LOS ANGELES -- In the midst of Women’s History Month--and with International Women’s Day (3/8) having been commemorated just last week--the time seems especially right to celebrate the dual career of cinematographer/educator Amy Vincent, ASC. And indeed she was formally celebrated at the American Society of Cinematographers (ASC) Awards earlier this month, receiving the coveted Presidents Award for her dedicated service to the ASC. But the truth is that her past achievements and ongoing work are cause for... Read More 

LOS ANGELES (AP) -- Hollywood has been able to put on a show of happiness and something akin to normalcy as it struggles to shake off the effects of the dual strikes and one of the most tumultuous years in industry history. Yet Sunday's Academy Awards didn't sidestep the labor strife that left its screenwriters and actors out of work for much of 2023. The acknowledgment — prominent amid muted acknowledgment of the strikes during other awards shows this season — comes as behind-the-scenes crews could be next to... Read More 

LOS ANGELES (AP) -- “Oppenheimer,” a solemn three-hour biopic that became an unlikely billion-dollar box-office sensation, was crowned best picture at a 96th Academy Awards that doubled as a coronation for Christopher Nolan. After passing over arguably Hollywood’s foremost big-screen auteur for years, the Oscars made up for lost time by heaping seven awards on Nolan’s blockbuster biopic, including best actor for Cillian Murphy, best supporting actor for Robert Downey Jr., best director for Nolan, best... Read More 

LOS ANGELES (AP) -- The Academy Awards were full of sure-things, long-awaited anointments and easy predictions. The "Oppenheimer" romp. Ryan Gosling's Ken stealing the show. That put even more focus on the category that was hardest to call: best actress. When Emma Stone was announced as the winner, a ceremony light on surprise got a genuine shock, perfectly illustrated by Stone's stunned expression. Stone's win, for her sensational performance in "Poor Things," was hard not to cast as a defeat for Lily Gladstone... Read More 

SANTA FE, N.M. (AP) -- Defense attorneys for Alec Baldwin urged a New Mexico judge on Thursday to dismiss a grand jury indictment against the actor in the fatal shooting of a cinematographer on the set of the Western movie "Rust." The indictment in January charged Baldwin with involuntary manslaughter in the death of cinematographer Halyna Hutchins on Oct. 21, 2021, at a movie ranch on the outskirts of Santa Fe. Baldwin has pleaded not guilty to the charge. His attorneys in a new court filing accused prosecutors of "... Read More 

SANTA FE, N.M. (AP) -- A judge has scheduled sentencing next month for a movie set armorer convicted of involuntary manslaughter in the fatal shooting of a cinematographer by Alec Baldwin on the set of the Western film "Rust," court records indicated Wednesday. Armorer Hannah Gutierrez-Reed was convicted by a jury last week in the shooting on the outskirts of Santa Fe, New Mexico, during a rehearsal in October 2021. Baldwin was indicted by a grand jury in January and has pleaded not guilty to an involuntary... Read More 

LOS ANGELES (AP) -- Throughout the billion-dollar "Barbie" film, an instrumental version of Billie Eilish's hit "What Was I Made For" weaves in and out, soundtracking the famous doll's existential crisis. In the final scene — no spoilers! — Eilish's crackling, saccharine falsetto is finally heard atop the familiar piano. Cue the waterworks. It is one of many standout musical moments in a movie stacked with them: from Dua Lipa's disco-pop "Dance the Night," with lyrics that perfectly sync up to Margot Robbie's... Read More 

KYIV, Ukraine (AP) -- Ukraine awoke Monday to another day of war — Russian drones blasted buildings in the Kharkiv and Odesa regions — but also the news it had won its first Oscar. The best documentary victory for Mstyslav Chernov's "20 Days in Mariupol," a harrowing first-person account by The Associated Press journalist of the early days of Russia's invasion in 2022, was bittersweet. "This is the first Oscar in Ukrainian history, and I'm honored," an emotional Chernov said Sunday at the Academy Awards. "Probably I... Read More 

LOS ANGELES (AP) -- The harrowing Holocaust drama " The Zone of Interest," which explores questions of complicity while depicting the mundane lives of a Nazi family in their home adjacent to the Auschwitz death camp, won the Academy Award for best international film. "Our film shows where dehumanization leads, at its worst," writer-director Jonathan Glazer said in accepting the Oscar. "Right now we stand here as men who refute their Jewishness and the Holocaust being hijacked by an occupation which has led to... Read More 

There's a scene in the new Peacock drama "Apples Never Fall " in which Annette Bening 's character weeps after having too much to drink at a family party. "Nobody can break your heart like your own children," she laments. Bening, a mother of four with husband Warren Beatty, understands something about parent-child relationships. She emphasizes her character's emotions with a line from Shakespeare. "'Sharper than a serpent's tooth it is to have a thankless child,'" she said in an interview. "We... Read More 

AUSTIN, Texas (AP) -- Coming nearly straight from the Oscars with a truck full of Kenergy, Ryan Gosling and Emily Blunt rolled into the South By Southwest Film and TV Festival to premiere "The Fall Guy," an affectionate, action-fueled ode to stunt work and the dedicated professionals that throw their bodies into filmmaking. "The Fall Guy," directed by stuntman-turned-filmmaker David Leitch, was perhaps the most anticipated world premiere to hit this year's edition of SXSW. Given that Blunt and Gosling were both... Read More 

LOS ANGELES (AP) -- If you participated in Atlanta's wildest gathering called Freaknik back in the day, then beware: You might be featured in Hulu's new documentary about the legendary street party that became popular through folklore tales involving gridlock traffic, public nudity and highway debauchery. Many of those images will certainly be on full display in "Freaknik: The Wildest Story Never Told." But the documentary isn't just focused on the hyper-sexualized environment and public safety concerns attached... Read More 

WASHINGTON (AP) -- The House on Wednesday passed a bill that would lead to a nationwide ban of the popular video app TikTok if its China-based owner doesn't sell, as lawmakers acted on concerns that the company's current ownership structure is a national security threat. The bill, passed by a vote of 352-65, now goes to the Senate, where its prospects are unclear. TikTok, which has more than 150 million American users, is a wholly owned subsidiary of Chinese technology firm ByteDance Ltd. The lawmakers contend... Read More 

LONDON -- Havas has acquired U.K.-based Wilderness, bringing deep social marketing expertise to Havas globally and enhancing the existing social media services offered within Havas Village London, its PR agencies, and Havas Play, the global network dedicated to connecting brands to consumer passions through experiences that put brands at the crossroads of culture, entertainment, and sports. The acquisition is the latest strategic move by Havas to evolve its operating model to accelerate clients’... Read More 

NEW YORK -- Rudi Schwab has come aboard the directorial roster of BODEGA for U.S. representation spanning commercials and branded content. Schwab and BODEGA are kicking off their partnership with a campaign out of indie agency LERMA/Dallas. His body of work includes such brands as Google, AT&T, HP and Gillette. Schwab began his career in Los Angeles as a celebrity and fashion photographer before making the move to directing commercials. Prior to joining BODEGA, he had been repped in the advertising... Read More 

LOS ANGELES -- Bicoastal Mutt Film has signed Italian director/cinematographer Adriano Falconi for exclusive representation in North America spanning commercials and branded content. Falconi began his career in Milan studying fine arts. He was drawn to cinematography because of the unique blend of the technical, and the deeply aesthetic nature of being a photographer. Literally looking through a lens and knowing what to focus on helped him bring his stories to life. And It’s ultimately stories that inspire... Read More 

NEW YORK -- Imagine This, a global creative studio serving the advertising sector, has been launched under the aegis of founder and CEO Toby Walsham who previously served as managing director and partner of U.K. production company FAMILIA. Joining Walsham at Imagine This--which offers talent and resources ranging from strategy and insight to production, postproduction, creative direction, and technology services--are Dave East as partner and creative director, Robyn Walsham as partner and chief brand... Read More 

MONTREAL -- Filmmaker and photographer Gerardo Alcaine has joined the roster of L’ÉLOI for commercials, branded content and music videos worldwide. This marks his first representation in the U.S. market. Originally from El Salvador, Alcaine found his passion for visual storytelling while residing in Montreal, gaining recognition for his work on music videos for local musicians including Milk and Bone, Gabrielle Shonk and Valence. He has since expanded his repertoire to include commercial projects such as... Read More 

CHICAGO -- Bradley Tangonan--a Filipino American director, born in Hawaii and based in New York City--has connected with Method & Madness for representation spanning commercials and branded content. Tangonan’s work has been featured on platforms such as Tribeca X, the ADDY Awards, Nowness, The Atlantic, and Vimeo Staff Picks. He has collaborated with such clients as Google, The North Face, Cadillac, Johnnie Walker, Bausch + Lomb, Square and CB2, among others. In 2020, Tangonan came up a winner in the... Read More 

KYIV, Ukraine (AP) -- The shortened version of the international broadcast of the 96th Oscars faced harsh criticism in Ukraine for omitting the segment announcing the documentary feature award, which went to Mstyslav Chernov's "20 Days in Mariupol." The documentary, a collaboration between The Associated Press and PBS' "Frontline," is a harrowing first-person account set in the Ukrainian port city during the early days of Russia's invasion in 2022. Ukraine's public broadcaster Suspilne, the exclusive broadcaster of... Read More 

LOS ANGELES (AP) -- Kristen Stewart knows that not everyone should make movies. She also knows that Rose Glass should. The 34-year-old English director and screenwriter is one of those rare original storytellers with daring things to say and the vision to do them justice. In other words, definitely not "everybody." Glass' first film " Saint Maud," was a chilling picture of faith and madness. Her second, " Love Lies Bleeding " (expanding in theaters this weekend) is also kind of about madness but of different sorts... Read More 

LONDON (AP) -- Now that he's been doing it for well over half a century, Anthony Hopkins believes acting is much "easier" now. "As you get older, you have a little more knowledge of life. When you're young, you think you know a thing or two, but you don't. When you get to my age, you know a couple of tricks for a living," the 86-year-old, who stars as real-life hero Nicholas Winton in "One Life," said in a recent interview. His "tricks" to acting are very simple: "Just learn the lines, show up and try to be... Read More 

A new series transforms the assassination of President Abraham Lincoln into a true crime thriller that goes deeper into the story than most textbooks. Most who studied Lincoln in school learn he was assassinated by a man named John Wilkes Booth. Lincoln was watching a play with his wife, Mary Todd Lincoln, at Ford's Theatre when Booth came from behind and shot him. What isn't as widely remembered is that Booth killed the president just five days after the surrender of Confederate General Robert... Read More 

AUSTIN, Texas (AP) -- A panel featuring Meghan the Duchess of Sussex came together on International Women's Day to discuss how women and mothers are portrayed in traditional media and across social media, among other issues. The panel was part of the annual SXSW (South by Southwest) being held through March 16 in Austin, Texas, and also included actor, model and author Brooke Shields, journalist Katie Couric and sociologist Nancy Wang Yuen. SXSW showcases music, film and interactive media. Meghan — responding to a... Read More 

Just in time for election year, a new Max series called " The Girls on the Bus " follows female journalists who are part of a traveling press corps with presidential candidates on the campaign trail. These candidates are fictional but may be a reminder to people more familiar. They include Felicity Walker — played by Hettienne Park — who came close to winning the presidency four years prior and is trying again, and Hayden Wells Garrett, an "awe-shucks" widower war vet who is mayor of a Midwest... Read More 

LONDON (AP) -- Europeans scrolling their phones and computers this week have new choices for default browsers and search engines, where to download iPhone apps and how their personal online data is used. They're part of changes required under the Digital Markets Act, a set of European Union regulations that six tech companies classed as "gatekeepers" — Amazon, Apple, Google parent Alphabet, Meta, Microsoft and TikTok owner ByteDance — began following on Thursday (3/7). The DMA is the latest in a series of... Read More 

LOS ANGELES -- Casting Society (CSA) honored excellence in casting across feature film, television (scripted and unscripted), commercials and theatre at the 39th Annual Artios Awards on Thursday (3/7), with ceremonies in Los Angeles, New York and London. Feature film winners were Killers of the Flower Moon, The Holdovers, Past Lives, Barbie, Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse, Are You There God? It’s Me, Margaret , along with Memory and Summoning Sylvia . Among the TV winners were The Bear, Succession, The... Read More 

By the time Nicholas Winton died in 2015 at the ripe age of 106, the former London stockbroker and self-proclaimed "ordinary man" had been widely recognized for his extraordinary deeds — rescuing 669 Jewish children from the Nazis, saving them from certain death. But for most of his life, Winton's rescue of those children from Czechoslovakia on the eve of World War II, bringing them to safety in Britain, was unknown to the public. His story was revealed dramatically on the BBC show "That's Life... Read More 

LOS ANGELES (AP) -- As Universal Pictures prepared for a big night at the Academy Awards with "Oppenheimer," the studio also celebrated the No. 1 debut of "Kung Fu Panda 4," which collected $58.3 million in domestic theaters over the weekend, according to estimates Sunday. "Kung Fu Panda 4," the first film in the DreamWorks Animation franchise since the third installment in 2016, got off to a better start than all but the 2008 original. That "Kung Fu Panda," which began the mystical adventures of Jack Black's... Read More 

This film follows a woman dancing as she moves through different phases and milestones of her life while listening to a wide variety of songs and interviews that each have a unique place on SiriusXM, emphasizing the breadth and depth of audio experiences available on the audio entertainment service. By showcasing a life in sound, this piece reflects how SiriusXM brings listeners closer to what they love and what moves them throughout their lives. Titled “A Life in Sound,” the film was directed... Read More 

British farming likes you to imagine green pastures and idyllic barnyard scenes of years gone by but this film for PETA depicts a brutal reality. Today, most British meat comes from animals that are factory-farmed. The vast majority of animals raised for the table and fast food takeaway live absolutely rotten lives. Biscuit Filmworks partnered with Grey London and PETA to create “Pig Farm,” a dark but humorous look at the realities of where our pork comes from. Directed by Jeff Low, the... Read More 

The goal for MANSCAPED’s “The Boys” campaign from agency Pereira O’Dell was to stop treating male groin grooming like it’s some kind of taboo. It’s 2024 and about time that we normalize groin grooming for the benefit of men (and their partners) everywhere. The challenge? How to talk about men’s nether regions in a TV-safe way. Enter the visual metaphor. This depicts the...you know what...as a pair of miniatures identical to every full-size male character, always attached to him at hip height... Read More 

World War Seven’s (WW7) Lizzy Born directed this spot for Maybelline’s Instant Eraser Treatment Makeup starring the brand’s new spokesperson, Mindy Kaling. Titled “Ma’am,” the wryly comedic commercial from agency Gotham NY puts a fresh perspective on a common aging stereotype: being called ma’am by someone younger--and the complex feelings that arise alongside it. Kaling’s famously quick wit takes center stage as she reacts with a well-structured response that organically weaves in her outlook... Read More 

Imagine that you’ve coaxed iconic rocker Alice Cooper to appear in a short video promoting the final entry deadline into your advertising awards competition for music and sound, only to learn that he has no idea what it is. On top of that, Cooper is a bit confused as to why he has been asked to do something for an event he’s never heard of in the first place. Cooper at one point is bewildered that an awards show for advertising somehow needs advertising. His manager will hear about this. So... Read More 

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