Hello Future ! Saatchi & Saatchis New Director's Showcase 2011 celebrates the world's newcomer director talents and presents the Future Music Video Challenge by MOBY

One of the highlights of the Cannes Lions festival week is the Saatchi Showcase. Thus, a seemingly endless camel train of young creative people meandered their way through each and every corner of the venerable festival building that was styled in seventies retro chic that definitely took some time to get used to. The S&S showcase 2011 motto was just the opposite: ‘Hello Future!’

The impressive light show and the astonishing performance artist and beatboxing one-man-act Jamie Lidell working the layers on the laptop and wielding the mic made you forget the tricky escape route problems in the colossally filled cinema. (Video on Youtube).

The spots were announced by matrix-like digital avatar – it seems there is no room for presenters made of flesh and blood in the future – we would have liked to see the Saatchi top floor or at least the odd jury member in person.

At least Old Nick made an appearance when the whole auditorium could see him in action during Andreas Roth’s DARE DEVIL presentation. The only Germany entry was the only one to result in deafening applause. Once more, the devilishly skilled Filmakademie Ludwigsburg had their fingers in the pie.

Film students Christian Hergenröther (Producer), Roland Stuprich (DOP) and aforementioned director Andreas Roth (Director) caused a right wildfire on the net following the release of their exorcist film a few months ago. Good news for fans! The young director had it be known that an extended version is in the works . . .

Until then, we are presenting a small selection from the Saatchi Showcase that you should try to enjoy – even if you might be a member of the animal protection society or arachnophobic. The whole showcase is available on Cannes Lions.

A new addition this year was the Music Challenge. Jack of all trades MOBY, Vimeo and Saatchi & Saatchi were searching for a cinematic visualisation for the ‘Hello Future’ concept. The briefing was straightforward: To turn a song from the new album ‘Destroyed’ into a suitable clip.

The winner Alberto Gomez, graduate from the Vancouver Film School, convinced the jury and musician with a romantic story in the style of the early narrative music video.

Whoever fancies forming his or her own opinion – all videos are available on VIMEO. Also not be missed: the entry by Viennese director Antonin Pevny, who realised the issue of nuclear energy in a series of clean images.