Ridley Scott Announced to Curate 28th New Directors’ Showcase at Cannes 2018

Internationally acclaimed film and commercial director Ridley Scott will curate the annual New Directors’ Showcase for this one special celebratory year at the Cannes Lions International Festival of Creativity in June.

Founded in 1991, The Saatchi & Saatchi New Directors’ Showcase is known for unearthing the new directors of the future, showcasing commitment to supporting emerging directors and spotlighting the very best in creative talent. 

Saatchi & Saatchi invited Scott to curate the 2018 Showcase as RSA Films celebrates 50 years of commercial production. Scott, who was recently honoured with a BAFTA fellowship, and whose recent film credits include All the Money in the World, Alien: Covenant, and The Martian, will work with Saatchi & Saatchi and MPC to select this year’s reel of the best new directing talent. 

The New Directors’ Showcase (NDS) has been enchanting audiences at the Cannes Lions International Festival of Creativity for the past 27 years. Presenting annually to an audience of more than 2,300 Cannes Lions delegates in the Grand Auditorium at the Palais des Festivals.  

For 50-years, Scott has fostered new talent through his commercial production company RSA Films. The Scott family and RSA have a long association with the NDS, with Jake Scott having featured in the very first showcase in 1991, and RSA/Black Dog Films alumni Chris Cunningham and Dawn Shadforth featuring in 1997 and 1999, to name a few. 

This year’s NDS will be produced through Granville Gulliman, bringing together Ridley Scott, Saatchi & Saatchi, and MPC.

Ridley Scott stated, "First you need a good idea. Then you need to explain it with precision. You have to get the fundamentals right if you’re going to engage the audience. Ask yourself, am I communicating”.

Kate Stanners, Chairwoman and Global Chief Creative Officer, Saatchi & Saatchi said, “I am thrilled that to mark Ridley‘s 50th anniversary, he has taken on the Saatchi & Saatchi New Directors’ Showcase which is now in its 28th year. The showcase has always been an important platform for new directing talent, and this year Ridley will bring his extraordinary director’s perspective to recognising a new generation of film makers".

 

Mark Benson, CEO, MPC added, “The search and support of new talent should be at the top of everyone’s agenda and relentless. Both Saatchi & Saatchi and Ridley are great friends of ours and we’re delighted to partner with them for this year’s NDS. The opportunity to hear directly from one of the world’s greatest creative minds on the next generation of creative talent, makes the 2018 showcase one not to miss”.