LOS ANGELES -- Roger Deakins, ASC, BSC, received a standing ovation when he came on stage this past Sunday (3/4) to accept the Best Cinematography Oscar for Blade Runner 2049 (Warner Bros.). The tribute from the industry audience was not just for his work on that film but recognition for a heralded artist who had never won an Academy Award before despite 13 previous nominations spanning such movies as Sicario, Skyfall, True Grit, Fargo, No Country for Old Men and The Shawshank Redemption . His 14th career... Read More, Comment

NEW YORK (AP) -- Forty-six percent of the 96 films premiering at this year’s Tribeca Film Festival are directed by women — a record for Tribeca — including the festival’s closing night selection: Liz Garbus’ New York Times documentary “The Fourth Estate.” The annual New York festival announced the feature film lineup for its 17th edition on Wednesday. Closing the festival will be “The Fourth Estate,” for which Garbus spent months in the Times newsroom documenting the paper’s inner-workings after President... Read More, Comment

NEW YORK -- The Tribeca Film Festival has set the lineup for the 2018 Tribeca Immersive program which showcases works by artists who are pushing boundaries, using technology to tell stories and create new experiences. The Virtual Arcade lineup, presented by AT&T, includes 21 world premiere VR/AR exhibits as well as five Storyscapes experiences in competition. The program takes place at the Tribeca Festival Hub from April 20-28. A new addition to Tribeca Immersive is Tribeca Cinema360, a VR theater... Read More, Comment

LOS ANGELES (AP) -- Against all odds, love won out at the 90th Academy Awards. Guillermo del Toro's lavish, full-hearted monster romance "The Shape of Water" swam away with best picture at an Oscar ceremony flooded by a sense of a change for a movie business confronting the post-Harvey Weinstein era. The ceremony, held Sunday at the Dolby Theatre in Los Angeles, exorcised some demons — like last year's envelope fiasco — and wrestled with other, deeper problems in Hollywood, like gender equality and diversity. "The... Read More, Comment

LOS ANGELES (AP) -- Jordan Peele had to dig deep to get the horror-satire "Get Out" to the screen, and his reward was the first original screenplay Oscar for an African-American. "This means so much to me," Peele said as he accepted the trophy Sunday. "I stopped writing this movie about 20 times because I thought it was impossible. I thought it wasn't going to work. I thought no one is ever going to make this movie. "But I kept coming back to it because I knew if someone let me make this movie, that people would... Read More, Comment

SANTA MONICA, Calif.(AP) -- Jordan Peele’s “Get Out” won best film and best director on Saturday at the 33rd Independent Film Spirit Awards, a day before the horror sensation will vie for top honors at the Academy Awards. The wins for Peele’s directorial debut gave the Spirits, a celebration of indie filmmaking, something unusual: a box-office behemoth. Made for just $4.5 million, “Get Out” grossed $255 million worldwide. “We are in the beginning of a renaissance right now, where stories from the outsider, stories from... Read More, Comment

LOS ANGELES (AP) -- Ava DuVernay didn't pick up a camera until the age of 32. It's an extraordinary fact, considering the trajectories of most Hollywood directors. Orson Welles filmed "Citizen Kane" at 25. Steven Spielberg was 27 when he made "Jaws." A 23-year-old John Singleton directed "Boyz N the Hood." It was already doubtful that DuVernay could jump from a career in film marketing and publicity so late and without even a film degree to back her up. That she is also a black woman made it even more unlikely... Read More, Comment

LOS ANGELES -- RSA Films has added filmmaker Ewan McGregor for commercial representation globally. The acclaimed film, theatre and TV actor, who won a Golden Globe this year for Best Actor in FX’s Fargo , is also a natural behind the camera. His directorial credits include feature film American Pastoral which he starred in with Jennifer Connelly and Dakota Fanning, and the original short film Bone , part of Time Out’s Tube Tales series based on the true-life experiences of London Underground passengers. “We... Read More, Comment

LOS ANGELES -- BBH LA has expanded its creative team with a series of new hires, including the appointment of Johnnie Ingram as creative director. Ingram--who’s charged with leading the agency’s work across Google--reports to Zach Hilder, executive creative director at BBH LA. Ingram brings 14-plus years of experience in advertising as a designer, director, photographer and creative director. Prior to joining BBH, he was creative director at Saatchi & Saatchi, where he oversaw the General Mills, Cheerios... Read More, Comment

LOS ANGELES & LONDON -- Biscuit Filmworks has signed director Daniel Warwick for representation in the U.S. and U.K. The company will also handle director Laerke Herthoni--who’s available in the U.S. market via Iconoclast--in the U.K. This marks Herthoni’s first U.K. representation. Warwick was previously with Reset in the U.S. and Academy in the U.K. His notable credits include Smart’s “Yellow Car,” Mercedes-Benz’s “Chicken” and Das Handwerk’s “The Way of the Master,” which collectively earned recognition from the... Read More, Comment

NEW YORK -- Patrick Lafferty has been appointed U.S. president of mcgarrybowen, He succeeds Simon Pearce who recently departed the agency. Lafferty will take on his new role in the spring, reporting to Nick Brien, CEO, Americas, Dentsu Aegis Network (DAN), parent to mcgarrybowen. Lafferty will oversee mcgarrybowen’s offices in New York, Chicago and San Francisco. Lafferty brings more than 25 years of experience leading creative agencies and brands. Most recently, Lafferty served as president of independent... Read More, Comment

LOS ANGELES -- The international directing duo of Inti Calfat and Dirk Verheye, best known within the industry as Norman Bates, has joined production company BRF for representation in the U.S. and Stockholm. Norman Bates had previously been handled by production house Stink. Calfat and Verheye first met in a scriptwriting course seven years ago. After working together on a TV show, they joined forces to create their first-ever music video as the newly branded Norman Bates for Rapper Roscoe called “Lowlands.”... Read More, Comment

CHICAGO & LOS ANGELES -- Tessa Films, a production company founded late last year by partners and EPs Lisa Masseur and Reid Brody, has added filmmakers Toben Seymour and Meghann Artes to its roster. Seymour has shot work with Masseur via ONE at Optimus and, before that, at Radar Studios. For Artes, this is her first representation agreement with a production company in the U.S., having been repped by You Are Here in the U.K. for the last few years.” Seymour is known for incorporating puppets into his live action work,... Read More, Comment

NEW YORK (AP) -- The 90th annual Academy Awards were, by any definition, a moment of triumph for Latinos. Guillermo del Toro became the third Mexican-born filmmaker to win best director, and it was his lavish Cold War fantasy "The Shape of Water" that was crowned best picture. Pixar's box-office smash "Coco," the biggest budget studio release to feature a largely Hispanic cast, won best animated feature and best song. Lin-Manuel Miranda reminded viewers of Puerto Rico, rebuilding from Hurricane Maria. Lupita... Read More, Comment

NEW YORK (AP) -- A group of investors pulled out of a deal to buy the beleaguered Weinstein Co. on Tuesday after discovering tens of millions of dollars in undisclosed debt, according to people familiar with the negotiations. Businesswoman Maria Contreras-Sweet, who has been leading the group of buyers along with billionaire investor Ron Burkle, said in a statement that "disappointing information about the viability of completing this transaction" had led her to call off the sale. She didn't offer further... Read More, Comment

PARIS (AP) -- The French film world may be having its #MeToo moment. One after another, stars showed up at the industry's top awards show Friday wearing a white ribbon in a protest against sexual misconduct. Throughout the Cesar Awards ceremony, presenters and winners referenced the movement that has campaigned for an end to abuses by powerful men. And the packed concert hall stood in ovation as the presenter called on everyone to support the #MaintenantOnAgit (Now We Act) campaign launched this week, aimed... Read More, Comment

BEVERLY HILLS, Calif. -- The lnternational Cinematographers Guild (ICG, IATSE Local 600) Publicists announced and honored winners of its 55th Annual ICG Publicists Awards at the Beverly Hilton Hotel. Get Out (Universal Pictures) won the top honors for Best Publicity Campaign for Motion Pictures, and Stranger Things 2 (Netflix/Wonder View) earned distinction for the Best Publicity Campaign in Television. This year’s luncheon, which traditionally occurs the week leading up to the Academy Awards®, was chaired by Henri... Read More, Comment

Go ahead, pick your favorite young, villain-vanquishing fantasy heroine. Meg Murry probably came first. Katniss Everdeen? She arrived in 2001. Hermione Granger? That was 1997. Elphaba, the green girl from "Wicked"? 2003. But Meg, the reluctant, bespectacled heroine of Madeleine L'Engle's classic "A Wrinkle in Time," has been with us, and on the shelves of middle-schoolers, since 1962. Enter Ava DuVernay, tapped by Disney to put her own spin on this tale of self-discovery across the space-time... Read More, Comment

Just as history enshrines its heroes, it aggrandizes its villains. The most fearsome perpetrators of evil can become calcified in the horror of their atrocities. It becomes easy to imagine them as stern, foreboding figures who could have only earned their impunity through obsessive, bloodthirsty rigor. But of course, as Armando Iannucci's "The Death of Stalin" illustrates, many of history's monsters weren't nearly as imposing as their reputations. They were idiots. They were vulgar, uncouth,... Read More, Comment

LOS ANGELES (AP) -- Wakanda's reign shows no signs of waning. "Black Panther" is king of the box office for the third straight weekend. The release from Marvel and Disney brought in $65.7 million domestically this weekend, easily outpacing new releases "Red Sparrow" and "Death Wish," according to studio estimates Sunday. "Black Panther" has now grossed $500 million domestically after three weeks of release. It's the third fastest film to reach the $500 million plateau. "Disney is clearly on a roll with 'Black... Read More, Comment

NEW YORK (AP) -- It wasn’t so long ago that zombies, and “The Walking Dead,” were all the rage. This week’s ratings show how that’s faded. The latest episode of the AMC series was seen by 6.82 million viewers on Sunday, the drama’s smallest audience since 2012. For the youthful 18-to-49-year-old demographic, it was the worst showing since 2010. “The Walking Dead” this week competed directly against the Oscars, which themselves had a record low viewership. The first night ratings are also hurt by the same... Read More, Comment

Dee Rees directed and wrote via production house Anonymous Content this sci-fi :60, “The Box,” for Walmart out of Saatchi & Saatchi NY. The project re-teamed the filmmaker with her fellow Oscar nominees and Mudbound collaborators, cinematographer Rachel Morrison, ASC, and actress Mary J. Blige. Rees partnered with MPC to bring to life a playful, touching and out-of-this world film — even developing a scary monster straight from the imagination of a child. The :60 premiered during Sunday’s (... Read More, Comment

BBDO Toronto conceived of a “Greatness is Rare” campaign to show the remarkable talents of Canadian Paralympians who will be competing in the upcoming 2018 Paralympic Winter Games in PyeongChang, South Korea. In this spot, we are introduced to captain of the Canadian Para ice hockey team, Greg Westlake. Kacper Larski of production house Asymetric directed the three spots in this campaign which does more than promote the athletes and their exploits. It also launches a digital strategy by giving... Read More, Comment

During the Academy Awards telecast on Sunday (3/4), this spot debuted promoting the highly anticipated Academy Museum of Motion Pictures. Wieden+Kennedy in Portland, Ore., created the :30 which plays off the museum’s mission to bring unparalleled experiences and insights into movies and moviemaking. Viewers are invited to stay at the newly renovated Overlook Hotel made famous by Stanley Kubrick’s 1980 film, The Shining. The commercial was created entirely through the use of original film... Read More, Comment

Brian Billow of production house O Positive directed and came up with the creative premise for this AICP Awards call-for-entries film which underscores that winning an AICP honor--and getting your work into the archives of the Department of Film at The Museum of Modern Art (MoMA)--is pretty heady stuff. And it’s gone to the head of a few notable creatives who have taken on alternate personalities such as Pete Favat, chief creative officer of Deutsch North America, channeling his inner Andy... Read More, Comment

In this short celebrating International Women’s Day, Patricia Williams shares her story about becoming a McDonald’s owner-operator 30 years ago. She quit her job and took everything she had to buy her first restaurant. Fast forward to today and now she and her daughters Kerri and Nicole own 18 McDonald’s restaurants. To commemorate International Women’s Day, at Patricia Williams’ first McDonald’s in Lynwood, Calif., every “M” has been flipped to a “W,” including the iconic Golden Arches... Read More, Comment

Actress/comedian Melissa McCarthy settled into the director’s chair for this Walmart “Magic Box” spot which debuted during the Oscars telecast (3/4). The commercial shows the negative effects of childhood bullying on one’s potential with “The Box” providing the opportunity to break away from past hurdles and reach for the stars in pursuit of our dreams. Pony Show Entertainment produced the spot for Saatchi & Saatchi NY, with Heidi Black of Whitehouse Post editing, and Ben Freer of Eleven... Read More, Comment

The Martin Agency brings back animated character McGruff the Crime Dog, nostalgic mascot for the National Crime Prevention Council, in this GEICO spot directed by Randy Krallman of Smuggler. McGruff has solved a crime but is having trouble being taken seriously by his live-action detective colleagues who can only humor him with baby talk--the way many of us talk to dogs and puppies. GEICO’s spokesman intervenes, noting that as long as people baby talk their dogs and puppies, GEICO will offer... Read More, Comment

This video reflects the fact that “fabulous lips are those that have something powerful to say,” underscoring the importance of women’s voices. Bianca Giaever of m ss ng p eces directed this video for Soap & Glory out of agency DAVID Miami, with experiential design by Yehuda Duenyas. For every post shared using #MoreThanLips, Soap & Glory will donate $5 (up to $20,000) to She Should Run, a national organization that is working to increase the number of women running for elected office. Read More, Comment

In this TV spot from agency Barton F. Graf, skateboarders learn about the raddest Little Caesars lunch combo deal from the coolest office guy in the skatepark. Harold Einstein of Dummy Films directed the :30, which is titled “Skatepark.” Read More, Comment