ADFEST's Fabulous Four Gets Ready for its Close Up

ADFEST Announces The "Fabulous Four" New Directors and the "Magnificent 7" Who'll Judge Them
 
By Simon West

Every ad festival is always on the hunt for new talent. For the organizers at ADFEST, the answer is "The Fabulous Four." 
 
The Fab 4 represent the winners of the festival's annual competition for new directorial talent.  This year, 32 up-and-coming directors from 18 cities around the Asia Pacific region submitted their short film scripts based on ADFEST 2011's theme: JUMP START.  After having their scripts scrutinized by some of the region's top Executive Producers and Directors, the ADFEST 2011 "Fabulous Four" new directors were unveiled.
 
The process for selecting the best is simple: The seven jurors on the Film Craft & New Director Jury panel reviewed the scripts and voted on their favorites. The jurors said there were many excellent scripts to read, but unfortunately only four directors could go on to become the ADFEST 2011 "Fabulous Four."
 
Here are the winners:
 
--Takeshi Kogahara, Assistant Director from Wieden+Kennedy Tokyo Lab, Tokyo
 
--Yew Ming Lok, freelance Director from Shanghai
 
--He Peng, freelance Director from Beijing
 
--Nick Britton, Writer & Director from Melbourne
 
All four directors were given less than six weeks to film and edit their short films, which will premiere at ADFEST's 3-day festival coming up later this month in Phuket, Thailand. The Fabulous Four 2011 session will be held on Saturday 19 March, where these young talents will discuss the inspiration behind their films. The session will be moderated by the Jury President of the Film Craft & New Director panel, Ram Madhvani of Equinox Films, Mumbai.
 
Not only will their films be showcased to the region's most influential creatives, but they will be entered into the short film category of the Young Director Awards Europe and the foreign film category of the Los Angeles International Short Film Festival (LA Shorts Fest), the world's biggest short film festival.   One of the "Fabulous Four " Directors will also receive a special Commendation Certificate, which will be presented at the Award Ceremony on Saturday 19 March.
 
"This is the first year the Fabulous Four will take part in our awards presentation, and it will give them the utmost exposure and the chance to showcase their trailer at a fully packed awards ceremony," says ADFEST President Jimmy Lam.
 
"Fabulous Four has always been one of the most popular Sessions at ADFEST because it is the platform where many of the region's most successful directors are discovered. It's all part of ADFEST's commitment to nurturing young talent in this region," adds Vinit Suraphongchai, Chairman of the ADFEST Working Committee.
 
The "Magnificent 7" ADFEST jury presidents, who will be judging the Fab 4, all originate from different cities in Asia Pacific, making this year's crop of Jury Presidents truly representative of the region's creative diversity, adds Lam.
 
The final two advertising executives to join ADFEST's "The Magnificent 7" are Satoshi Takamatsu, Chief Creative Director of Ground in Tokyo, who is this year's Cyber Lotus Jury President, and Andy Blood, Group ECD & Partner TBWA\Tequila in Auckland, who is serving as this year's Print Craft Lotus & Design Lotus Jury President.
 
"With Satoshi and Andy joining us as Jury Presidents, I think ADFEST has compiled its most diverse and prestigious panel of all time," adds Lam.  "This year, we wanted all our Jury Presidents – with the exception of our Grand Jury President – to be living and working in the Asia Pacific to reflect ADFEST's unique heritage as the only festival that is truly 'Made in Asia.'"
 
The remaining "Magnificent 7" Jury Presidents are:
 
-- Jureeporn Thaidumrong, Executive Creative Director at Jeh United, Bangkok (Jury President, Film Lotus & Radio Lotus)
 
-- David Guerrero, Chairman & CCO at BBDO Guerrero/Proximity Philippines and BBDO Asia Pacific, Manila (Jury President, Press Lotus & Poster Lotus)
 
--Sheung Yan Lo, Executive Creative Director (North East Asia) and Chairman, China, at JWT Shanghai (Jury President, Outdoor Lotus)
 
-- Kien Eng Tan, Chief Executive Officer, Leo Burnett / Arc Worldwide /Alpha 245
Singapore / Kuala Lumpur (Jury President, Direct Lotus & Promo Lotus)
 
-- Ram Madhvani, Director and Partner at Equinox Films, Mumbai (Jury President, Film Craft Lotus & New Director Lotus)
 
Overseeing "The Magnificent 7," is Brazilian advertising guru Washington Olivetto, Chairman & Chief Creative Officer of W/McCann in Sao Paulo, who is this year's Grand Jury President.   "With such an impressive line-up, I think the campaigns that are awarded at this year's ADFEST are sure to be world-class," says Lam.

Published 3 March, 2011