Keeping it reel: Coogler shot Sinners on 65mm Ektachrome film, which had to be specially made by Kodak. A branded video for the manufacturer featuring Coogler’s deeply niche presentation of various film and theater formats has ticked past 1 million views on YouTube.
Hamish Hamilton
Done + Dusted
Doing it all: The only director ever to achieve the quadruple feat of filming the Emmys, Grammys, Oscars, and Super Bowl—directing 16 consecutive Halftime Shows—Hamish Hamilton is the eye through which we experience the biggest live cultural moments. He’s been recognized with multiple Bafta and Emmy awards over more than three decades, with a career spanning over 200 major broadcast events from the Victoria’s Secret Fashion Show to the MTV Music Awards.
Rare vision: It was Hamilton behind the lens for Bad Bunny’s history-making Super Bowl 60 performance, as well as Netflix’s BTS The Comeback Live show, showcasing his skills at translating a stadium event into an intimate story. And he’ll do it again for the first-ever FIFA World Cup Halftime Show this summer.
JJ Adler
Ruckus Films
A new perspective: Since getting her start on The Onion News Network, JJ Adler has founded her own commercial production company in 2020 and racked up Cannes Lions, Clios, Webbys, and even a Peabody for her ad work.
Laughing matter: After winning Jalopnik’s nod as “the best car to have sex in,” the Jeep Grand Wagoneer put Adler at the helm of its 2025 tongue-in-cheek short “The Family SUV.” She also brought the entire “12 Days of Christmas” song to life for a harrowing Ikea holiday ad.
Question everything: Adler’s latest short film The Oracle, featuring a psychiatrist who gets a message from the beyond, debuted at Sundance and inspired a spiritual journey of her own.
