The Newport Beach Film Festival (NBFF), in partnership with Garage Team Mazda and REVERSE, recently announced the release of its official 2019 marquee trailer Play: The Power of Ideas. The promotional film features a young boy who is caught in the crossfire of his parents’ bitter divorce. In an effort to escape, he retreats into the comfort of his imagination. What he doesn’t realize is the power that his ideas have on the world.
2019 Newport Beach Film Festival Trailer: youtu.be/0DT5opmG2Bs
The Newport Beach Film Festival has become one of the leading lifestyle film festivals in the U.S., bringing Orange County the best of contemporary filmmaking from all around the world. “The Power of Ideas,” the theme of this year’s film festival, is about the creative power of ideas, and their potential to change the world.
“This year we celebrate our 20th anniversary, a real milestone for us,” said Todd Quartararo, Newport Beach Film Festival co-founder and director of marketing. “Since its inception, the festival has stood for quality – from the creativity in storytelling to the production value in every aspect. Garage Team Mazda and REVERSE have surpassed our expectations and we are proud of the creative work they’ve accomplished with the film.”
For the second consecutive year Garage Team Mazda, a WPP agency, was engaged to create a short film to promote the festival. Erich Funke, Garage Team Mazda chief creative officer said, “As a local agency, it’s great that Garage Team Mazda can support and promote an exciting event that’s part of our community, and that stands for everything we believe in as creative thinkers.”
The script, written by Garage Team Mazda creative director Melissa Webber and writer Daniel Bremmer, aims to follow the success the agency achieved with their acclaimed work on the 2018 promotional film “Quota,” named on Adweek’s Best 25 Ads of 2018.
“Our goal is always to make a promotional film as compelling as the films accepted into this intensely selective festival,” said Melissa Webber, Garage Team Mazda creative director.
“Play: The Power of Ideas” was executive produced by REVERSE founder Thibaut Estellon and directed by Johan Stahl, whose short films and documentaries have garnered Sundance and Robert Awards (the Danish Oscars). The production team also featured an all-star cast that included award-winning feature director of photography Shelly Johnson, ASC. The team approached the project with a lot of thought into finding the right balance juxtaposing traditional dramatic cinema techniques with elements of the gore genre.
“By grounding the story in an easily relatable reality — a classic divorce scenario with familiar tropes and gender roles — it sets the viewer up to quickly see the disparity between the parents’ world and the boy’s world, and ultimately, express central themes around imagination, cinematic storytelling, and the theme of this year’s Newport Beach Film Festival: ‘The Power of Ideas,’” said Johan Stahl, REVERSE director.
“This was a super fun, collaborative, dream project for me,” said Stahl. “Props to Thibaut and the team at REVERSE for leading an A-list crew to bring this bold and equally ambitious project to life.”
“Play: The Power of Ideas” will open the festival and screen before each of the 350 films on this year’s program. The festival runs April 25 through May 2.
About The Newport Beach Film Festival
Celebrated as one of the leading lifestyle film festivals in the United States, the Newport Beach Film Festival seeks to bring to Orange County the best of classic and contemporary filmmaking from around the world. Committed to enlightening the public with a first-class international film program, a forum for cultural understanding and enriching educational opportunities, NBFF focuses on showcasing a diverse collection of studio and independent films from around the globe.
About Garage Team Mazda
Founded in 2010, GTM is formidable WPP integrated team agency founded in partnership with Mazda and located in Orange County, Calif. GTM has vast capabilities ranging from traditional agency services, PR, digital and social, Hispanic, motorsports, retail marketing, analytics, and data and oversees all advertising and marketing for the automotive brand.
About REVERSE
REVERSE is a bicoastal commercial production company ready to put a stake in the uncharted. We represent an international roster of directors who bring a keen sense of what the future of production will look like — and are devoted to helping brands and agencies worldwide trail-blaze what content can be for tomorrow’s marketplace.
+++
CREDITS
Garage Team Mazda
Chief Executive Officer: Michael Buttlar
Chief Creative Officer: Erich Funke
SVP Creative Director / Writer: Melissa Webber
Creative Director / Writer: Daniel Bremmer
SVP Director Integrated Content: Larry Struber
Account Director: Cory Sampson
Director of Project Management: Elizabeth CarrErnst
Art Producer: Jessica Mirolla
REVERSE
Director: Johan Stahl
Executive Producer/Founder: Thibaut Estellon
Producers: Larry Gold, Luigi Rossi
Director of Photography: Shelly Johnson, ASC
Costume Designer: Michelle Thompson
Production Designer: Nora Takacs
1st Ast Camera: Michael Martino
2nd Ast Camera: Gus Bechtold
Loader: Brendan Devanie
DIT: Nate Kalushner
Gaffer: Steve Kagen
SLT: Kyle Allinson
Best Boy Electric: Adam Lenee
Key Grip: Bob Babin
Best Boy Grip: Matt Malsbury
Grip: Seth Cole
Location Sound Mixer: Fernanda Starling
H&MU: Melissa Gwizdowski
FX Makeup: Marcel Banks
Wardrobe Assistant: Alison Holmes
1st Assistant Director: Chuck Henrey
2nd Assistant Director: Gus Bechtold
Set Decorator: Sarah Sharp
Prop Master: Caitlin Laingen
Special Effects: Zac Knight
Production Manager: Porcelain Brisbon
Production Coordinator: Matthew Cheaton
jumP Editorial
Editor: Erwin Fraterman
Executive Producer: Therese Hunsberger
Producer: Natasha Sattler
Assistant Editor: Roy Herbert
Assistant Editor: Kristin Yawata
Apprentice Editor: Jill Sarao
Flame Artist: Thom Reimerink
Editorial Intern: Anja Boltz
Editorial Intern: Emily Kaberlein
Ingenuity
VFX Supervisor: Grant Miller
VFX Supervisor: David Lebensfeld
Sr Producer: Kieley Culbertson
VFX Producer: Brigitte Stanovick
VFX Producer: Kymberly Murphy
VFX Coordinator: Robert Cohen
Compositing Coordinator: Ashley Nizich
Compositing Supervisor: Zhe Chong
Compositors: Ben Stommes, Patrick Louie, Krisztian Csanki
CG Coordinator: Anna Harari
FX: Paul Baran, Kevin Pinga
Animations: Lucas Smarker
Layout: Viviana Torrellas
Company 3
Senior Colorist: Stefan Sonnenfeld
Executive Producer: Ashley McKim
Senior Producer: Katie Andrews
Senior Producer: Matt Moran
Juice Studios
Mixer: Scott Burns
Producer: Vanessa Carey
Yessian Music & Sound Design
Executive Producer: David Gold
CCO / Partner: Brian Yessian
Casting: Face In The Crowd Casting
Casting Director: Maryclaire Sweeters
Vendors:
Camtec | Global Effects | Strato | BLM | Nama Guides | Filmtools | Galpin | Quixote | Alan Gordon Enterprises | Bobby Digital
- Dell Blue Creates Visceral “Everything Counts” Spot For Alienware - October 18, 2019
- CNN Partners with Compadre for 2020 Election Package - September 16, 2019
- Special Olympics Athletes Unite To Inspire and Design Original Logo for 2022 Special Olympics USA Games - August 30, 2019
