Bulleit Frontier Whiskey Set to Premiere J. Ivy’s New Short Film, ‘A Toast To The Times’

Bulleit Frontier Whiskey today announces the launch of “A Toast To The Times” a new short film produced by GRAMMY- nominated J. Ivy and set to debut at an exclusive launch event at The Revery in Los Angeles this evening. The film is part of the Bulleit Pioneer Project which amplifies the voices of artists breaking glass ceilings across music, tech, film, mixology and sustainability.

The 90 second film celebrates those on the frontier of culture - defined as those who are breaking new ground in their respective fields - and alongside J.Ivy’s poetry are visuals from Academy Award-nominated director, Carlos Lopez Estrada. Previewing how the project aims to give flowers where flowers are due, Ivy expresses: “The project is centered around that energy and I wrote a poem to tell that story and give a nod to all those who are pioneers and leaders of our community and those folks who have the courage to be living their divine purpose and doing what they were put here to do…. It’s for all the dreamers who aren’t afraid to follow their dreams.”

It’s been a game changing year for J. Ivy, who is one of five nominated for Best Spoken Word Poetry Album at the GRAMMYs on Sunday evening, a category he petitioned the Recording Academy to create. As J. Ivy explains to me, ahead of his short film’s debut: “You look at the moments where you didn’t give up at times like this. One of the catchphrases for Bulleit is ‘What a time to be alive’ and that’s how I feel: Man, what a time to be alive. This is amazing.”

The short film is a tribute to how collaboration breeds innovation. In a conversation with Sophie Kelly, Senior Vice President of Whiskies at Bulleit’s parent company, Diageo, she explains to me: the film is intended to “leave people with a feeling about wanting to dive into the frontier.” This is a spirit that’s been evident in the brand for many years. Previous work from Bulleit includes the creation of the world’s largest (and first) tattoo billboard and Bulleit’s Neon In A Bottle art collection.

The new film comes alongside a bold new ambition - the Bulleit 100-Hour Commitment - linking artistic mentors with mentees through its long-standing partnership with UnitedMasters. Known for safeguarding creatives’ artistic autonomy, UnitedMasters gives artists the tools and resources to reach their full creative and economic potential while still maintaining a direct connection with their fans. The platform has been known to propel the careers of many breakout artists, including Lil Nas X, NLE Choppa, and Lil Yachty.

The 100-Hour Commitment follows the whiskey company’s recent Remix Challenge - a nationwide contest in which lyricists from across the country could pen a verse to one of J. Ivy’s beats to win 1:1 time with him to help foster their craft. The overwhelming response from artists reinforced the significance - and desire - for more mentorship and led to Bulleit creating this commitment to facilitate additional mentorship across 2023. Mentorship - and supporting emerging talent - is something that’s close to the hearts of both Bulleit and J.Ivy.

“I’m happy I kept going,” Ivy tells me. “It’s really centered around being a pioneer on this new frontier that we find ourselves in. When we hear ‘frontier’ we think of the Old West, but we’re in a new season; we’re in a new chapter of the world, as far as the world is concerned. With that, you have folks that are trailblazers, who are innovators, who are visionaries, who have shifted culture forward, who are pioneers.”
As well as unveiling the film this evening, J. Ivy will be performing the poem live. This will be supported by a series of other performances by UnitedMasters talent, including Coltr3ne and Siobhan Bell.

“Since the beginning, Bulleit has not just embraced the new – but invented it - and this is why we seek out those at the forefront of their craft.” says Sophie. “The year ahead is exciting for us - not just because we’ll continue to collaborate with other world-class talent - such as J. Ivy and Carlos Lopes Estrada - but because we can play a part in giving a microphone, a pen or a stage to the next pioneers in culture.”