As one of six up-and-coming filmmakers who made the final cut for the Commercial Directors Diversity Program (CDDP)–a joint initiative of the DGA and AICP designed to open up opportunities for female and ethnic minority directors–Maya Albanese earned some funding for the making of a spec commercial, yielding this piece titled “History” for Georgia-Pacific.

In “History,” director Albanese introduces us to a gay couple, a high school student with Down syndrome, and an immigrant to the U.S. who each receive a letter in the mail bringing life-changing news. The couple reads that its adoption of a child has been approved. The student is notified that she has been accepted to Syracuse University. And the immigrant is informed that he has been granted permanent residency status in the U.S. 

A supered tagline reads, “History is written on paper. Which is why paper will never be history.”

Albanese has since been signed by production house brother for commercials and branded content in the U.S.; brother was the shop that mentored her as part of her CDDP experience.

Credits

Client Georgia-Pacific (spec spot) Creative Stuart Fink, writer. Production Maya Albanese, director; Catherine Goldschmidt, DP; Rich Carter, exec producer; Jonathan Biebl, producer; Emily Terfehr, production manager. Editorial/Finish Cosmo Street Julie Kravitz Gannon, editor; Shinya Sato, Flame artist; Chelsea Spensley, producer; Yvette Cobarrubias-Sears, exec producer. Color Apache Quinn Alvarez, colorist; Stefanie Schaldenbrand, producer; LaRue Anderson, exec producer. Audio Post Lime Adam Primack, mixer; Susie Boyajan, exec producer. Production Support Quixote Studios Camera Support Keslow Camera Performers Ungela Brockman, Umberto Celisano, Arianna Ortiz, Katelyn Reed. CDDP Tamika Lamison, program director.

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