Cinematographer James Laxton and director/writer Barry Jenkins have deep collaborative roots. The two were college roommates for a year and started working together at Florida State University film school. In fact, Laxton lensed Jenkins’ last two student films and has gone on to do the same for all his features-- Medicine for Melancholy for which the DP earned an Independent Spirit Award for Best Cinematography, followed by Moonlight , the Best Picture Oscar winner, and then If Beale Street... Read More 

NEW YORK -- The Novice topped the U.S. Narrative Competition while Brighton 4th headlined the International Narrative derby and Ascension took the marquee Feature Documentary honor at the 20th annual Tribecva Festival. The winners were announced across all competition categories during an awards ceremony today (6/17) at Spring Studios. The most diverse lineup of creators in Tribeca’s 20-year history received $165,000 in cash prizes. The Festival, which had the honor of welcoming back in-person audiences,... Read More 

NEW YORK (AP) -- Rita Moreno emigrated with her mother from Puerto Rico at age five. By six, she was dancing at Greenwich Village nightclubs. By 16, she was working full time. By 20, she was in "Singin' in the Rain." In the documentary "Rita Moreno: Just a Girl Who Decided to Go for It," Norman Lear says: "I can't think of anyone I've ever met in the business who lived the American dream more than Rita Moreno." In the decades that followed, Moreno won a Tony, a Grammy, an Emmy and and Oscar, for "West Side... Read More 

NEW YORK (AP) -- When the filmmaker Morgan Neville began making a documentary on Anthony Bourdain, the late chef and globe-trotting television host, one of the first things he did was comb through every song Bourdain had ever referenced. He came up with a playlist 18½ hours long and called it "Tony." Neville, the director of the Fred Rogers portrait "Won't You Be My Neighbor?" and the Oscar-winning "20 Feet From Stardom," was determined to approach Bourdain through a prism other than his death. Music was only a... Read More 

NEW YORK (AP) -- The tragedies of Brian Wilson's life is a rock 'n' roll story well told. The postscript — that he's a survivor nearing age 80 who appears to be supported personally and professionally in a way he never really had before — is less familiar. Despite some uncomfortable moments in "Brian Wilson: Long Promised Road," that important update is the point of the documentary that premieres Tuesday at the Tribeca Film Festival in New York. The film's heart is a series of drives around southern California... Read More 

NEW YORK (AP) -- "Schitt's Creek" star Annie Murphy's new AMC series "Kevin Can F Himself" presents itself as one of those traditional multicamera comedies with a laugh track and corny jokes. Viewers will quickly learn it's actually much darker. Murphy stars as Allison, an overwhelmed wife who does all the work at home and puts up with her husband's immature antics. When she's alone, the show changes to a single camera formula, the lighting goes dark, and Allison isn't just exhausted, but furious. She's deeply... Read More 

WASHINGTON (AP) -- A group of House lawmakers put forward a sweeping legislative package Friday that could curb the market power of Big Tech companies and force Facebook, Google, Amazon or Apple to sever their dominant platforms from their other lines of business. The bipartisan proposals are the culmination of a 15-month investigation by the House Judiciary Committee's antitrust subcommittee, led by Democratic Rep. David Cicilline of Rhode Island. It concluded that the four tech giants have abused their market... Read More 

LONDON -- A new study by consumer goods conglomerate Unilever has found that nearly one in two people from marginalized communities--people with disabilities, and Black, Hispanic, Asian, and LGBTQ+ people--feel they have been stereotyped in some way through advertising. The study also highlights that it isn’t just marginalized people who feel the impact: 71% believe stereotypes in media are harming the younger generation, signaling the industry as the latest institution being called upon to step up, or... Read More 

Cannes Lions has published its entry numbers ahead of next week’s Cannes Lions Live running from June 21-25. 29,074 pieces of work have been entered from 90 countries, with entries spanning two years after the awards were paused due to the global pandemic in 2020. Simon Cook, managing director, Lions, said that this was a moment for the industry “to reflect but also look forward.” He continued, “Bringing together this mass of work from across the globe to present to our juries is always an... Read More 

PORTLAND, Ore. -- Wieden+Kennedy has appointed Ana and Hermeti Balarin as executive creative directors for the independent agency’s Portland shop. They will start at W+K Portland later this year, joining managing director Jess Monsey in leading the largest of the eight office independent network. The wife-and-husband duo of Ana and Hermeti are leaving their roles as ECDs and partners at Mother London. The two started at the agency as interns in 2007, and eight years later became the agency’s first ECDs. In their... Read More 

LOS ANGELES -- TBWA\Chiat\Day Los Angeles has elevated Erin Riley to CEO and Jen Costello to chief strategy officer. The promotions follow a year of reckoning and transformation for the creative industry, during which TBWA\Chiat\Day LA met the challenges and saw exceptional growth in new business, with recent wins such as Discover, Moderna, Behr Paint, AT&T TV and Schwan’s Company, including its Red Baron and Freschetta pizza brands. “Erin is an extraordinary leader who has helped our clients and the... Read More 

NEW YORK -- Chelsea Pictures, which earlier this week was named The One Show’s Production Company of the Year, has added London-based director Dumas Haddad to its U.S. roster. This marks his first-ever branded representation in the American market. Aside from his commercial work for Guerlain & Footlocker x Fifa, Haddad has directed promos and music videos for Ghetts, Anaïs, and Lonepsi. Most recently, Haddad directed rising star Priya Ragu’s vibrant music video for her song “Chicken Lemon Rice”... Read More 

CULVER CITY, Calif. -- International production company Stink Films has brought director Andrew Litten aboard its roster in the U.S. for commercials, music videos, and branded content. Since forging his aesthetic in Atlanta’s rich underground music and fashion scenes, Litten has used his life experiences to shape a perspective that is simultaneously dreamlike and informed by lived experience. His visual storytelling explores the nuances of humanity while transcending the expected formula. Prior to joining Stink,... Read More 

LONDON -- adam&eveDDB in London has hired Molly Wilkof and Mark Shanley as creative directors. Both Wilkof and Shanley were with Wieden+Kennedy London. Wilkof was a creative at W+K where she was behind Nike’s “The Toughest Athletes” campaign which launched on Mother’s Day this year. Before joining W+K in 2019, Wilkof worked at Droga5 London on clients including Amazon. Prior to that, she worked at Barton F Graf and McCann, both in New York. Wilkof’s appointment follows that of Shanley, who was the... Read More 

NEW YORK -- BBDO New York has promoted Alex Gianni to EVP, director of content production. The promotion is part of the formation of BBDO NY’s future-forward production group, created to operate nimbly to offer clients best-in-class film, digital, and studio production, along with editorial, art buying and more. In the new role, Gianni will primarily focus on cross-platform film production, overseeing the agency’s content production team on all client businesses, while partnering closely with the rest of... Read More 

NEW YORK -- AMV BBDO London and Chelsea Pictures are the top ad agency and production company, respectively, per The One Club Global Creative Rankings 2021, combining results from The One Show 2021 and the ADC 100th Annual Awards. This benchmark creative ranking is determined by the cumulative point totals of eligible One Show Pencils, ADC Cubes and Merits won. Highlights of global rankings are as follows. The One Club Global Creative Rankings 2021, by Agency 1. AMV BBDO London 2. FCB New York 3. DDB Group... Read More 

NEW YORK -- After winning several of the highest honors in the historic ADC 100th Annual Awards last week, DDB Group Germany Berlin is the top-ranked agency in the world, according to the ADC 100th Annual Awards Global Creative Rankings released today (6/15) by The One Club for Creativity. DDB Group Germany was awarded the highly coveted ADC Black Cube for Best of Show for “The Uncensored Library,” working with MediaMonks Hilversum and Blockworks London on behalf of Reporters Without Borders. The work also... Read More 

NEW YORK -- On the strength of Bodyform/Libresse’s “#wombstories,” AMV BBDO London was the top creative agency globally with Nisha Ganatra topping the directorial tally and Chelsea Pictures taking the number one production company slot in The One Show 2021 Creative Rankings. The ripple effect also dominated the global rankings of chief creative officers, topped by AMV BBDO’s Alex Grieve, executive creative directors, art directors and copywriters--all three categories yielding a first-place tie between... Read More 

NEW YORK -- 180 NY has hired Alex Campbell as head of production. Also coming aboard the agency is Angela Kosniewski as head of accounts. The two additions follow the recent appointment of Jason Chebib as head of strategy and are part of a larger effort to fill out an experienced leadership team for the newly established New York branch of the global 180 agency. Both Campbell and Kosniewski will report to 180 NY president Evan Weissbrot, who is overseeing the buildout of the New York office, including the... Read More 

LONDON -- Grey London has promoted Celeste Dalairac to executive creative director. An audacious creative and strong leader, Dalairac joined Grey back in February as creative director and her elevation to ECD is a testament to the enormous impact she has made in a short space of time at the agency. A multi-award-winning creative director who has worked with some of the world’s biggest brands, including Coca Cola, GSK, Unilever, P&G, Avon and Vodafone, Dalairac grew up in Buenos Aires, Argentina,... Read More 

LOS ANGELES -- Production company JOJX has added director Alessandro Pacciani to its roster. With over a decade of experience in the commercial world, Pacciani has filmed on three continents, turning out projects for automotive brands including Porsche, Audi, Jeep and Toyota. Pacciani‘s credits also span work for A-list video game franchises such as Dark Souls, PUBG, and Mortal Shell, and his short films have gained him multiple industry accolades. In addition to car and game films, Pacciani has also directed... Read More 

LOS ANGELES -- Director Andrea Jade Colomb has secured her first commercialmaking representation in the U.S., coming aboard the roster of production boutique Slash Dynamic. The South African-born director, a.k.a. AJ, currently resides in the U.K. and has built a body of performance driven comedic work, infused with humanity. She has directed spots for the likes of eBay, Phillips, T-Mobile, and Esso, to name a few, and is currently in post on four commercial launches. AJ also directed the official music video... Read More 

LOS ANGELES -- Director Lacey Uhlemeyer has joined bicoastal production company ArtClass for commercial and branded content representation in the U.S. Uhlemeyer, an alum of SHOOT ’s 2020 New Directors Showcase, is known for directing humanity-focused stories for brands--from Nike’s International Women’s Day spot to the Amazon "Brand Truths" campaign. A former journalist who has filmed in more than 18 countries, she is passionate about creating content that transcends borders, genders, languages, and religion... Read More 

MARINA DEL REY, Calif. -- The Cortez Brothers, Inc., a multicultural, woman-owned production house, has brought director Doug Cox aboard its roster. Under the aegis of president/EP Bernadette Rivero, the Marina del Rey-based company will represent Cox in the U.S. except for the San Francisco market where he continues to direct and edit through his own studio, The Cabinet. The addition of Cox brings the element of comedy direction to the lineup at Cortez Brothers. Cox began his career on the agency side at Publicis... Read More 

LOS ANGELES -- Multidisciplinary creative studio Los York has signed Ergin--a multi-talented director and creative director with a background in VFX--for U.S. representation spanning commercials and branded content. From the languid fluidity and finely composed shots of “Flo” for Moen to the fast-paced thrills of “Racing” for Honda and the genre-bending vignettes of the cross-brand collaboration for Maker’s Mark + Hulu, Ergin’s multifaceted expertise in live action, VFX, and creative direction inform every... Read More 

LOS ANGELES -- Director/writer/DP Steve Conry has joined the Seed Media Arts roster for U.S. representation spanning commercials and branded content. Recently he directed a musical performance featuring JP Saxe and Julian Michaels that aired nationally as part of the 2021 JUNO Awards. Conry’s style of visual storytelling is becoming increasingly sought after by brands looking to grow their engagement through cinematic content. His body of work spans blue-chip clients including W Hotels, Reebok, Spotify,... Read More 

NEW YORK (AP) -- They arrive every year in their snazzy black and white tuxedos, causing traffic jams and clamoring for quality real estate. Endangered African penguins have long been a source of delight to visitors of the South African community of Simon's Town, mixing with humans as they go about their penguin tasks, which includes the important one of finding a nest and breeding. Now these critters are the stars of a new eight-part series on Netflix starting Wednesday called "Penguin Town," which follows... Read More 

NEW YORK (AP) -- Just when a party was poised to break out in movie theaters, the below-expectation debut of "In the Heights" dampened Hollywood's hopes of a swift or smooth recovery at the summer box office. Jon M. Chu's exuberant adaptation of Lin-Manuel Miranda's Broadway musical opened with a modest $11.4 million, according to studio estimates Sunday. Forecasts had ranged from $15-$20 million. The release of "In the Heights" — a lavish song-and-dance musical accompanied by glowing reviews from critic s and... Read More 

A brisk and bright sun-dappled fable of above-ground adventure and below-the-surface identity, Enrico Casarosa's "Luca" — a summery, shimmering fish-out-of-water fairy tale — is one of Pixar's most pure and condensed enchantments. Pixar has plunged into the sea before, of course, in the aquatic "Finding Nemo" and "Finding Dory." Lushly detailed waters have been sprinkled through many of the studio's films, from the rushing river of "The Good Dinosaur" to the frothy seaside surf of "Piper." One... Read More 

Kevin Hart can make us laugh and cry, it seems, even if the vehicle was practically engineered to bring on the waterworks. In "Fatherhood," on Netflix on Friday, he plays a new dad whose wife dies shortly after childbirth and he's left raising their daughter on his own. To be fair, there's been many built-in tearjerkers that have failed (remember "Life Itself"?). But something has to go very, very wrong for a film to mess up that kind of premise. "Fatherhood" doesn't just succeed on that... Read More 

NEW YORK (AP) -- Ned Beatty, the indelible character actor whose first film role as a genial vacationer raped by a backwoodsman in 1972's "Deliverance" launched him on a long, prolific and accomplished career, has died. He was 83. Beatty's manager, Deborah Miller, said Beatty died Sunday of natural causes at his home in Los Angeles surrounded by friends and loved ones. After years in regional theater, Beatty was cast in "Deliverance" as Bobby Trippe, the happy-go-lucky member of a male river-boating party... Read More 

Directed by Kristian Mercado via production company Easy Mondays for The Martin Agency and client Door Dash, this documentary short titled Soul of the City profiles New York City restaurants Caracas Arepa Bar, Tacoway Beach, Nom Wah Tea Parlor, Sylvia’s, Peppa’s Jerk Chicken, and Palma. The film shares their journey over the past year navigating through the challenges of running a restaurant during the COVID-19 pandemic. The film was created to celebrate the special roles restaurants play in... Read More 

This spot kicks off in a car park, with a man struggling to locate his car as they are all covered by sheets--with the exception of a Volkswagen, which drives off. We then see a woman who cannot locate which car is her taxi as it pulls up, because they are all hidden by the sheets. The mystery continues, becoming increasingly ridiculous, until we find ourselves in a Tesco car park and see the Volkswagen driver pull up to charge her car thanks to the Pod Point charging station, with the... Read More 

As American’s grapple with the racial reckoning since George Floyd’s murder, STATEMENT, an advocacy media company, aims to help push public opinion to help pass H.R.1280, the George Floyd Justice in Policing Act of 2021, with the launch of this social spot, “Bad Apples.” STATEMENT founder Foley Ellis Ibidapo wrote and directed “Bad Apples,” produced by Magnus Films. An alum of SHOOT ’s 2020 New Directors Showcase, Ibidapo is on the roster of production company LAIR for representation as a... Read More 

As surfing becomes an Olympic sport for the first time in history, women’s surf and snow performance wear brand ROXY is reimagining a word that has previously placed female athletes in a box called CUTE. “Welcome To The New Cute” from agency Fred & Farid Los Angeles encompasses nine brand films that take long-held perceptions of cute, and blows them wide open. Narrated by 2x Longboard World Champion Kelia Moniz, this longform film begins with footage of female, ROXY board athletes being the... Read More 

Pinterest’s “Show Your True Colors” campaign--aimed at driving inspiration, celebration and action among Pinners and creators---includes this Mollie Mills-directed digital film featuring six LGBTQ+ Pinners and cultural icons motivating the queer community and allies to explore, discover and express their identities and to be themselves. The film dovetails nicely with Pride Month as Pinterest enables Pinners to self-select their pronoun(s) and add to their profiles. The pronoun option will be... Read More 

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