Storm Saulter, a Jamaican film director, received a prestigious Gold ADDY from the American Advertising Federation for directing a short film for the “US Gentleman Jack Culture Shakers” campaign for Jack Daniels.
Filmmaker and visual artist Storm Saulter comes from Negril in Jamaica and seeks to create universal stories against the complex social and cultural environment of the Caribbean. His debut film “Better Mus’ Come” received critical praise and was cited as representing a new movement of independent filmmaking in the Caribbean. Saulter has directed music videos for numerous Jamaican artists, including Chronixx, Arcade Fire, Protoje, and Popcaan. He captured visual content for the “On the Run 2” world tour by Beyonce and Jay-Z. His experimental film and photography work has been exhibited at The Brooklyn Museum, The British Museum, the National Gallery of Jamaica, and the Museum of Contemporary Art in Miami. He has also worked with athletes like Usain Bolt and the brands Puma and Red Stripe.
Saulter is the co-founder of the New Caribbean Cinema collective, and wrote and directed the feature film “Sprinter,” which took major awards at the 2018 America Black Film Festival, including the award for Best Director, Best Narrative Feature, and the Audience Award. The film won numerous best-of-festival awards that included Best Narrative Feature at the 2019 Pan African Film Festival and the Audience Award at the 2019 BlackStar Film Festival. His pending project is a film adaptation of the book “John Crow’s Devil” by Booker Prize-winning Jamaican author Marlon James.
Saulter’s Gold ADDY was presented for his work on the “Gentleman Jack Culture Shakers” campaign for Gentleman Jack Double Mellowed Tennessee Whiskey. This national program is designed to celebrate the contributions of Black and Latino bartenders to the spirits industry by selecting bartenders from around the country who showcase their craft and the inspiration they take from industry pioneers to honor their unique cultures via the art of mixology. The bartenders chosen in 2021 included New York’s Shannon Mustipher, Miami’s Santiago Vazquez Cuberos, Atlanta’s Myia Butler, Seattle’s Derek Jeffries, Chicago’s David Leon, and Detroit’s Asher Miller. Saulter captured their stories, which will be shared at local events in their respective cities.
Storm Saulter said it was critical for him as a filmmaker and visual artist of color to capture the voices and histories of communities of color in a manner that focuses on their social and cultural dynamics. He added that he was excited to work with the Gentleman Jack campaign for “this compelling storytelling opportunity of Black and Latinx cocktail culture using my passion for film to do so.”
Commenting about his award on Twitter, Saulter posted, “My American Advertising Federation gold Addy 🏆 for directing the @JackDaniels_US Gentleman Jack Culture Shakers campaign. Respect @HelloNimbus @brownforman & the 6 amazing culture shakers from across the US jackdaniels.com/en-us/CultureS… or 👁 7 minute short @ stormsaulter.com.”
The 2021 America Advertising Awards, known as the ADDYs, were presented at the Annual American Advertising Federation’s (AAF) National Awards Gala on June 11, 2021. The awards are designed to “recognize and reward the creative spirit of excellence in the art of advertising.” The awards are selected by a panel of judges who assess all the creative elements of every entry. A Gold ADDY is presented to submission of the highest level of creative excellence, while the Silver ADDY is awarded to outstanding entries worthy of recognition. The awards program is the largest and most representative competition in the advertising industry and attracts about 35,000 entries each year in local AAF Ad Club competitions.
