Intel + W Hotels announce winners of ‘Four Stories’ Short Film competition with Roman Coppola and The Directors Bureau
As part of the Ultrabook Experience program, Intel Corporation and W Hotels announced on Friday November 30, the global premiere of the winning films from “Four Stories,” an innovative short film series judged by a panel of judges, including Roman Coppola and produced by The Directors Bureau. The films debuted on Thursday night at a private screening at W London – Leicester Square, followed by a premiere at W Los Angeles – Westwood tonight (Dec 4) and a premiere at W Hong Kong on Dec 14.
Intel and W Hotels embarked upon “Four Stories” to support rising visionaries in filmmaking and showcase their work to a global audience. The four winning scripts, inspired by the intense energy of the global jet-setter and the mobility of the Intel Ultrabook, were chosen from nearly 1,000 
submissions from aspiring filmmakers around the world and developed into 10-minute short films.
Over one hundred Australians submitted their scripts to be in the running to have their films made by Coppola, Havas Worldwide Sydney copywriter Simon Fowler’s “David Schwimmer Checks Out” script made it into the twelve short listed finalists.
Fowler’s script is about a hotel full of celebrity impersonators who investigate the mysterious death of a David Schwimmer look-alike. It’s a knee-slapping and head-turning whodunit. Fowler originally from Auckland lives in Sydney. This script was co-written with Fowler’s writing partner Jono Paull, who is a copywriter from McCann Sydney. The two have been writing as a team for a number of years and have won short film competitions in the past.
Roman Coppola and his production company, The Directors Bureau, matched the four winning scripts with some of today’s most talented young directors and actors to bring the screenwriters’ visions to life. The resulting four original screenplays were filmed on location at W Hotels across the globe including W Washington D.C., W Doha Hotel & Residences, W Retreat & Spa Maldives, and W Mexico City, and feature the Intel- inspired Ultrabook.
Says Johan Jervoe, Intel’s vice president and director of Partner Marketing: “Intel is collaborating with innovators in travel, film, business, fashion and design to highlight amazing computing experiences created by the Ultrabook. Through the Four Stories collaboration with W Hotels, Intel is supporting and inspiring the next generation of artists and visionaries. Each of the Four Stories films showcased the sleek mobility of the Ultrabook as inspiration for innovative filmmaking and storytelling, further merging creative art with technology.”
Four Stories judge and executive producer Coppola co-wrote and directed a fifth short film, “Die Again, Undead One,” an intergalactic vampire tale, starring Jason Schwartzman and Margarita Kallas, which was shot on location at W Hollywood.
Says Coppola: “Four Stories is about encouraging emerging talent in filmmaking. This collaboration supports a new generation of screenwriters, actors and directors showcase their work on a global level.”
Says Anna Torres, national marketing manager, Intel Australia and New Zealand: “We were thrilled to be able to give our local talent the opportunity to show off their filmmaking skills. The fact that an Australian film was shortlisted, from 1,000 entries, is quite an achievement.”
After careful review from a panel of judges that included Coppola and other prominent industry leaders, the winning honors were awarded to:
- Amy Jacobowitz from Los Angeles, whose screenplay was developed into “Modern/Love,” filmed at W Doha with director Lee Toland Krieger and actors Robert Schwartzman and Naomi Scott.
- Ben Saveg from Brooklyn, N.Y., whose screenplay was developed into “¡El Tonto!” filmed at W Mexico City with director Lake Bell and actor Kyle Mooney.
- Adam Blampied from London, whose screenplay was developed into “Eugene” filmed at W Washington D.C. with director Spencer Susser and actors Michael Govier and Karolina Wydra.
- Kahlil Joseph from Los Angeles, who wrote and directed “The Mirror Between Us,” filmed at W Retreat & Spa Maldives with actors Nicole Beharie and Dan’ee Doty. T
The “Four Stories” competition, launched globally in August, invited aspiring filmmakers to submit scripts with two criteria: films must be set at a W Hotel and feature the Intel-Inspired Ultrabook as a central plot component. Coppola, along with a panel of industry leaders, including actress Chloe Sevigny, actor Michael Pitt, actor PJ Ransone, W Hotels global music director Michelangelo L’Acqua, Intel chief marketing officer Deborah Conrad, VICE executive producer and creative director Eddy Moretti, screenwriter Jeff Baena, Vimeo vice president of creative development Blake Whitman, and VICE executive creative director Danny Gabai selected the winning scripts. As part of the overall collaboration between Intel and W Hotels Worldwide, high- impact Ultrabook design installations by New York-based architects
Gage/Clemenceau are being unveiled at W Hong Kong, W London – Leicester Square, W New York, W Paris – Opéra, W San Francisco and W Singapore, allowing both W guests and local residents to interact with the Ultrabook’s innovative technology. Additionally, Ultrabook devices have been integrated in the “Whatever/Wherever” concierge experience at select W Hotels worldwide, further demonstrating the collaboration between technology and design to create impactful and beautiful experiences.
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