Award-winning Director Samir Mallal Signs with Interrogate

Award-winning director Samir Mallal has signed with Interrogate, bringing his emotionally rich brand of storytelling to the production company, which spearheads projects out of its Los Angeles, New York and Sydney, Australia offices.

“Truthfulness creates emotion and that’s central in every story I tell,” explains Mallal. “When it is done right, it’s genuine and provokes intense feeling and reaction. From the initial concept to working closely with the actors, it’s a carefully crafted process that immerses the viewer in the story and makes them identify with the characters.”

With an international pedigree, Mallal’s humanity-focused approach gives him a mass appeal that translates across different markets. Tugging at heartstrings is a signature tactic Mallal has refined, dating back to his first documentary feature Discordia in 2004, and his subsequent documentaries, Bombay Calling and Nollywood Babylon, the latter of which was a frontrunner for the Grand Jury Prize at the 2009 Sundance Film Festival, with all three films earning him recognition on the international festival circuit.

Mallal first made a splash in the commercial realm in 2010 with his acclaimed “Arctic Sun” ad for Tropicana, winning him a Cannes Gold Lion, the Shots Young Director Award and landing him a coveted spot in the Saatchi & Saatchi New Directors Showcase. Recently, “Arctic Sun” was voted the top commercial in Canadian Cinema History by the Toronto International Film Festival.

Since helming that auspicious ad, Mallal has been sought after by clients including Coca-Cola, 7-Up, Nestea, Smirnoff, Starbucks, GE and Allstate. Mallal has also helmed work for such tech giants as Apple, Dell, Facebook, Google and Samsung, to name a few. He’s garnered top industry honors from the AICP, Clios, Webbys, and served on the AICP Jury.

At Interrogate, Mallal will continue to craft stories across various formats. On joining the roster, he remarks, “Interrogate is passionate about what they do and involved in every partnership. The team pays attention to every detail in the creative process.”

The enthusiasm is mutual, with Executive Producers Jeff Miller and George Meeker saying: “Interrogate has been tracking Samir’s career ever since he entered the business, and have watched as he’s evolved as a filmmaker. We are beyond excited to be working with him to further evolve his story in the commercial space and beyond.”