Having recently set up shop in New York under the aegis of executive producer Bill Hewes (SHOOT, 6/5), Stockholm-headquartered multimedia studio FilmTecknarna has signed director Kalle Haglund for exclusive spot representation in the U.S. and Canada.
Haglund sports varied international credits, including McDonald’s “McFeast” for DDB Stockholm (produced by the director’s Stockholm-based HOF Production), Ikea’s “Cards” out of agency Grabarz & Partners, Hamburg (produced by HOF and Hamburg-based production house Cobblestone), Orange’s “Animals” for London agency Mother (produced by BlinkInk, London, with which HOF has a repping/production relationship) and the Moneybrother music video “We Only Die Once” (produced by HOF).
Haglund is the founder of HOF Production and runs the company in partnership with producer Jens Odelbring. Haglund made his first industry mark as an art director at independent record label Burning Heart Records back in 1995. He then began studying graphic design in ’98 at Forsberg School of Graphic Design in Stockholm. He soon developed an interest in film production, particularly animation.
Upon graduating in ’00, Haglund joined Stockholm-based production house StyleWar. During his five years there he directed a string of noted film projects and served as a member of the StyleWar directing collective. During his last two years at StyleWar, he devoted himself almost exclusively to directing and script writing, his work winning two Swedish Grammy Awards during this period.
In ’05, Kalle left StyleWar to start working on a documentary film about, and with, top Swedish rock band The Hives. He has since gained exposure in key international markets such as the U.K. (via Blink Productions/BlinkInk), the U.S. (Furlined) and France (Wanda Productions).
Haglund’s work spans such brands as MTV, Saab, Skoda, T-Mobile, Volvo, AMF, Ask.com, Comviq, Ingman, Kanal 5, SVT, Tele2 and TV4.
FilmTecknarna’s directorial roster now consists of Haglund, David Nord, Johanna Andersson, Jessica Laurén, Boris Nawratil, Kalle Haglund, Jonas Dahlbeck, and company founders Jonas Odell and Stig Bergqvist (who teamed to form FilmTecknarna with founder/CEO Lars Ohlson).
In the U.S. the company is handled by a sales force consisting of independent reps Judy Wolff on the East Coast, and the firms Hilly Reps in the Midwest and Reber Covington on the West Coast. Indie firm Hesty Reps covers Canada.
Peter Jackson Receives Honorary Palme D’Or As Cannes Boasts Star Power Despite Hollywood’s Retreat
The 79th Cannes Film Festival opened on Tuesday with politics, artificial intelligence and the shifting priorities of Hollywood taking center stage at the global film gathering on the French Riviera. The festival launched with a tribute to director Peter Jackson, handing the "Lord of the Rings" filmmaker an honorary Palme d'Or. He was introduced by actor Elijah Wood, who played Frodo Baggins in Jackson's fantasy franchise, one of many notable faces on the Cannes red carpet, including Bong Joon Ho, Joan Collins, Heidi Klum and James Franco. "I've never figured out why I'm getting a Palme d'Or. I'm not a Palme d'Or sorta guy," said the shaggy haired New Zealand filmmaker. Jackson was then serenaded with a rendition of the song "Get Back," a nod to his lauded 2021 documentary about The Beatles. The director sat stage right mouthing the lyrics. Jane Fonda and the Chinese-Singaporean star Gong Li officially opened the festival, with Fonda declaring: "Cinema has always been an act of resistance." It was a fitting observation for a film festival that has already seen politics take center stage. At the introduction of the jury that will decide the Palme d'Or, Cannes' top honor, jury members spoke bluntly about holding a film festival during a time of geopolitical conflict. The Palme d'Or jury weighs politics in film Paul Laverty, the Scottish screenwriter known for his films with director Ken Loach, pointed toward this year's Cannes poster, of "Thelma and Louise," while discussing attending Cannes during what he called "genocide in Gaza." Quoting "King Lear," he said: "Madmen lead the blind." "Cannes has a wonderful poster," said Laverty. "Isn't it fascinating to see some of them like Susan Sarandon, Javier Bardem and Mark Ruffalo... Read More