Director Jessica Sanders Joins Ruckus Films
When Jessica Sanders makes a film or a commercial, she turns heads. Her work is clever, authentic, passionate and fun. Critics love what she does and so do film festivals; from Sundance to Cannes, she’s been awarded handsomely. She also wins eyeballs and hearts.
No surprise then that Ruckus Films has nabbed Sanders for commercial and content representation in the US. Founded by JJ Adler, herself a prolific comedy director (see her recent campaign for Manscaped), and veteran producer Greg Jones, Ruckus prides itself on creating stylish, sharp comedy films with a curated roster of skilled comedy innovators.
"We're so excited to have Jessica come aboard at Ruckus,” said JJ. “I'm a long time fan, and am in awe of the sheer breadth of her skills. Jessica's avalanche of awards makes clear that she just kills it in every genre. Her commercial work in particular is so elegant and witty. Jessica has great taste. We're flattered she chose to partner with us."
The way Jessica’s commercial career kicked off is the stuff of legends: she was hand-picked by Steve Jobs himself to direct Apple's iPad launch campaign. She’s gone on to create more campaigns for Apple, as well as Amazon, Samsung, Honda, Toyota, LandRover, Proctor & Gamble, TJMaxx, Sony and many others. And she is especially happy with her elegant new campaigns for Lindt.
“I love shooting spots. They’re short and sweet, totally satisfying and creative. The best campaigns have a great story as a base for me to add personality and a fun, unique perspective. I’m inspired by JJ as a director at the top of her game in the comedy space and I’m honoured to work with her, Greg and the Ruckus team. They understand where I’m coming from and creatively where I’m excited to go.”
Sanders comes from a family of filmmakers, both her mother and father are revered documentary directors, and she brilliantly observed that legacy in her Cannes and AICP winning, branded biographical short SONY MAKE. BELIEVE. Her feature documentary AFTER INNOCENCE about wrongfully convicted men freed by DNA evidence won a Sundance Special Jury Prize, and her short doc SING was nominated for an Academy Award.
Sander’s gift for scripted comedy, on the other hand, is all her own. She has created a raft of hilarious shorts from BUNION about a man, his foot, and finding happiness to THE COCKTAIL PARTY, a martial arts action comedy that premiered at the Tribeca Film Festival. Her episodic dramedy pilot EMBRACE won a SXSW Grand Jury Prize. And her short END OF THE LINE (which features a twenty-foot long penis prop) premiered at Sundance and is currently in development as a series with ATLANTA writers Stephen Glover and Jamal Olori.
In her commercial career, Sanders plans to expand her winning streak and continue to hone her sense of humour. “Who wouldn’t want to work with a company named ‘Ruckus’?” she asks. To which JJ responds: “Let’s make some beautiful noise together.”
