Filmmaker Matteo Mosterts has come aboard the talent roster of creative studio Florence. Hailing from Verona, Italy, Mosterts has shaped a distinctive directorial sensibility that’s grown out of a love of film craft in tandem with his European upbringing.
Having played on the Italian National Volleyball Team, he considers directing an athletic pursuit fusing teamwork, focus, and excellence under pressure. Mosterts pivoted into filmmaking immediately following his career in professional sports and sought to become a director after first making commercials as an agency producer.
Prior to joining Florence, Mosterts was most recently repped in the U.S. by production house Hey Wonderful. He also served as a VP of film production at agency WongDoody.
Mosterts has directed heartfelt and funny ads for Pampers, Cisco, Amazon, several popular spots for Blink, and most recently, a promotional spot for the Seattle Film Festival’s 50th anniversary. An alumnus of SHOOT’s 2018 New Directors Showcase, he’s directed an array of standout short films, including Afternoon Delight, which was featured as Vimeo’s Short of The Week and garnered over four million views on YouTube. His other acclaimed shorts include his debut, Wally’s Will, and Faith, starring character actor Beth Grant.
Mosterts said of joining Florence, “We share common values on the industry and the artistry behind it, so I feel very supported as a director. They’re a culture-forward production company, and I always strive to be a part of that larger conversation with my work. I’m thankful to be with such a knowledgeable and supportive company.”
“Matteo has such a unique perspective as a director,” commented Ned Brown, managing director and executive producer of Florence, who added, “He’s worked with a bunch of agencies and brands in multiple roles, bringing a deep understanding of the process from many angles. Beyond that, his films are all relatable, funny, and poignant. We’re very grateful to have him on board with Florence.”
Jennifer Kent On Why Her Feature Directing Debut, “The Babadook,” Continues To Haunt Us
"The Babadook," when it was released 10 years ago, didn't seem to portend a cultural sensation.
It was the first film by a little-known Australian filmmaker, Jennifer Kent. It had that strange name. On opening weekend, it played in two theaters.
But with time, the long shadows of "The Babadook" continued to envelop moviegoers. Its rerelease this weekend in theaters, a decade later, is less of a reminder of a sleeper 2014 indie hit than it is a chance to revisit a horror milestone that continues to cast a dark spell.
Not many small-budget, first-feature films can be fairly said to have shifted cinema but Kent's directorial debut may be one of them. It was at the nexus of that much-debated term "elevated horror." But regardless of that label, it helped kicked off a wave of challenging, filmmaker-driven genre movies like "It Follows," "Get Out" and "Hereditary."
Kent, 55, has watched all of this — and those many "Babadook" memes — unfold over the years with a mix of elation and confusion. Her film was inspired in part by the death of her father, and its horror elements likewise arise out of the suppression of emotions. A single mother (Essie Davis) is struggling with raising her young son (Noah Wiseman) years after the tragic death of her husband. A figure from a pop-up children's book begins to appear. As things grow more intense, his name is drawn out in three chilling syllables — "Bah-Bah-Doooook" — an incantation of unprocessed grief.
Kent recently spoke from her native Australia to reflect on the origins and continuing life of "The Babadook."
Q: Given that you didn't set out to in any way "change" horror, how have you regarded the unique afterlife of "The... Read More