MJZ’s Rocky Morton to lead London International Awards TV/Cinema/Online Film Technique Jury
London International Awards is pleased to announce Rocky Morton of MJZ USA as the 2010 Jury President for Television/Cinema/Online Film Technique. Rocky will preside over a jury made up of world-renowned Directors, Effects Artists, Animators, Cinematographers and Editors invited by LIA to uphold their standards in recognising the world’s best work.
“Moving image is a pivotal part of the whole communication process. When it is done well, it makes a good story great. So who better to head this jury than Rocky Morton,” explained Barbara Levy, President of LIA. “When you think of Rocky Morton, you think of all the remarkable work he has directed in cinema and advertising. He is an icon who broke the mould with his creativity. I am honoured that Rocky has accepted the invitation to chair the 25th Annual Technique jury.”
Looking back across Rocky Morton’s singularly remarkable career you are, at first, struck by the tremendous variety of wildly popular cultural landmarks he’s been a part of: Max Headroom, Fox Sports, Taco Bell Chihuahua, Burger King’s Subservient Chicken, CSI Pro Mo. to pick just a few. But when you actually go back and examine the work, you realize that for all his creative innovations and quirky originality, the reason Rocky has been a filmmaking force for over two decades is his insightful ability to create characters and to infuse his work with a powerfully resonant humanity.
After co-creating and directing the Max Headroom TV series and film, Rocky went on to co-direct two feature films, “DOA,” the modern noir starring Meg Ryan and Dennis Quaid, and “Super Mario Brothers,” the live-action fantasy starring Bob Hoskins. He also co-directed innovative music videos throughout the ’80s, for artists including Elvis Costello, George Harrison, Miles Davis, Talking Heads and Tom Tom Club. His studio called “Cucumber” was responsible for groundbreaking animated and live-action work throughout that era.
At the beginning of the ’90s he founded MJZ and this launched Rocky’s solo career as one of the most acclaimed commercial directors in the world. MJZ has grown into the most successful production company in advertising with a roster of heralded directors. Meanwhile, Rocky himself has received every award in the business: Cannes Lions, LIA, Clios, D&AD, Addys and One Show Awards, to pick just a few. He has also won an Emmy and has been nominated three times for the Director’s Guild of America award. Rocky’s work can be found in the permanent collection of the Museum of Modern Art (MOMA) in New York City and at the Victoria & Albert (V&A) Museum in London. His short film “The M Word” written by Alan Ball was selected for the Sundance Film Festival.
Most importantly, Rocky remains a vital creative force, not to mention one of the most in-demand directors in the world, turning out award-winning new work for clients as varied as VW, BellSouth, Vitamin Water, Smirnoff, Miller Lite, Wells Fargo, Ikea and Hyundai. For Rocky, it’s simply about finding great characters and a great script.
To Enter the 25th Annual London International Awards visit www.liaawards.com The entry deadline has been extended to 30th June.