Picture Me Press Kit 081309

www.myspace.com/PictureMeFilm
Picture Me
"a model's diary"
A film By Ole Schell & Sara Ziff
HDCAM – 80 minutes – English – Color – Dolby
Contact:
Ole Schell, Digital Bazooka
153 ½ Stanton St.
2R
NYC 10002
646 246 3199
[email protected]
International Sales:
Visit Films
Ryan Kampe / Sylvain Tron
89 5th avenue, #1002
New York, NY 10003
Tel: +1.718.312.8210
Fax: +1.718.362.4865
[email protected]
Cast
Sara Ziff
Giles Bensimon
Nicole Miller
Missy Rayder
Lisa Cant,
Tanya D
Diana Dondoe
Kevin Krier
Heather Marx
Caitriona Balfe
Production Company
Digital Bazooka
Directed by
Ole Schell and Sara Ziff
Produced by
David Hochschild Ole Schell, Sara Ziff & James Lefkowitz
Music by
Jordan Galland and Morningwood
Director of Photography
Ole Schell
Camera
Ole Schell, Sara Ziff, James Lefkowitz, Sam McCourt, Caitriona Balfe, Cameron
Russell, Sena Cech and Emina Cunmalaj
Animations and Titles
The Boos
Edited by
Ole Schell, Sara Ziff, James Lefkowitz
Synopsis
Filmmaker Ole Schell follows his girlfriend, model Sara Ziff, for several years
documenting her rise from a fresh face to one that adorns billboards and magazines
around the world. In the process, Ole and Sara go behind the scenes and chronicle
the glitzy world of high fashion modeling, from photo shoots with celebrated
photographers to runway shows in New York, Milan, and Paris. This intimate
account features in-depth interviews with noted photographers and designers, but
also relies on footage shot by the models themselves, giving voice to those who are
often seen, but rarely heard.
Director Statement
Picture Me began with us shooting several years of home video footage of
my girlfriend, Sara Ziff, who was beginning a successful career as model.
We were initially shooting for fun but after several people responded well to
the footage, we decided to frame the personal home footage with interviews
of other fashion industry insiders and models and cut a film out of it. We
traveled to the major fashion cities- Milan, London and Paris- and went to
scores of shows and shoots and even had Sara interviewed by a prominent
female sociologist, Arlie Hochschild, who specializes in modern day
feminism.
Cast Bios
Gilles Bensimon is one of the top fashion photographers in the world and the
International Creative Director of ELLE magazine. He has also been the
photographer on the reality television series America's Next Top Model.
He has photographed many well-known models, including Christy Turlington,
Claudia Schiffer, Lisa Snowdon, Cindy Crawford, Naomi Campbell, Tyra Banks,
Rachel Williams, Honor Fraser and Beverly Peele. In 1985 he also met his second
wife, Australian supermodel Elle Macpherson, but they divorced in 1989. In 1999,
he became the director of the American ELLE.
Nicole Miller is one of the most successful female designers in the United States.
Nicole Miller’s first runway show, for the Spring 1991 season, was held in October
of 1990. Since then the business has been expanded into numerous categories that
today result in a lifestyle brand with annual retail sales exceeding USD$650
million. In addition to designer collection apparel, Miller designs women’s
handbags, footwear, intimate apparel, coats, swimwear, scarves, cold weather
accessories, eyewear, fashion jewelry, fine jewelry, dresses for girls sized 4-12,
fragrance, cosmetics and products for the home. Angelina Jolie, Halle Berry,
Beyonce, Lauren Hutton, Joss Stone, Felicity Huffman and Alicia Keys are among
those who have recently worn her designs.
Sara Ziff began modeling at 14 years old. In her decade in the industry she
has done countless runway shows for Louis Vuitton, Gucci, Chanel, Marc
Jacobs and many more. She has also appeared in magazines such as Vogue,
W, Elle, Marie Claire, and Harper’s Bazaar while being the face of Tommy
Hilfiger, Calvin Klein, Kenneth Cole, Stella McCartney, D&G and the GAP.
Sara continues to model while studying as an undergraduate at Columbia
University.
Missy Rayder is one of the most successful models of the last decade.
Rayder has done extensive runway show modeling of ready to wear apparrel
since the late 1990’s. She has also appeared in numerous print ads for
companies including Ann Taylor, Balenciaga, Barneys New York, Bulgari
fragrance, Burberry, David Yurman, Escada, GAP, Jean Paul Gaultier,
Kenneth Cole, Missoni, Moschino, Nordstrom, Prada, and Vera Wang.
Rayder was one of the featured models (along with her sister Frankie and
Linda Evangelista, Twiggy, Patti Hansen with daughters Alexandra and
Theodora Richards, and Beverly Johnson) in the 50-model Ann Taylor 50th
Anniversary ad campaign that was photographed by Annie Leibovitz in
2004.
Lisa Cant one is one of the top Runway models of the last five years
walking for BCBG Max Azria, Burberry, Byblos, Cacharel, Chanel,
Christian Dior, Christian Lacroix, D&G, Dolce & Gabbana, Emilio Pucci,
Etro, Christian Lacroix, Cividini, Diane von Furstenberg, Emanuel Ungaro,
Habitual, Heatherette, J. Mendel and James Coviello among others. She has
also had campaigns with Juicy Couture and van Cleef & Arpels. Photographer
Steven Meisel was so taken with Cant that he put her on two consecutive
Italian Vogue covers.
Cameron Russell began her modeling career at the age of 16 and since has
worked with numerous successful photographers including Steven Meisel, Craig
McDean, and Nick Knight among others, in such magazines as Vogue, Paris
Vogue, Vogue Italia, W, Self Service and Numéro. She has been featured in
advertising campaigns for companies including Calvin Klein, Armani, Oscar de la
Renta, and Yves Saint Laurent. Russell has been featured in runway fashion shows
for designers including Chanel, Louis Vuitton, Prada, Dolce & Gabbana, Marc
Jacobs, Versace, Vivienne Westwood, Ralph Lauren, and Diane von Fürstenberg.
Caitriona Balfe is perhaps the most successful model to come out of
Ireland. Balfe has done runway shows for Chanel, Louis Vuitton and Marc
Jacobs (among others) as well as campaigns for D&G, Moschino, Bally,
DKNY and H&M. She has appeared in Vogue, W, Harpers Bazaar, Elle and
Marie Claire magazines.
Filmmaker Bios
Directors
Ole Schell, an NYU film school graduate, directs films and commercials in
New York City. In addition to “Picture Me,” Ole just finished a
documentary on China’s social and economic growth called “Win In China”
as well as a series on Chinese youth culture for Current TV in the United
States. He has reported on the American election and politics for Channel 4
in Britain and MySpace Politics. He has also directed commercials for
Virgin Mobile, Tumi, Miss Sixty, American Eagle, and others. He has been
a contributor on Sky TV in the UK, TV-3 In New Zealand, Channel 9 in
Australia and soon CNN.com in the United States. He and Sara Ziff are the
recipients of the “Leonardo’s Horse Award” for best picture at the 2009
Milan International Film festival for Picture Me.
Sara Ziff began modeling at 14 years old. In her decade in the industry she
has done countless runway shows for Louis Vuitton, Gucci, Chanel, Marc
Jacobs and many more. She has also appeared in magazines such as Vogue,
W, Elle, Marie Claire, and Harper’s Bazaar while being the face of Tommy
Hilfiger, Calvin Klein, Kenneth Cole, Stella McCartney, D&G and the GAP.
Sara continues to model while studying as an undergraduate at Columbia
University.
Associate Producer
Model Caitriona Balfe has done runway shows for Chanel, Louis Vuitton
and Marc Jacobs (among others) as well as campaigns for D&G, Moschino,
Bally, DKNY and H&M. She has appeared in Vogue, W, Harpers Bazaar,
Elle and Marie Claire magazines.
Producer
Since graduating from NYU Film School, James Lefkowitz has worked
with companies including E!, NHK Japanese TV, ZDF German TV, Current
TV, New Line, PBS, Sony, Miramax and the Sci-Fi Channel. As a producer
he won best feature at Slamdance in 2007.