Five Cool Films, and One Despicable One, From the New Directors’ Showcase

June 21, 2012

CANNES, France—Saatchi & Saatchi presented the latest edition of its much-loved New Directors' Showcase at the Palais des Festivals here this morning. And while most of the ads and short films were interesting, beautifully made, and even inspiring, one particular music video probably should not have been shown right before lunchtime.

The showcase opened with an art installation on the stage of the Grand Auditorium—a light show with spotlights on the ground shining powerful white beams on a group of giant humming mechanical insects, outfitted with mirrors, floating like mini helicopters in the air. (I guess you had to be there.) When the films began, we got everything from mini crime dramas to sentimental, Pixar-like animations. This year's theme was "Meet your creator."

There were 17 films in all. Some of them will be familiar to you—Nike's "Addiction" spot by Jones + Tito; the Dead Island trailer by Stuart Aitken; the opening credits to The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo by Tim Miller. So, below, we'll show you five works from the showcase that you're less likely to have seen yet, along with one that was surprisingly disgusting and maybe should have been left out.

The showcase is a major event. Notable directors who have appeared in past showcases include Fredrik Bond, Chris Cunningham, Nicolai Fuglsig, Jonathan Glazer, Michel Gondry, Spike Jonze, Danny Kleinman, David LaChapelle, Chris Palmer, The Perlorian Brothers, Jason Reitman, Mark Romanek, Tarsem, Traktor, Kinka Usher and Ivan Zacharias.

William Joyce & Brandon Oldenburg

A charming animated story about flying books, and life. It won the Academy Award last year for best animated short film.
Andrew Thomas Huang

A visually stunning experimental short film about the philosophical theory of solipsism.
Seyi Peter-Thomas

Trailer for the MTV show The Hard Times of RJ Berger.
Mickey Smith

A beautiful and moving short film by a renowned surf photographer.
Daniel Strange

One in a series of hilarious spots for Pets Add Life.
Lars Andheim and Christoffer Lossius
Warning: Video is graphic and disturbing.

A mind-boggling Norwegian music video for the band Lasse Passage's song "Say Say Say."