Brenden Theatres
NATO

NATO and its membership have teamed with up and coming filmmakers to launch a new campaign to celebrate the big screen experience and continue to bring people back to movie theaters. This multi year campaign aims to drive consumer movie-going behavior and mobilize the industry to come together for the joint effort. In its first year, NATO is working closely with some of the most talented up-and-coming filmmakers to create a series of three spots for a social media driven campaign. The campaign will premiere at CinemaCon 2022. NATO along with its members are inviting everyone in the industry including theaters, studios, supplier/partner brands, film professionals, industry organizations and especially talent to share the campaign across social media this Spring. For the 2nd phase of the campaign In Fall of 2022 NATO will launch a nationwide platform for aspiring student filmmakers at partnered universities to submit their ideas for the next campaign. Spots will be reviewed and selected spots will be funded and produced with professional coaching from NATO’s Filmmaker program team as well as industry pros.

Meet The Filmmakers

NATO is thrilled to be supporting the next generation of filmmakers. They are part of a rising, talented group whose creative vision and commitment will be driving the film business for the future. Who better to spotlight the love of the movies and the theater than filmmakers with a passion for telling stories?  

Ed Hellman
Katie Staab
Kelly
Noah
Ameer

Ed Hellman Co-Director SVA Ed Hellman (they/them) is an award­-winning filmmaker and music video director. Their videos have premiered on Vevo, The Fader, Blackbook Media, and Impose Magazine. In response, MovieMaker Magazine deemed Ed a filmmaker to watch on the digital series, “Stage 5.” Their style is distinctive: quirky and tastefully irreverent, punctuated with bright colors and rich shadows. Ed is also co-founder of the production company, Punch Card Films. Punch Card is a National LGBT Chamber of Commerce certified business enterprise on a mission to extend opportunities to those underrepresented in the production industry, especially BIPOC, LGBTQIA2S+, and female creators behind the scenes and in front of the camera.

Katie Staab Co-Director SVA Katie Staab (she/her) works with companies large and small as a writer, director, and producer. Clients include media mammoths CBS Interactive, Hearst Digital Media, Scripps Networks Interactive, Bravo, and New York Post, among others. No matter the medium—be it digital video, narrative series, short film, or long emails that nobody reads—Katie hurls herself into the belly of every project. Her heart lands on the details that build original, plump stories and characters. In 2018, she joined forces with Ed Hellman to start Punch Card Films, a full-service production company in NYC that creates videos, commercials, films and series. 

Kelly Schiesswohl Writer Pratt Institute Kelly Schiesswohl (she/her) is an animation director, producer, and graduate student at Pratt Institute. Kelly is based in NYC and makes short films and commercial spots. She is a cinema-lover having shown her animations at festivals across the country. 

Noah Sterling Creative Producer SCAD Noah Sterling (he/him) is an animation director and creative producer in NYC, widely known for his work for Marvel Entertainment, where he produced Marvel’s highest-performing digital series, Marvel: TL; DR. Noah has gone on to collaborate with the music industry’s biggest stars such as: Doja Cat, Justin Bieber, Megan Thee Stallion & Zayn.

Ameer Kazmi Writer, Director SVA Ameer Kazmi (he/him) is a freelance producer, director and inter-disciplinary artist and native New Yorker hailing from the borough of Queens. After receiving a BFA in Film from the School of Visual Arts in 2017, he started in commercial production at companies such as Hogarth Worldwide (formerly H&O), Townhouse, Maggie Vision, Boomshot, Hunterpark, Standard and MasterClass. Having experience as a coordinator, production manager and producer, led Ameer to contribute as a founding member of the 90 Degree Collective where he holds the title of Executive Producer. Over the years, he’s overseen a slew of projects for clients like Coca-Cola, Oda, Regal Cinemas, Ciara, Orion Sun, Zelooperz, Pink Siifu all while building a portfolio as a director. His work has been featured in Rolling Stone, Billboard, Noisey by VICE, AfroPunk, Pitchfork, HighSnobiety, The Fader, The Guardian, Boiler Room, and Paper Mag. Ameer is currently developing and writing original content with the collective and its collaborators.


The Films

To kick off this campaign, NATO will be releasing the 3 different spots that celebrate the movie going experience in theaters. Check out these 3 spots and keep an eye out for their debut.

Oddly Satisfying
Nothing Like It
Sincerely, Management

Oddly Satisfying Cinema


Written and directed by Kelly Schiesswohl and animated by Lucy Animation Studios along with Creative Producer Noah Sterling, Oddly Satisfying Cinema is a collection of animations celebrating the iconic tastes, smells, sights, and sounds of a night at the movies that we all know and crave. Each chapter ignites the senses with dynamic, 2D animation and spine-tingling soundscapes that transport us to the familiar, and beloved theatre space. Which aspect is your favorite? The buttery popcorn? Plush, leather recliner? The pop and fizz of an ice-cold soda? Watch Oddly Satisfying Cinema and experience them for yourself!

 

There’s Nothing Like It


Produced by Punch Card Films and written and directed by Katie Staab and Ed Hellman, There’s Nothing Like It, tells the story of a mother witnessing her children completely lost in movie magic –as real life to them as the popcorn in their laps. Inside the theater, no one is afraid of the dark and gone are the “I’m bored’s” and the “When can we go home?”.  This film highlights the unmatched theater experience through observing others witnessing it for the first time.

Sincerely, Management


Written and Directed by Ameer Kazmi and produced by 90 Degree Collective,  this cheeky mockumentary revolves around a desk interview with movie theater manager, Aurelia. Amidst sharing with the interviewer how excited she is to be back at work, she mentions a pattern she’s noticing — some patrons have seemingly forgotten how to go see a movie. Aurelia discovers the documentary she’s partaking in will share her sentiment of “let us take care of you”.  

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