Nominees for the 2022 Art Directors Guild Awards include 'Dune', 'Encanto' and 'Squid Game'. Photo: Warner Bros; Disney; Netflix
Nominees for the 2022 Art Directors Guild Awards include 'Dune', 'Encanto' and 'Squid Game'. Photo: Warner Bros; Disney; Netflix
Nominees for the 2022 Art Directors Guild Awards include 'Dune', 'Encanto' and 'Squid Game'. Photo: Warner Bros; Disney; Netflix
Nominees for the 2022 Art Directors Guild Awards include 'Dune', 'Encanto' and 'Squid Game'. Photo: Warner Bros; Disney; Netflix

Advert for Saudi Arabia's Neom among Hollywood's Art Directors Guild 2022 nominees


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An advertisement for Saudi Arabia's megacity Neom has been nominated for this year's Art Directors Guild Awards, which honours achievements in production design across films, television shows and music videos.

Titled Made to Change, the one-minute advertisement touts the $500 billion smart city's sustainable credentials. Francois Audouy is credited as production designer for the commercial.

Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman had earlier said the 170-kilometre coastal strip in the north-west of the country would be free of cars and streets, with zero carbon emissions. The city will be powered entirely by clean energy, a major step in Saudi Arabia's shift from an oil-based economy.

The annual Art Directors Guild Awards, now in its 26th year, will return to a live ceremony on Saturday, March 5, to be held at the InterContinental Los Angeles Downtown.

Abu Dhabi-filmed science-fiction epic Dune is also nominated, along with Disney movies Cruella and Encanto, and Marvel's superhero flick Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings.

Other films include No Time to Die, Daniel Craig's final outing as James Bond; Guillermo del Toro's 1930s-set thriller Nightmare Alley, starring Cate Blanchett and Bradley Cooper; and the film version of Lin-Manuel Miranda's Broadway hit musical In the Heights.

Timothee Chalamet and Rebecca Ferguson in a scene from 'Dune'. Photo: Warner Bros
Timothee Chalamet and Rebecca Ferguson in a scene from 'Dune'. Photo: Warner Bros

The Art Directors Guild Awards also honour achievements in television, including music videos, with K-pop sensations BTS earning a nomination for My Universe, their hit collaboration with Coldplay. Other TV shows in the running include the Emmy-winning show Mare of Easttown, starring Kate Winslet, Marvel's WandaVision and Halston, the Netflix mini-series that won Ewan McGregor an Emmy for lead actor.

Global Korean sensation Squid Game is also in the running under the One-Hour Contemporary Single-Camera Series category for the episode Gganbu, which features a deadly marble game.

Dune director Denis Villeneuve will receive the William Cameron Menzies Award, while New Zealand filmmaker Jane Campion, who has been winning awards for her latest film, The Power of the Dog, will receive the Cinematic Imagery Award.

Here is the full list of nominees for the Art Directors Guild Awards 2022:

Period Feature Film:

  • The French Dispatch (Production Designer: Adam Stockhausen)
  • Licorice Pizza (Production Designer: Florencia Martin)
  • Nightmare Alley (Production Designer: Tamara Deverell)
  • The Tragedy of Macbeth (Production Designer: Stefan Dechant)
  • West Side Story (Production Designer: Adam Stockhausen)

Fantasy Feature Film:

  • Cruella (Production Designer: Fiona Crombie)
  • Dune (Production Designer: Patrice Vermette)
  • Ghostbusters: Afterlife (Production Designer: Francois Audouy)
  • The Green Knight (Production Designer: Jade Healy)
  • Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings (Production Designer: Sue Chan)

Contemporary Feature Film:

  • Candyman (Production Designer: Cara Brower)
  • Don’t Look Up (Production Designer: Clayton Hartley)
  • In the Heights (Production Designer: Nelson Coates)
  • The Lost Daughter (Production Designer: Inbal Weinberg)
  • No Time to Die (Production Designer: Mark Tildesley)

Animated Feature Film:

  • Encanto (Production Designers: Ian Gooding, Lorelay Bove)
  • Luca (Production Designer: Daniela Strijleva)
  • The Mitchells vs the Machines (Production Designer: Lindsey Olivares)
  • Raya and the Last Dragon (Production Designers: Paul Felix, Mingjue Helen Chen, Cory Loftis)
  • Sing 2 (Art Director: Olivier Adam)

One-Hour Period or Fantasy Single-Camera Series:

  • Foundation: The Emperor’s Peace (Production Designer: Rory Cheyne)
  • The Great: Seven Days (Production Designer: Francesca di Mottola)
  • Loki: Glorious Purpose (Production Designer: Kasra Farahani)
  • Lost In Space: Three Little Birds (Production Designer: Alec Hammond)
  • The Witcher: A Grain of Truth (Production Designer: Andrew Laws)

One-Hour Contemporary Single-Camera Series:

  • The Handmaid’s Tale: Chicago (Production Designer: Elisabeth Williams)
  • The Morning Show: My Least Favourite Year (Production Designer: Nelson Coates)
  • Squid Game: Gganbu (Production Designer: Chae Kyoung-sun)
  • Succession: The Disruption (Production Designer: Stephen Carter)
  • Yellowstone: No Kindness for the Coward (Production Designer: Cary White)

Television Movie or Limited Series:

  • Halston (Production Designer: Mark Ricker)
  • Mare of Easttown (Production Designer: Keith P Cunningham)
  • The Underground Railroad (Production Designer: Mark Friedberg)
  • WandaVision (Production Designer: Mark Worthington)
  • The White Lotus (Production Designer: Laura Fox)

Half Hour Single-Camera Series:

  • Hacks: Primm (Production Designer: Jon Carlos)
  • Only Murders in the Building: True Crime (Production Designer: Curt Beech)
  • Schmigadoon!: Schmigadoon! (Production Designer: Bo Welch)
  • Ted Lasso: Carol of the Bells (Production Designer: Paul Cripps)
  • What We Do in the Shadows: The Prisoner (Production Designer: Kate Bunch)

Multi-Camera Series:

  • Bob Abishola: Bowango (Production Designer: Francoise Cherry-Cohen)
  • Call Your Mother: Pilot (Production Designer: Glenda Rovello)
  • The Conners – Season 3: A Stomach Ache, a Heartbreak and a Grave Mistake (Production Designer: John Shaffner)
  • Dave: Ad Man (Production Designer: Almitra Corey)
  • Family Reunion: Remember When M’Dear Changed History? (Production Designer: Aiyana Trotter)
  • Punky Brewster: Put a Ring on It (Production Designer: Kristan Andrews)

Commercials:

  • Anhauser-Busch – Super Bowl LV: Let’s Grab a Beer (Production Designer: Donald Graham Burt)
  • Apple – Introducing iPhone 13 Pro (Production Designer: Dylan Kahn)
  • Apple Saving Simon Shot on iPhone 13 Pro (Production Designer: Chelsea Oliver)
  • Apple Music – Billie Eilish – Happier Than Ever (Production Designer: Francois Audouy)
  • Gucci – Aria (Production Designer: Jeremy Reed)
  • Neom – Made to Change (Production Designer: Francois Audouy)

Music Videos:

  • Coldplay: Higher Power (Production Designer: Patrick Tatopoulos)
  • Coldplay X BTS: My Universe (Production Designer: Francois Audouy)
  • Ed Sheeran: Shivers (Production Designer: Francois Audouy)
  • P!nk: All I Know So Far (Production Designer: Francois Audouy)
  • Taylor Swift: All Too Well (Production Designer: Ethan Tobman)

Variety, Reality or Competition Series:

  • A Black Lady Sketch Show: If I’m Paying These Chili’s Prices, You Cannot Taste My Steak! (Production Designers: Cindy Chao, Michele Yu)
  • Harry Potter: Hogwarts Tournament of Houses: Gryffindor vs Hufflepuff (Production Designer: John Janavs)
  • RuPaul’s Drag Race: Condragulations (Production Designer: James McGowan)
  • Saturday Night Live: Host: Kim Kardashian West + Music: Halsey (Production Designers: Keith Raywood, Eugene Lee, Akira Yoshimura, N. Joseph De Tullio)
  • Waffles + Mochi: Tomato (Production Designers: Cindy Chao, Michele Yu)

Variety Special:

  • American Express – Unstaged (with SZA) (Production Designer: Carlos Laszlo)
  • Jim Gaffigan: Comedy Monster (Production Designer: James Kronzer)
  • Live in Front of a Studio Audience (Production Designer: Stephan Olson)
  • Savage X Fenty Show Vol 3 (Supervising Art Director: Steve Morden)
  • Yearly Departed (Production Designer: Frida Oliva)

Scroll through the gallery below for images from the unveiling of Neom in Saudi Arabia:

Company profile

Date started: 2015

Founder: John Tsioris and Ioanna Angelidaki

Based: Dubai

Sector: Online grocery delivery

Staff: 200

Funding: Undisclosed, but investors include the Jabbar Internet Group and Venture Friends

Fight Night

FIGHT NIGHT

Four title fights:

Amir Khan v Billy Dib - WBC International title
Hughie Fury v Samuel Peter - Heavyweight co-main event  
Dave Penalosa v Lerato Dlamini - WBC Silver title
Prince Patel v Michell Banquiz - IBO World title

Six undercard bouts:

Michael Hennessy Jr v Abdul Julaidan Fatah
Amandeep Singh v Shakhobidin Zoirov
Zuhayr Al Qahtani v Farhad Hazratzada
Lolito Sonsona v Isack Junior
Rodrigo Caraballo v Sajid Abid
Ali Kiydin v Hemi Ahio

FINAL RESULT

Sharjah Wanderers 20 Dubai Tigers 25 (After extra-time)

Wanderers
Tries: Gormley, Penalty
cons: Flaherty
Pens: Flaherty 2

Tigers
Tries: O’Donnell, Gibbons, Kelly
Cons: Caldwell 2
Pens: Caldwell, Cross

UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Volvo ES90 Specs

Engine: Electric single motor (96kW), twin motor (106kW) and twin motor performance (106kW)

Power: 333hp, 449hp, 680hp

Torque: 480Nm, 670Nm, 870Nm

On sale: Later in 2025 or early 2026, depending on region

Price: Exact regional pricing TBA

Tree of Hell

Starring: Raed Zeno, Hadi Awada, Dr Mohammad Abdalla

Director: Raed Zeno

Rating: 4/5

If you go

Flight connections to Ulaanbaatar are available through a variety of hubs, including Seoul and Beijing, with airlines including Mongolian Airlines and Korean Air. While some nationalities, such as Americans, don’t need a tourist visa for Mongolia, others, including UAE citizens, can obtain a visa on arrival, while others including UK citizens, need to obtain a visa in advance. Contact the Mongolian Embassy in the UAE for more information.

Nomadic Road offers expedition-style trips to Mongolia in January and August, and other destinations during most other months. Its nine-day August 2020 Mongolia trip will cost from $5,250 per person based on two sharing, including airport transfers, two nights’ hotel accommodation in Ulaanbaatar, vehicle rental, fuel, third party vehicle liability insurance, the services of a guide and support team, accommodation, food and entrance fees; nomadicroad.com

A fully guided three-day, two-night itinerary at Three Camel Lodge costs from $2,420 per person based on two sharing, including airport transfers, accommodation, meals and excursions including the Yol Valley and Flaming Cliffs. A return internal flight from Ulaanbaatar to Dalanzadgad costs $300 per person and the flight takes 90 minutes each way; threecamellodge.com

UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
The specs
  • Engine: 3.9-litre twin-turbo V8
  • Power: 640hp
  • Torque: 760nm
  • On sale: 2026
  • Price: Not announced yet
Fourth-round clashes for British players

- Andy Murray (1) v Benoit Paire, Centre Court (not before 4pm)

- Johanna Konta (6) v Caroline Garcia (21), Court 1 (4pm)

The burning issue

The internal combustion engine is facing a watershed moment – major manufacturer Volvo is to stop producing petroleum-powered vehicles by 2021 and countries in Europe, including the UK, have vowed to ban their sale before 2040. The National takes a look at the story of one of the most successful technologies of the last 100 years and how it has impacted life in the UAE. 

Read part four: an affection for classic cars lives on

Read part three: the age of the electric vehicle begins

Read part two: how climate change drove the race for an alternative 

Key facilities
  • Olympic-size swimming pool with a split bulkhead for multi-use configurations, including water polo and 50m/25m training lanes
  • Premier League-standard football pitch
  • 400m Olympic running track
  • NBA-spec basketball court with auditorium
  • 600-seat auditorium
  • Spaces for historical and cultural exploration
  • An elevated football field that doubles as a helipad
  • Specialist robotics and science laboratories
  • AR and VR-enabled learning centres
  • Disruption Lab and Research Centre for developing entrepreneurial skills

 

 

Opening day UAE Premiership fixtures, Friday, September 22:

  • Dubai Sports City Eagles v Dubai Exiles
  • Dubai Hurricanes v Abu Dhabi Saracens
  • Jebel Ali Dragons v Abu Dhabi Harlequins
Sole survivors
  • Cecelia Crocker was on board Northwest Airlines Flight 255 in 1987 when it crashed in Detroit, killing 154 people, including her parents and brother. The plane had hit a light pole on take off
  • George Lamson Jr, from Minnesota, was on a Galaxy Airlines flight that crashed in Reno in 1985, killing 68 people. His entire seat was launched out of the plane
  • Bahia Bakari, then 12, survived when a Yemenia Airways flight crashed near the Comoros in 2009, killing 152. She was found clinging to wreckage after floating in the ocean for 13 hours.
  • Jim Polehinke was the co-pilot and sole survivor of a 2006 Comair flight that crashed in Lexington, Kentucky, killing 49.
PROFILE OF HALAN

Started: November 2017

Founders: Mounir Nakhla, Ahmed Mohsen and Mohamed Aboulnaga

Based: Cairo, Egypt

Sector: transport and logistics

Size: 150 employees

Investment: approximately $8 million

Investors include: Singapore’s Battery Road Digital Holdings, Egypt’s Algebra Ventures, Uber co-founder and former CTO Oscar Salazar

THE SPECS

Engine: 1.5-litre, four-cylinder turbo

Transmission: seven-speed dual clutch automatic

Power: 169bhp

Torque: 250Nm

Price: Dh54,500

On sale: now

Updated: January 25, 2022, 11:45 AM`