harro. He comments: “Filmmaking is a team sport and it’s so important to vibe with all the key players. I felt like Leslie and I really hit it off from the start and were almost freakishly on the same page. It’s also very impressive how much she’s grown her business in such a short time–and she strikes me as someone who’s excellent at making key decisions.”
Harro described Quandary as “a special director–his work is incredibly beautiful. When I first became acquainted with his style and storytelling, I was beyond impressed. He is focused on becoming a top tier director in the US and we will do everything we can to get there together.”
Full Lineup Set For AFI Fest; Official Selections Span 44 Countries, Include 9 Best International Feature Oscar Submissions
The American Film Institute (AFI) has unveiled the full lineup for this year’s AFI Fest, taking place in Los Angeles from October 23-27. Rounding out the slate of already announced titles are such highlights as September 5 directed by Tim Fehlbaum, All We Imagine As Light directed by Payal Kapadia, The Luckiest Man in America directed by Samir Oliveros (AFI Class of 2019), Zurawski v. Texas from executive producers Hillary Clinton, Chelsea Clinton and Jennifer Lawrence and directors Maisie Crow and Abbie Perrault, and Oh, Canada directed by Paul Schrader (AFI Class of 1969). A total of 158 films are set to screen at the 38th edition of AFI Fest.
Of the official selections, 48% are directed by women and non-binary filmmakers and 26% are directed by BIPOC filmmakers.
Additional festival highlights include documentaries Architecton directed by Victor Kossakovsky; Cheech & Chong’s Last Movie directed by David Bushell; Devo directed by Chris Smith about the legendary new wave provocateurs; Gaucho Gaucho directed by Michael Dweck and Gregory Kershaw; Group Therapy directed by Neil Berkeley with Emmy® winner Neil Patrick Harris and Tig Notaro; No Other Land directed by a Palestinian-Israeli team comprised of Basel Adra, Yuval Abraham, Rachel Szor and Hamdan Ballal; Pavements directed by Alex Ross Perry; and Separated directed by Errol Morris. Notable narrative titles include Black Dog (Gou Zen) directed by Guan Hu; Bonjour Tristesse directed by Durga Chew-Bose with Academy Award® nominee Chloë Sevigny; Caught By The Tides directed by Jia Zhangke; Hard Truths directed by Mike Leigh with... Read More