Remember when the Sundance Film Festival had in-person theater screenings booked to capacity. In some respects that seems like eons ago. But back when it was safe for audiences to gather, in January 2020, the feature Palm Springs made an indelible mark at the Park City, Utah fest as it set an acquisition price record. NEON and Hulu bought the film for some $22 million. The previous record Sundance deal had The Birth of a Nation in 2016 fetch $17.5 million from the then Fox Searchlight. Fast... Read More 

BURBANK, Calif. -- The Critics Choice Association (CCA) has unveiled the series nominees for the 26th annual Critics Choice Awards. The winners will be revealed live on The CW on Sunday, March 7, 2021 from 7-10pm ET/PT, with acclaimed film, television, and stage star Taye Diggs returning to host for his third consecutive time. The show will continue its combined Film and Television awards format, honoring the finest in both cinematic and televised/streaming achievement. Film nominees will be revealed on February... Read More 

Crip Camp (Netflix) came up big at this evening’s (1/16) 36th annual IDA Documentary Awards, winning the marquee Best Feature honor as well as the ABC News VideoSource Award for the best use of news footage. Directed by Nicole Newnham and Jim LeBrecht, Crip Camp introduces us to a ramshackle summer camp from yesteryear in upstate New York created for teenagers with disabilities. The documentary starts out as nostalgic remembrance of Camp Jened, the campers, the counselors and the bonds that... Read More 

British actor Kingsley Ben-Adir may not be a household name yet, but that's poised to change with his scene-stealing performance as Malcolm X in Regina King's "One Night in Miami...." The film, which imagines an electric meeting between the civil rights icon, Sam Cooke, Cassius Clay and Jim Brown in February 1964, is currently available on Prime Video. The 35-year-old has been a working actor for over a decade and has had more than a few heartbreaks and near-breaks along the way. In his first... Read More 

AUSTIN, Texas -- Demi Lovato: Dancing with the Devil , directed by Michael D. Ratner, has been named the opening night headliner for the 28th annual SXSW Film Festival which runs virtually from March 16-20. “It’s impressive and rare to see a pop superstar tell their story so authentically and without pretense,” said Janet Pierson, SXSW director of film. “We’re privileged to present this intimate journey told with such vulnerability. Demi Lovato’s profound interest in mental health awareness is helping change... Read More 

Cannes Lions has confirmed its jury president lineup for the awards in June. Bozoma Saint John, Merlee Jayme and Geoff Northcott complete the full lineup and join the jury presidents initially appointed for the 2020 awards. Saint John, global chief marketing officer of Netflix, has been appointed president of the Glass: The Lion for Change Jury. Jayme, global president, Dentsu Mcgarrybowen/chairmom Dentsu Jayme Syfu, presides over the Radio & Audio Lions. And Northcott, global chief... Read More 

LOS ANGELES & LONDON -- Ridley Scott Creative Group’s RSA Films has signed award-winning filmmaker John S. Park for commercials and branded content in the U.S. and U.K. His cinematic visual technique and innovative storytelling can be seen in work for brands such as Samsung, Guinness, Hyundai and Peugeot, often blending photo-real VFX with epic live-action. Park is well versed in both narrative and documentary disciplines, and brings a distinctive flair for art direction, styling, music and casting which grounds his... Read More 

LOS ANGELES -- Directors Terence Nance, Jenn Nkiru, and Bradford Young along with producers Mishka Brown and Nanette Nelms have launched Ummah Chroma Creative Partners (UCCP), an independent, artist-led production company. Ummah Chroma Creative Partners’ intention is to create a unique space of fostering to create, elevate and preserve authentic Black narratives and perspectives in all media, including advertising, television, cinema and art. “Our purpose in forming an independent company is to retain the... Read More 

EL SEGUNDO, Calif. -- David&Goliath has appointed Blake Winfree to serve as its chief of social impact and promoted Ben Purcell from executive creative director to chief creative officer. The moves are designed to expand the agency’s purpose-driven footprint by establishing a creative impact hub dedicated to inspiring greater social responsibility and sustainable impact within the industry, and ultimately in the world. Winfree and Purcell will report directly to D&G founder and chairman David Angelo. Winfree... Read More 

Priyanka Chopra Jonas was scrolling through Twitter a few years ago when she saw a headline that a film adaptation of "The White Tiger" was in the works. She immediately got on the phone to her agent. Her request: Please call the producers and offer her services. At the very least, she wanted to executive produce and help use her platform to get the word out. Aravind Adiga's novel about a driver in India who rises to become a successful businessman despite the stratified caste system was an... Read More 

Denzel Washington has played some iconic cops over the years, but he doesn't get hung up on things like that. For him, it's all about the script. So when John Lee Hancock came to him with "The Little Things," a 1990-set crime drama about law enforcement and obsession, he was intrigued. The part was for Joe Deacon, who left city duties for the country after a grueling case years ago but gets pulled back in to help with a new murder. "There's an old saying, 'If it ain't on the page, it ain't on... Read More 

LOS ANGELES -- Film Independent, the nonprofit arts organization that produces the Film Independent Spirit Awards, announced that this year’s awards ceremony will take place on Thursday, April 22, at 10pm ET, in a primetime ceremony to be televised on IFC, a one-time break from the show’s usual tradition as a live daytime event occurring on the Santa Monica beach the Saturday before the Oscars. Nominees for the 36th Film Independent Spirit Awards will be revealed in a video announcement premiering Tuesday,... Read More 

BOSTON -- Hill Holliday has named Icaro Doria to serve as its chief creative officer. He had most recently been global CCO at Havas Health & You and prior to that was U.S. CCO at Arnold Worldwide. Earlier the native Brazilian was the founding partner and CCO at Wieden + Kennedy São Paulo which he helped grow from the ground up. A 25-year industry vet, Doria has worked with brands ranging from Coca Cola and Diageo to Nike, Hilton Hotels, Carl’s Jr’s, Hardees, Old Spice, Heineken and many others. Doria... Read More 

NEW YORK -- MRM, a marketing agency that is part of McCann Worldgroup, has named Harsh Kapadia EVP, chief creative officer for MRM New York and Princeton. Kapadia moves to MRM from his role as executive creative director at VMLY&R New York and previously at Wunderman Thompson (JWT). In addition, Stewart Krull has been named executive creative director, MRM Princeton, and will report to Kapadia. Ronald Ng, global chief creative officer, MRM, said, “Harsh is a world-class talent with a passion for... Read More 

VENICE, Calif. -- Phillip Montgomery has joined the Farm League roster for film and commercial representation in the U.S. His credits include commercial campaigns (P&G, Guinness, Google, Jack Daniel’s, Uber), shorts and music videos. Montgomery’s body of work spans the documentary and narrative genres. The Minneapolis/St. Paul native graduated from NYU’s Tisch School of the Arts, and first broke through in 2013 when he earned a slot in SHOOT ’s New Directors Showcase for his web film, Raising an Olympian--... Read More 

DETROIT -- Avalon Films, a stalwart of the Detroit advertising community, is taking the bold step to retire its brand name as it merges its roster, its service offering, its marketing and its leadership with sister company Hudson. Now known simply as Hudson, the company, co-founded in 2006 by director Larry August and his late partner, EP Audrey Pask, offers full concept to completion production and post services under the leadership of Kristin Redman, who’s been promoted to the position of managing... Read More 

LOS ANGELES -- The Visual Effects Society (VES), the industry’s global professional honorary society, has unveiled its 2021 board of directors officers. The officers, who comprise the VES board executive committee, were elected at the January 2021 board meeting. The officers include Lisa Cooke, who was elected board chair, and is the first woman to hold this role in the Society’s history. The five officers embody the global makeup of the Society, coming from Sections in the United States, New Zealand and... Read More 

Major social platforms have been cracking down on the spread of misinformation and conspiracy theories in the leadup to the presidential election, and expanded their efforts in the wake of the Jan. 6 Capitol riot. But Apple and Google, among others, have left open a major loophole for this material: Podcasts. Podcasts made available by the two Big Tech companies let you tune into the world of the QAnon conspiracy theory, wallow in President Donald Trump's false claims of a stolen election and... Read More 

LOS ANGELES (AP) -- An unprecedented impeachment hearing failed to keep TV viewers from settling back into familiar, escapist habits last week. NFL and college football and sturdy drama franchises including the "Chicago" shows on NBC and the "NCIS" group on CBS were among the week's ratings winners, according to Nielsen figures out Wednesday. The second impeachment of now-former President Donald Trump drew viewers to news shows, but not in the numbers that tuned in the prior week to bear witness to rioting inside... Read More 

LOS ANGELES (AP) -- Phil Spector, the eccentric and revolutionary music producer who transformed rock music with his "Wall of Sound" method and who later was convicted of murder, has died. He was 81. California state prison officials said he died Saturday of natural causes at a hospital. Spector was convicted of murdering actress Lana Clarkson in 2003 at his castle-like mansion on the edge of Los Angeles. After a trial in 2009, he was sentenced to 19 years to life. While most sources give Spector's birth date as... Read More 

U.S. Vice President Kamala Harris made history, becoming the first female, Black, and South Asian American to hold the office, inspiring a generation of young leaders to follow in her footsteps. Girl Up changemakers can be seen in this film, “Today We Rise,” watching the history-making inauguration. Through their eyes you can see what it meant for the daughter of Indian and Jamaican immigrants to be sworn in as the 49th Vice President of the United States, becoming the highest-ranking female... Read More 

With COVID-19 causing record numbers of people to attempt to quit smoking or vaping, the California Department of Public Health’s CA Tobacco Control Program has launched an animated TV campaign that normalizes the reality that failing is part of the quitting journey, and encourages people to get help. Created by Duncan Channon and directed and animated by Robertino Zambrano of Nexus Studios, the “Tell Your Story” campaign departs from attempts to scare or shame smokers. Rather this latest work... Read More 

Former Democratic presidential candidate and entrepreneur Andrew Yang announced his candidacy for New York City Mayor last week with a campaign film directed by Darren Aronofsky. “Why I’m Running” features Yang wearing a “Forward New York” face mask and walking through the transformed and multicultural streets of NYC, while chronicling his relationship with the city and aspirations for its future. Aronofsky artfully captures Yang’s natural bond with New York, connecting his genuineness with the... Read More 

This film honors Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. by recognizing how his extraordinary legacy lives on through our sons. This Son Stories series will introduce us to Black youngsters and men who are living breathing realizations of Dr. King’s dream. Meet Tyler Gordon, a talented artist who knows no matter what the world says about him, he is still a KING. Via agency/production studio KUAMP, TRONIC directed this piece profiling Gordon, showing the young man’s artistry and perseverance. Read More 

No road hazard, no drama, no brutal crash that makes you jump out of your seat. Far from the feelings of fear and guilt often used in this type of public service messaging, the new French Road Safety campaign by DDB Paris is a celebration of life. Each film in the campaign immerses us in a small, intimate cheerful moment. In this PSA, we see a dad playfully roughhousing with a child who’s having a great time. It’s a slice of life that expresses in its own way the happiness of being alive, and... Read More 

This documentary short Killing in Thy Name is the first project from the newly formed Ummah Chroma Creative Partners (UCCP), a production house formed in partnership with Serial Pictures. The documentary was made in collaboration with Rage Against the Machine, framed around the band’s iconic protest anthem “Killing in the Name.” Directed by UCCP’s The Ummah Chroma, the documentary seeks according to the filmmakers “to be a fire escape from the fiction known as whiteness and a spring for... Read More 

Danish filmmakers Mathias Hovgaard of Station Film and Christophe Dolcerocca of Missing Link Film (UK) have teamed up to direct Heartbreak 101, a short film which captures the feeling of being madly in love and having your teen heart brutally broken by first love gone bad. With innovative and experimental nods to French New Wave Cinema, the film is an unsentimental mashup of the private lives of the teenagers it portrays, in a one-liner odyssey of emotional turmoil as they try to figure out... Read More 

CarMax pays homage to the small inventions which can make life a bit more enjoyable, providing a measure of comfort and relief--like the built-in wine holder for showers, the slanket (blanket with sleeves) or the Saucemoto. Akin to those breakthroughs are CarMax innovations like the 24-hour test drive proposed by Stephanie or the online means to let customers shop for vehicles from home as crafted by tech experts. Life and car buying have indeed changed over the past year. This “Inventors” spot... Read More 

Food and beverage agency quench has created a campaign celebrating imagination for Sun-Maid Growers of California, which has transformed the humble raisin into a range of snacks that are both delicious and better for you. In this :30 animated TV spot titled “Imagine That,” a child envisions that raisins are a naturally sweet entry to a world of amazing snacks, such as Yogurt-Covered Raisins, Sour Raisin Snacks and S’mores Bites. The colorful, fantastical production incorporating green screen... Read More 

Feature film writer and director Alex Ranarivelo has diversified into commercialmaking to write, direct and produce his first spot for family business SnoreStop®. Entitled “Conquer your Monster,” the spot is the first work he has done for SnoreStop®, the “snoring specialists” company Ranarivelo’s parents started in 1995 and is still owned and operated by the family today. The execution depicts a young girl in medieval knight PJs bravely running into her parents’ room to slay a hideous (CGI)... Read More 

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