Havoc Content has brought director Matthias Lebeer aboard its creative roster for commercials and branded content in the U.S. and U.S. Hispanic markets. Havoc marks the first U.S. representation for Lebeer who’s directed spots for Nikon, Samsung, Oppo, Nespresso and McLaren. His work for Nissan and PlayStation won two Gold Cannes Lions, and his work for Nespresso was awarded both Silver and Bronze EVCOM Awards.
“When I first saw Matthias’s work, I was blown away at how grand it feels,” said Havoc Content owner and executive producer Leslie Harro. “To me, a great filmmaker is always someone who can take you on a beautiful journey in 30 seconds or an hour. Matthias does this. After meeting, and the many talks on how we could elevate together, it was clear we’d make an amazing team. He’s incredibly talented, he’s kind, he has a family that drives him. He’s a perfect fit for Havoc. We have an exciting year ahead. Very happy he will be on the journey with us.”
With his debut short film Brod Ludaka earning a place on the Oscars’ shortlist in 2008, Lebeer has since directed advertisements for leading global brands. His body of work also includes music videos. Presently focused on narrative fiction, he is currently in development of his first feature film, The Fearless Tigers, and is also developing a six-episode TV series titled This Is Not A Murder Mystery.
“I joined Havoc Content because they represent the perfect synergy between my newfound approach to advertising and their commitment to pushing the boundaries of visual storytelling,” said Lebeer. “Transitioning from a technical director to one focused on immersive visual narratives, I found in Havoc Content a kindred spirit–an up-and-coming boutique, quality-driven production company with a deep love for storytelling. Together, we are ready to conquer the U.S. market with our commitment to crafting unique films. As we embark on a journey to redefine advertising through the lens of unique visual storytelling, I am thrilled to collaborate with a team that embraces the boutique-driven ethos, ensuring personalized attention and a passion for excellence. I look forward to co-creating advertising films that resonate deeply and leave a lasting impact on audiences across the United States.”
With a successful fall 2023 season under its belt, Havoc achieved multiple milestones including the addition of director Santiago Salviche to its team as partner, the signing of multi-faceted director Tamar Levine and the launch of its new music video division. Havoc’s selection for the 2023 GSD&M Diverse Partner Summit spotlighted its commitment to diversity and cutting-edge creativity. In the offing are involvement in Super Bowl 2024 for Allegiant Airlines and additional new projects for Facebook via Meta.
Lebeer is repped internationally by Betti Berlin in Berlin, Hamburg, Vienna and Zurich; by Equals Management in Eastern Europe and the Middle East; by Shanghai Premium in Shanghai, and by Skosh in Tokyo.
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