Wednesday, November 18, 2009

Two Kevin Macdonald Films Make "Top 100 Films of the Noughties"

The Times of London has just released their "Top 100 Films of the Noughties" and Chelsea's Kevin Macdonald made the list twice! The only limit for the list were that the film have been released in the UK between 2000 and 2009, so the competition was stiff.
You'll find Kevin's Touching the Void at number forty-five, and The Last King of Scotland all the way up at number seven. The Times wrote:
Forest Whitaker gives one of the great performances of the decade as Idi Amin. He nails the Ugandan dictator’s deadly charm — he’s a charismatic monster; part amiable buffoon, part stone-cold killer.
The link to the full article is here and not to brag any more than we might have already, but make sure to take a look at the lead picture illustrating the article. And as for hot-off-the-presses Macdonald news, Kevin has just finished shooting The Eagle of the Ninth in Scotland and is going straight into the edit. Look for it in theaters everywhere early fall of 2010.

Tuesday, November 10, 2009

Christmas in November: Chelsea Signs Director Neil Abramson

Chelsea is closing out the year with a bang with the signing of director Neil Abramson! An industry veteran and Sundance regular, Abramson is a "director/cameraman with a global perspective and unmistakable vision". And a swell guy! You can find our SourceTV coverage here, our Creativity coverage here, and our Shoot magazine coverage here. The full press release is below:

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

CHELSEA SIGNS DIRECTOR NEIL ABRAMSON

FOR COMMERCIAL REPRESENTATION

Chelsea is proud to announce the signing of Neil Abramson, a director/cameraman with a global perspective and unmistakable vision. A filmmaker and photographer with an unflinching eye and distinct purpose, in the commercial realm Abramson is known as a storyteller with exquisite photography. His client list includes Nike, McDonald’s, Cadillac, Ad Council, Jack Daniels, Acura, Merrill Lynch, and Lexus. His industry awards include a Clio, a Silver and Golden Lion, and an AICP Show award.

Chelsea partner Allison Amon adds, “Having previously worked with Neil during my time at Palomar, I couldn’t be more pleased to be working with him again. His creative process is an excellent fit for the way Chelsea works.”

Abramson’s feature and documentary films explore the dramatic components of everyday life, focusing on the triumphs and difficulties people encounter. Abramson’s latest feature film, American Son, premiered at Sundance and was distributed nationally by Miramax/Disney. Starring Nick Cannon, the film follows a young Marine during his last 96 hours on leave before having to depart for duty in Iraq.

The film exemplifies the hallmarks of Abramson’s work, sensitivity, powerful emotions, compelling stories, and intimate photography. Abramson’s debut film, Without Air, also a Sundance premiere, was heralded as a tough and uncompromising portrait of a woman on the edge, and his documentary Soldier Child was championed by the United Nations to call attention to the horrific plight of child soldiers in Uganda.

Chelsea partner Lisa Mehling said, “Neil’s work is outstanding, in both entertainment and advertising. His strength as a visual storytelling is a compliment to the to the Chelsea roster.”

Abramson lives in Los Angeles.

Sunday, November 1, 2009

Another Year, Another Spot on the A-List

Well, a little bragging is in order, because Chelsea made the Creativity A-List for Production Companies for the 5th year in a row. It is a big honor and we don't take it lightly, so thanks very much to the folks at Creativity for their consideration and everyone we've worked in the last year that helped us get to the top of the heap! Check out the full article here.