Ben Richardson, ASC enjoyed a couple of significant firsts on Mare of Easttown . Last month the cinematographer earned his first career Emmy nomination for the HBO show which garnered a total of 16--including in the marquee category of Outstanding Limited or Anthology Series and spanning, in addition to cinematography, such disciplines as casting, production design, contemporary costumes, picture editing, hairstyling, makeup, acting (leading and supporting performers), writing and sound mixing... Read More 

NOHO ARTS DISTRICT, Calif. -- The Television Academy has revealed the award winners for the 73rd Emmy® Awards in juried categories from Animation, Costume, Interactive Programming and Motion Design. These juried awards will be presented at the 2021 Creative Arts Emmy Awards, which take place at L.A. Live the weekend of Sept. 11 and 12 at 5PM on Saturday and at 1PM and 5PM on Sunday. An edited presentation will be broadcast on Saturday, Sept. 18, (8:00 PM ET/PT) on FXX. Juried category entrants are screened by a panel of... Read More 

TORONTO -- Rounding out the 2021 Toronto International Film Festival program are the In Conversation With… series, the Special Events lineup and Industry Selects, a curated selection of 22 global films beyond the Official Selection menu that are available for sale. Additionally the festival has set its Platform Prize Jury. Led by Academy Award–nominated actor Riz Ahmed (Sound of Metal), the jurors include: Clio Barnard, Valerie Complex, Kazik Radwanski, and Anthony Chen. Here’s a rundown of the Special... Read More 

BOSTON (AP) -- Filmmaker Beeban Kidron, a member of Britain's House of Lords, began advocating for online child protection after directing "InRealLife," a 2012 film about kids and the internet. She has been a driving force behind a U.K. law, which takes effect Sept. 2, that sets a code of conduct for online services designed to shield the under-18 crowd. The so-called Age Appropriate Design Code comprises 15 standards for making sure children's best interests are the prime consideration in the design of... Read More 

NEW YORK -- Among the many musical hats that Wendell Hanes wears are that of composer, creative director and company owner. SHOOT first made contact with Hanes around 1997 when he landed a job at Vito DeSario Editing as both an assistant editor and a "sound guy" where he recorded voiceovers and went on to compose music for the editors. Hanes then launched his own company in 2005, Volition Sound, which today provides services including original music, music licensing, branded content, music strategy, music... Read More 

James McAvoy and Sharon Horgan didn’t know one another before this year. But the two actors got very familiar very quickly thanks to the new film “Together,” a cutting examination of a failing relationship during the pandemic only held together by their 10-year-old son. Armed with acerbic dialogue and honest monologues written by Tony Award-winner Dennis Kelly, an Oscar-nominated director in Stephen Daldry and a freedom to break the fourth wall and address the audience directly, McAvoy and... Read More 

HOLLYWOOD, Calif. -- Twenty-three feature films have been selected for the latest round of tax credits under California’s Film & TV Tax Credit Program. They include 13 independent and 10 non-independent projects by a wide range of filmmakers including Aziz Ansari ( Untitled Aziz Ansari Project ), Kenya Barris ( Untitled Jonah Hill Project and White Men Can’t Jump ), Jerry Bruckheimer ( Beverly Hills Cop 4 ), Brian Grazer and Salma Hayek ( Escape ), Jonah Hill ( Dixon ), Karyn Kusama ( Untitled Karyn Kusama... Read More 

NEW YORK & LOS ANGELES -- Bicoastal production studio m ss ng p eces has added Adrian Yu to its directorial roster. Yu is a director, creative director, and new media artist who brings a multidisciplinary skill set to his projects. This marks his first commercial representation. Yu began his career interning at Sid Lee’s New York office while still a student in NYU’s cinema studies program. After graduation he joined the agency full time as a copywriter-art director, and went on to become lead creative at its in-house... Read More 

NEW YORK -- VMLY&R has appointed three new female leaders across its global and LATAM human resources and diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) functions, building on the agency’s commitment to employee growth and development. Loren Blandon will take on the role of global executive director, learning, growth and experiences. In her new role, Blandon will implement a new strategy of recognizing learning as a dynamic and continuous part of a person’s everyday experiences, while continuing to work toward... Read More 

LONDON -- Renee Zhan, whose Reneepoptosis won the Jury Prize for Animated Short at the 2019 Sundance Film Festival, has joined Blinkink for worldwide representation spanning commercials, branded content and music videos. This marks her first representation in the ad arena. A Chinese-American director and animator from Houston, Texas, Zhan is now based in London. After graduating from Harvard University, Zhan--like many Blinkink directors--honed her craft at the National Film & Television School. Her... Read More 

DETROIT -- Ad agency Doner has brought aboard Justin Bilicki as EVP, executive creative director and Felipe Cabrera as SVP, strategy director. Cabrera, in his second tour at Doner, will help scale the integrated strategy team by leveraging new tools and processes across a number of accounts. Bilicki will provide creative leadership for brands including Travelocity, Zyrtec and Listerine. Cabrera worked as SVP, strategy director at Doner in 2018. Most recently, he served as the head of strategy at Wunderman... Read More 

TORONTO -- Six-time Grammy Award–winning music icon and activist Dionne Warwick will be honoured at the TIFF Tribute Awards with the Special Tribute Award, and that Night Raiders director and Saskatchewan-born Cree/Métis filmmaker Danis Goulet will receive this year’s TIFF Emerging Talent Award, presented by L’Oréal Paris and supported by MGM. The 2021 TIFF Tribute Awards air on Saturday, September 18 at 7 pm ET / 8 pm AT on CTV, CTV.ca and the CTV app to Canadian audiences, on the final day of the 46th... Read More 

LOS ANGELES -- The American Film Market∙ (AFM∙) will move its 2021 edition entirely online, the Independent Film & Television Alliance∙ (IFTA∙) announced today. AFM 2021 Online will be held Monday, November 1 to Friday, November 5 – shifting one day earlier than its original dates. Registration for the five-day online event is now open. AFM 2021 Online will feature Industry Offices, Screenings, Conferences, Panels and Workshops, the Networking Pavilion, LocationEXPO, and more. Event updates will be... Read More 

Jason Momoa doesn't get to play many ordinary guys. He's Aquaman. He's Khal Drogo. He's Conan the Barbarian. It's part of the reason why he wanted to be in "Sweet Girl," a new action drama out on Netflix. In the film he's an ordinary Pittsburgh father named Ray Cooper who vows to get revenge against a pharmaceutical company he blames for his wife's death. As a father himself, it was a natural fit, and he got to hand pick the actress who'd pay his on screen daughter: "Instant Family's" Isabela... Read More 

NEW YORK (AP) -- Hours after leaving office, scandal-tainted former New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo suffered another defeat Tuesday, losing the special Emmy Award he received last year for his daily, televised briefings on the coronavirus pandemic. The International Academy of Television Arts & Sciences said in a statement that given Cuomo's resignation amid a torrent of sexual harassment allegations it was taking away the prize and removing any reference to him in its official materials. A message seeking... Read More 

NEW YORK -- Effie Worldwide has announced the marketing leaders who will serve on the Grand Jury for the 2021 Effie Awards United States competition. The Grand Effie jury will select the most effective, impactful work of the year as the recipient of the “best in show”, the Grand Effie. The year’s competition reflects the work and results achieved during the onset of the pandemic. The Grand Effie winner will serve as both a symbol of the industry’s resilience and benchmark for the path forward. Leading this... Read More 

SEOUL, South Korea -- International competition Ad Stars has revealed its Grand Prix of the Year winners, which will both be awarded with a $10,000 prize. Saatchi & Saatchi Australia won Grand Prix of the Year for “Donation Dollar,” created for the Royal Australian Mint. This campaign also won three Grand Prix awards in the Brand Experience & Activation, Design and Direct categories. The innovative redesign of the Australian $1 coin was minted as a call to action and stamped with the message Donation Dollar... Read More 

MIAMI -- Global independent creative agency GUT has brought Danny Alvarez aboard as its newest executive creative director. He reports to Juan Javier Peña Plaza and Ricardo Casal, executive creative directors, North America, and global partners. Alvarez has already wrapped his first project as ECD at GUT, helping to creatively lead the launch of the booking platform GetYourGuide to the U.S. market through its #DogeToTheEarth campaign. The campaign encourages wanderlust travelers to stop HODLing Dogecoin... Read More 

ROCHESTER, NY -- Integrated creative agency Partners + Napier has brought on board Matt Schwartz as director, growth, Lisa Della Piana as associate creative director, Janine Perry as director, strategy, and Rachel Meyer as director of media. Rochester native Schwartz will lead all business development efforts at Partners + Napier, including strategic prospecting and pitching within the agency’s key verticals, which include health & wellness, food & beverage and technology. He is also tasked with... Read More 

Four new films with major stars from Hugh Jackman to Michael Keaton opened in North American movie theaters this weekend and only the one with animated puppies fared well. But it wasn't enough to beat out Ryan Reynolds' action-comedy "Free Guy," which topped the charts for the second weekend running. "PAW Patrol: The Movie," a Paramount release targeted at very young kids that's also streaming on Paramount+, earned $13 million in ticket sales according to studio estimates Sunday. It was by far... Read More 

There's an urban legend that says if you repeat the name "Candyman" aloud five times in front of a mirror, you summon a hook-handed killer. After seeing Nia DaCosta's film of the same name, you'll never be tempted to do that. You might even not want anything sweet again. Heck, cancel Halloween. Equal parts cerebral, political and gross-out, "Candyman" is a worthy addition to the library of top-notch social thrillers being built by Jordan Peele and it marks a stunning step forward for director... Read More 

HONG KONG (AP) -- Hong Kong authorities on Tuesday said they plan to amend a film censorship law to forbid screenings of movies deemed contrary to national security. The proposed changes to Hong Kong's Film Censorship Ordinance would step up censorship of movies in the semi-autonomous city, expanding an ongoing crackdown on political dissent that has led to the closure of various pro-democracy organizations and the arrests of dozens of activists. The amendments would require a censor to determine whether a film... Read More 

NEW YORK -- The One Club for Creativity expands its commitment to promoting diversity and inclusion in advertising and marketing with the launch of ONE Production: Food Styling, an initiative sponsored by Popeyes®, to encourage ethnic diversity in production. The pilot program kicks off this fall as a free 10-week online training course for BIPOC students teaching them how to style food for print and video shoots. The program is designed to inform students of the career opportunities available in food... Read More 

NEW YORK -- Camp Kuleshov, AICP’s annual trailer competition for all assistants in postproduction, has returned for 2021 with a new slate of films for assistants to reimagine as they show off their creative and craft skills across the categories of Editorial, Graphics and Sound Design. Named after Lev Kuleshov, the Russian film theorist whose writings on the power of editing came to be known as The Kuleshov Effect, Camp Kuleshov is open to assistants, junior creatives, admin and entry-level employees at... Read More 

LONDON -- Create Not Hate--a diversity advocacy group founded by Trevor Robinson OBE, creative director at London ad agency/production company Quiet Storm--has joined forces with British retailer John Lewis to run a program targeted at young people who are underrepresented in the creative industry. The aim is to give these young people new opportunities and spread awareness of the industry and job roles within it. The John Lewis Partnership is funding the new program, and the retailer--famous for its... Read More 

LOS ANGELES (AP) -- Fox News Channel, bolstered by viewers' rapt attention to the U.S.-led evacuation from Afghanistan, was last week's most-watched TV outlet on broadcast or cable, according to Nielsen company figures out Tuesday. The channel averaged just under 3 million viewers. Fox News Channel outpaced both its cable news competition and the broadcast networks that typically jockey for the top spot. The channel, which is popular with conservative-leaning viewers, surged following the Taliban's sudden conquest... Read More 

NASHVILLE -- The coronavirus vaccine gave the live entertainment industry hope for a rebound in 2021. Now, as COVID-19 cases surge and hospital beds fill up, it feels like March 2020 all over again. Tom DeGeorge runs the popular Crowbar club in Tampa, Florida, that once hosted about 300 concerts a year, mostly touring bands. He managed to stay afloat and reopen last fall, hosting about six shows a month. But with cases surging in Florida, show cancellations have racked up and attendance has plummeted. “The... Read More 

LOS ANGELES (AP) -- A 30-year-old man who appeared nude at 4 months old in 1991 on the cover of Nirvana’s “Nevermind” album is suing the band and others, alleging the image is child pornography they have profited from. The lawsuit, filed by Spencer Elden on Tuesday in federal court in California, alleges that Nirvana and the record labels behind “Nevermind” “intentionally commercially marketed Spencer’s child pornography and leveraged the shocking nature of his image to promote themselves and their music at his... Read More 

“Mine, Mind”--the latest film from director Fenn O’Meally of production house SMUGGLER--is an imaginative evocation and cinematic rendering of the “young mind” and the “old mind.” Starring drummer Femi Koleoso, the film is structured around a conversation he and O’Meally had about the innocence, joyousness and intuition of the child’s mind and protecting that sense of wonder in the creative process. The film itself is a representation of director O’Meally tapping back into the playfulness of... Read More 

The effortless, enjoyable experience of rail travel is brought to life in a campaign for U.K. train operator Avanti West Coast created by adam&eveDDB in London--and starring a rollerblading turtle. “Feel Good Travel” follows the joyous journey of a turtle who skillfully ducks and dives through the streets of London on its rollerblades, avoiding the tedium of traffic jams and roadworks and effortlessly escaping to the countryside--much to the surprise of a horse and some sheep. The idea is... Read More 

Creative studio Significant Others produced this emotional film--directed by Miky Wolf, executive produced/creative directed by Bart Sher, written by Aaron Sorkin and narrated by Jeff Daniels--to mark the return of Broadway shows after 18 months of closure. Featuring the cast and crew of Harper Lee’s "To Kill a Mockingbird" as well as other Broadway shows, “Welcome Back” celebrates the return of theater after more than a year of pandemic-related darkness. The film recalls the Broadway shutdown... Read More 

Words alone can’t describe the joy of sipping your first oatmilk latte. So Califia Farms and Goodby Silverstein & Partners (GS&P) made a musical instead. Their first work together, the inaugural campaign celebrates the Califia brand with the phrase “Calilujah!” and unveils a full-on plant-based production--complete with synchronized baristas, dancing cookies and a giant piano shaped like the iconic Califia bottle. “Our goal was to highlight the aha moment and feeling of joy that comes... Read More 

Condé Nast creative studio and Condé Nast in-house creative agency CNX has launched “The Art of Drive,” an innovative global content collaboration designed to educate and inspire the next generation of creators with boundary-pushing ideas and storytelling. The first-of-its-kind partnership between Porsche, Condé Nast, and DRUM, “The Art of Drive” initiative brings together Vogue, Vogue Business, and WIRED, and their collective audience of more than 150 million in Germany, the U.K., and the U.S... Read More 

Havas London is behind a new campaign for EDF which showcases how the energy giant can help drivers reduce emissions while they sleep--by charging their cars overnight with zero-carbon electricity, all for an economical cost. In this film directed by Frederick Paxton of Academy Films, we feel the positive energy flowing around the U.K. as EVs charge up on zero-carbon electricity throughout the night. Out of the silence, we hear a hushed choral version of “Busy Doing Nothing,” the Richard M... Read More 

While you can’t control your neighbor (or her cats), Rocket Mortgage puts you in control of your home loan options. Station Film’s Brendan Gibbons directs “Cats,” via Rock Central, conveying that there is such a thing as “too much” even for ardent cat lovers. It’s the latest directed by Gibbons in the ongoing “Rocket Can” campaign. Others he’s directed include “DIY Landlord,” “Puppy” and “Holes.” “I love working with the folks at Rocket,” Gibbons said. “We always start with great ideas. Their... Read More 

When it comes to playing the New York Lottery, folks have their favorite numbers. Lucky numbers. Birthdays. Anniversaries. With the newly re-branded Twice Daily Games from the New York Lottery, those players now have two chances a day to play their numbers. Win4, NUMBERS and Take 5 are easy to play draw games. To encourage players to “Spend More Time with Their Numbers,” McCann New York brought those numbers to life in this :30 spot directed by Aaron Ruell of Sanctuary Content. The spot... Read More 

Dairylea, the little triangle of cheese that kids can take anywhere, returns with a brand campaign which champions childhood in its purest form The U.K. campaign focuses on the small wonder of moments when kids have a little bit of time to themselves, especially with a small triangle of cheese wrapped in silver foil in hand This marks the first work agency VCCP London has done for Dairylea since becoming its creative agency last summer. Centerpiece of the campaign is this 40-second spot which... Read More 

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