SMUGGLER
News
It’s Nice That: “Fenn O’Meally’s latest collaboration with Little Simz, “Little Simz. Can I ask you a secret?” was screened at the Tate Modern as part of a special edition of Tate Modern Lates curated by Little Simz in conversation with Clara Amfo.”
Creative Review: “Since venturing into directing, Prinz has garnered much attention from both the cultural and commercial worlds, whether for her viral music video that put Top Dawg Entertainment’s first female rapper Doechii on the global map and ended up getting banned on YouTube; her campaigns for global brands including Nike and Hennessy; or her ongoing work as Charli XCX’s movement and live camera director. During her recent talk at Ciclope Festival, Prinz acknowledged the bizarre task of trying to qualify and quantify her journey as an artist but boiled it down to three chapters so far: Alien, Angst and the Anti-Archetype.”
Little Black Book: “Internationally acclaimed director Björn Rühmann helmed the project, which was shot on location in Manchester and Berlin. The production embraced an analogue aesthetic, capturing all footage on Kodak 16mm film. Rühmann explained, “The process of finding our Kabelmann’s destiny took forever – in a great way. We loved exploring all the ways for this character to become the perfect blend of an alter ego of the artist – and a unique, otherworldly hero that captivates the audience.””
Dazed: “The acclaimed filmmaker C Prinz and actor, musician, and writer Jeremy Pope first connected during the pandemic. Four years later, in 2024, their conversations about queer sexuality, race, spirituality, and gender at that time have coalesced in the form of a thought-provoking short film, titled God Is Good, which arrives in the wake of Pope’s debut EP, LAST NAME: POPE. On Friday (October 11), that film was screened at Tate Modern’s Starr Cinema, in an event presented by SMUGGLER.”
SHOOTonline: “The awards ceremony on October 10 capped three days of CICLOPE in Berlin, marked by talks by notable speakers, collaborative Craft Sessions, and attendees making global connections.”
Creative Review: “Olivia Colman, Little Simz, Cole Palmer and more star in a series of entertaining shorts directed by New York-based duo rubberband. Each of the seven campaign stars appears in their own short film. These take place everywhere from London, where the debut brand campaign under current CCO Daniel Lee was set, to pastoral landscapes across Britain, nodding to the brand’s heritage.”
Adweek: “Apple is touting the filmmaking capabilities of its iPhone 16 Pro with “Capture,” a short film directed by Aoife McArdle, which salutes classic cinematic tropes with real stunts and effects demonstrating the iPhone 16 Pro’s ability to shoot Hollywood-quality video.”
Variety: “Lionel Messi is kicking off a new foray into Hollywood. The global soccer superstar, who currently plays for Major League Soccer’s Inter Miami CF and the Argentina national team, has formed 525 Rosario, a content company that will develop and produce premium TV, film, live sports and community events. It also will produce branded content and commercials for athletes worldwide, including Messi. 525 Rosario is a joint venture between Messi and SMUGGLER Entertainment.”
WePresent: “Longing to create a visual narrative to accompany the themes of his debut EP, “LAST NAME: POPE,” actor-musician Jeremy Pope reached out to SMUGGLER director C Prinz in the midst of the pandemic. Fostering an almost instant synergy, the pair spent three years discussing everything from the church experience to the Black experience, queerness to the overall anxieties pervading our society. In their 20-minute short film “God is Good” they showcase his journey to self-acceptance as a Black queer man. Pope and Prinz tell Yaya Azariah Clarke about the process behind creating their visual universe and the sense of freedom they hope it might bring to others.”