A pending affiliation deal between Toronto's Radke Films and London-based Stink reflects the increasing international attention on Canada and Radke's own big picture production view. Radke is currently in talks with Stink to rep that company's roster, including Ivan Zacharias, Jens Jonsson and Laurence Hamburger in Canada. "Stink has unique talent," says Radke executive producer Jamie Phair. "They're not just good directors, but directors who have reels that are quite different creatively."

Phair says the Canadian market is becoming a larger presence on the radar screens of international production companies. "We've done some really good work here over the past few years. It's taken a while for those jobs to surface around the world as great creative, but we're hearing more about a greater awareness of this market from international companies." Radke represents Canadian directors Martin Shewchuck, Matt Eastman and Eddy Chu. Shewchuk's hand in the Gold Lion-winning Toyota "Real Dealers Can't Jump" spot (created out of Gee Jeffrey & Partners) didn't hurt in the international recognition arena. Chu has been active on the international and the domestic scene: he recently shot a spot in South Africa for a German TV publication through Final Touch Hamburg, and in Toronto, shot the second of an action-oriented Listerine campaign out of JWT. Eastman is also taking a swing at round two of a Five-Alive campaign (see Boards, April 2001) as well as having recently completed a campaign for Telus in Vancouver.

The new year also saw some of Radke's high profile US affiliates in town for major projects. Kuntz & Maguire shot two new spots for Budweiser's True campaign, Weinhards for Wieden + Kennedy and an MTV Valentine's Day package. While the duo are settling in to a new US spot shop, they continue a long relationship with Radke (Radke reps MJZ and repped former K&M shop Propaganda before the company switched affiliations to Imported Artists here and then closed down), which has produced some of the duo's finest work, including Eggo "Family Breakfast" out of Leo Burnett Toronto and the Bud Light "Attik Launcher/Figure Skating/Vikings" campaign created by Palmer Jarvis/DDB Toronto.

Believe Media's Zack Snyder (formerly with HSI) is directing the third installment of a major Bell campaign out of Cossette Communications. Snyder directed "Online Jam" (see Boards, November 2001) and a Christmas campaign previously. "(Cossette) had approached us last summer and wanted a unique look and a director they could stick with for a series of spots that could tie in creatively as far as a look and feel," says Phair. The latest four spot campaign features an Olympic spot "The Game" for Bell's Mobility, Sympatico and ExpressVu services, which depicts Canada's Olympic hockey team facing off in the big game at the Games and the reactions of Canadians as they view the victory by various Bell-assisted means. Other spots include "Bedroom," "The Restaurant" and Cheering."

Director Neil Tardio is shooting a second Tim Horton's project and Elma Garcia is working through Radke on a new installment of a Visa campaign out of Leo Burnett Toronto.

Webfiles:

Radke> http://www.radkefilms.com
Stink> http://www.stink.tv