Saatchi & Saatchi - the New Directors' Showcase (NDS) with a legendary posthuman guest appearance from Paul Arden, plenty of talent and the announcement of the NGDSC Germany tour

Last week’s unique event in Cannes, which CCOs didn’t even mind queuing up for, was the Saatchi & Saatchi New Directors' Showcase (NDS) at Palais du Festival. This year’s motto for the 20th anniversary was: Nothing is Impossible.

And they mean it. Goosebumps spread in the auditorium, when top creative, Paul Arden was announced and appeared on stage – as a 3D hologram. In this and as so often is the case, pictures speak more than thousand words, so GoSee have made sure you can share in the magic and watch the video of the captivating event.

The NDS celebrates talent from all film directions, who are trying to set foot in the advertising industry – from video clips, to feature films and commercials. So, it comes as no surprise that Michael Gondry, Tarsem, Mark Romanek, Spike Jonze, Ivan Zacharias, Kinka Usher, David LaChapelle, Danny Kleinman and Jonathan Glazer began their advertising film careers at the Saatchi & Saatchi Showcase.

And another German contribution: Hanna Maria Heidrich’s ‘What’s your Secret’, who was also included on the New German Directors’ Showcase (NGDSC) showreel in May.

Since the last German filmmaker was awarded in 2003, Saatchi & Saatchi Germany held their first national competition in 2009. It was a great success and resulted in the immediate inclusion of a German entry in the Cannes showcase. In 2010, the showcase will go on its first ever tour.

“We just couldn’t believe that we didn’t have any directing talent in Germany and in 2009 we decided to host the showcase on a national level”, explains Burkhart von Scheven, CCO, Saatchi & Saatchi Deutschland and NGDSC Initiator.

“The national competition already proved successful in its first year and awarded 15 talents, two of which have been included in the showcase in Cannes. This confirmed that we will continue our activities in 2010. We are very pleased that Hanna Maria Heidrich managed to be included on the international reel in the anniversary year.”

The NGDSC on tour - Michael M. Maschke, Head of Creative Services, who also works on the NGDSC states: “In 2010 we will take this one step further. Following the success of the NGDSC presentation at the ADC in Frankfurt and the amazing ADC Opening Party at our headquarters, we will host the NGDSC 2010, in cooperation with our partners Pictorion das Werk and Turntablewerbern in four German cities as an opening event for each date in the Werk/Turntable Party series.”

The tour kicks off on 14.07 in Düsseldorf. Berlin, Hamburg and Munich. Sorry, invite only. But we will of course be reporting on all the juicy details.