Actor Peter Spears waited a long time to produce his first feature, Call Me by Your Name (Sony Pictures Classics). Clearly the wait was worth it--not just because the coming-of-age tale earned him a Best Picture Oscar nomination but also that the on-again, off-again roller coaster ride that extended over the years was essential to ultimately creating a film that was worthy of Academy consideration to begin with. The long-and-winding road led Spears to, for example, the right producer colleagues... Read More, Comment

LOS ANGELES -- The pairing of a first-time documentary director with a first-time feature producer--who hadn’t planned on assuming that role--has yielded a breakthrough piece of work chronicling a story far greater than originally envisioned, and along the way earning plaudits which include a Best Documentary Feature Oscar nomination, a DGA Award nom, 2017 Sundance Film Festival Audience and Orwell Awards, two Cinema Eye Honors, a Critics’ Choice Award for Best Sports Documentary, and a BAFTA Award nomination... Read More, Comment

HOLLYWOOD, Calif. -- For the fourth time in his illustrious career, Roger Deakins, ASC, BSC, has won the ASC Award for best cinematography in a motion picture, the latest honor coming during a gala ceremony on Saturday night (2/17) for his work on Blade Runner 2049 . In recent years, an ASC Award would bode well for the recipient’s Oscar prospects. Three of the past four years, the ASC winner has gone on to garner the Best Cinematography Oscar. But that symmetry has not been Deakins’ experience. None of his prior... Read More, Comment

LONDON (AP) -- Ferocious female-led tragicomedy “Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri” was the big winner Sunday at the British Academy Film Awards in London, where women demanding an end to harassment, abuse and inequality dominated the ceremony. Martin McDonagh’s film about a bereaved mother seeking justice won five trophies including best film, outstanding British film and best actress, for Frances McDormand. Producer Graham Broadbent said the movie is “the story of a woman taking on the establishment... Read More, Comment

LOS ANGELES -- The Motion Picture Sound Editors presented the 65th MPSE Golden Reel Awards during a black-tie ceremony on Sunday night (2/18) at the Bonaventure Hotel in Los Angeles. Golden Reel Awards recognizing outstanding achievement in sound editing were presented in 23 categories encompassing feature films, long-form and short-form television, animation, documentaries, games, special venue and other media. Among the feature winners were Blade Runner 2049 (Warner Bros.), Dunkirk (Warner Bros.), War for... Read More, Comment

BEVERLY HILLS, Calif. -- I, Tonya, The Shape of Water and Wonder Woman topped the feature film categories at the 20th Costume Designers Guild Awards (CDGA) ceremony held on Tuesday evening (2/20) in Beverly Hills. Costume designer Jennifer Johnson won the CDGA honor for Excellence in Contemporary Film on the basis of I, Tonya, which beat out a field consisting of Get Out, Kingsman: the Golden Circle, Lady Bird , and Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri . Luis Sequeira’s work on The Shape of Water earned the award... Read More, Comment

NEW YORK (AP) -- A gold medal used to be the golden ticket for lucrative endorsements — think Mary Lou Retton on a Wheaties box. But in the age of social media, athletes are making a name for themselves well ahead of time. Even more so than in Rio in 2016 and Sochi in 2014, Pyeongchang athletes are Olympian at building brands. Before breakout star Chloe Kim won gold in the snowboarding halfpipe event, her infectious personality and heartwarming origin story had already won her sponsorships from Toyota , Samsung... Read More, Comment

NEW YORK -- Smuggler has signed director Nima Nourizadeh for worldwide commercial representation. Nourizadeh is the filmmaker behind award-winning music videos for artists such as Hot Chip, Lily Allen, Santigold, Chromeo, and Mark Ronson, as well as the international hit feature film Project X , which was nominated for three MTV Movie Awards, and the 2015 action comedy film American Ultra starring Kristen Stewart and Jesse Eisenberg. Nourizadeh’s “House Party” commercial for adidas arguably defined a genre... Read More, Comment

SANTA MONICA, Calif. -- Director Yann Demange, whose work spans commercials, films and TV, has joined RESET for spots and branded content in the U.S. He had formerly been repped in the American ad market by Stink. Born in Paris and raised in London, Demange began his career filming live concerts and assisting on commercials. Demange’s first feature was the critically acclaimed ’71 , starring Jack O’Connell as a British soldier accidentally abandoned by his unit during the height of The Troubles in Belfast, Ireland... Read More, Comment

NEW YORK -- Park Pictures has signed director Georgia Hudson for commercials, branded content and music videos in the U.S., U.K. and the Netherlands. This marks her first career representation in the U.S. Hudson had previously been repped in the U.K. by Agile Films. Hudson grew up in London and attended Camberwell Art School. Here she fell in love with the moving image, making 16mm performance art films. After graduating, she started working in fashion, art directing runway shows and making short fashion... Read More, Comment

NEW YORK -- Resh Sidhu has returned to AKQA as creative director, joining the leadership team at its NY office. She spent the past two years at digital and visual effects company Framestore. Sidhu was creative director at AKQA London before jumping over to Framestore to become creative director of its virtual reality studio. Sidhu has a body of influential work that has helped break new ground in VR. Over her career, Sidhu has held multiple creative positions, and produced award-winning work acknowledged... Read More, Comment

NEW YORK -- International film and creative studio BUNKER has added director Albert Kodagolian to its roster for commercials and branded content in the U.S. His credits include the notable Budweiser Super Bowl spot “Journey” as well as storytelling for brands such as Sony Bravia, Nissan, MasterCard, PNC Bank and Levi’s. Kodagolian’s work has been recognized at award competitions including the D&AD’s, Clios, Kinsale, ADDY, Kodak/BAFTA and the AICP Show. Kodagolian attended the University of Southern... Read More, Comment

LOS ANGELES -- Production house BRF (B-Reel Films) has taken on director Christopher Gruse--co-founder and former director for the Detroit-based collective The Work--for U.S. representation. Prior to joining BRF, Gruse was handled by Washington Square Films for spots and branded content. Gruse’s credits include high-profile campaigns for such automotive brands as Honda, Ford, Lincoln, Infiniti, Acura and Chevy. His web film for Mustang while with The Work--dubbed “Speed Dating”--garnered over 14 million views... Read More, Comment

LOS ANGELES -- Director Nathini Van Der Meer has come aboard the directorial roster of L.A.-based Mutt Film, marking her first production house roost in the U.S. A Berlin native, Van Der Meer studied design and began her career in film in front of the camera as a model and actress in commercials. This experience aided her in transitioning behind the camera, first working on photo productions and fashion editorials, eventually moving into directing. Her work has been featured in magazines including Elle, Vogue... Read More, Comment

PLAYA VISTA, Calif. -- Director Sam Ciaramitaro has joined the roster of above + beyond films. His recent work includes spots for Porsche (“Parallels”), Ford (“Next Generation”) and Hyundai (“Go Time!”). Ciaramitaro, who was formerly repped by ModOp Films, first established himself on the agency side of the business, serving as a director and producer at Leo Burnett, Chicago, VP/exec producer at FCB Chicago, and then Digitas New York. Ciaramitaro has garnered various awards for work he’s directed, including a U.S... Read More, Comment

NEW YORK (AP) -- A lavish, headline-grabbing premiere. Lightning word-of-mouth stoked by glowing reviews. Packed movie theaters with sold-out shows, long lines and fans decked out as characters from the film. The phenomenon of "Black Panther" had the look and feel of a classic, bona fide blockbuster in route to its record-setting $201.8 million debut over the weekend, or an estimated $235 million Friday through Monday. . Much has been made about the film industry's struggles to tap into pop culture the way it... Read More, Comment

NEW YORK (AP) -- In the Oscar-nominated documentary "Strong Island," Yance Ford stares back at the camera with profound sorrow and calm resilience. "Strong Island," a Netflix release, is Ford's investigation into the killing of his brother, William Ford, in 1992 in Central Islip, New York. Ford, a 22-year-old black man, was shot and killed by a 19-year-old white man — a mechanic named Mark Reilly — after a verbal altercation. But an all-white grand jury declined to indict Reilly and the investigation has... Read More, Comment

BUDAPEST, Hungary (AP) -- With two Oscars in the past two years, Hungary's film industry has been on a winning streak. Now the creators behind the movie "On Body And Soul," a surreal love story, are hoping to score a third Academy Award. Ildiko Enyedi's first film in nearly two decades comes on the heels of "Son of Saul," which won the 2016 Oscar for best foreign language film, and "Sing," which won best live action short last year. Enyedi is the only female director in the foreign language category this year, and her... Read More, Comment

MOSCOW (AP) -- For the second time in four years, Russian director Andrei Zvyagintsev is in the running for a foreign-film Oscar, this time for "Loveless," a grueling examination of adults' misguided search for satisfaction and the child who suffers from their disappointment. In an interview with The Associated Press, Zvyagintsev resisted being seen as a cultural ambassador for Russia — though he conceded that the worsening relations with the United States could bring his film elevated attention. The director... Read More, Comment

LOS ANGELES (AP) -- The Academy Awards seem like formality when it comes to the best supporting actress category this year. Since the world devoured Allison Janney's brilliantly acidic performance as Tonya Harding's abusive mother in the Craig Gillespie-directed "I, Tonya," she has won nearly every major award she's been up for, including a BAFTA, a Screen Actors Guild award, a Golden Globe and a Critics' Choice prize. Perhaps the only surprising fact is that this is the first Oscar nomination ever for the 58-year... Read More, Comment

NEW YORK (AP) -- The Weinstein Co. thought it had found a path to survival. A group of investors led by a respected businesswoman offered to acquire the company, rebrand it and install a female-led board of directors. It was an eye-catching idea in a country where men dominate corporate boards in almost every industry. Unmoved, New York Attorney General Eric Schneiderman threw a wrench in the deal, filing a lawsuit against the company partly out of concern that executives who failed to protect Harvey Weinstein'... Read More, Comment

NEW YORK (AP) -- If you want to get Tracy Letts in your movie — and that might be a good idea since he has two up for best picture at the Oscars — you'd better proofread the script before you send it. Letts, who has supporting roles in "Lady Bird" and "The Post," is also a Pulitzer Prize- and Tony Award-winning playwright and says he has abandoned new scripts after 20 pages if they torture the English language. "If I get a script that has a lot of bad grammar, a lot of typos, then I think, 'Well, they probably... Read More, Comment

LOS ANGELES -- Electric Theatre Collective, the Los Angeles and London-based VFX and postproduction studio, augments its L.A. office with commercial production pro Tiffani Manabat as managing director. Manabat, who will be overseeing innovation and strategic directions for Electric Theatre Collective, started in live action commercial production 15 years ago. She cut her teeth working for companies like Anonymous Content, VH1/MTV, HKM RadicalMedia, and Motion Theory. While at Motion Theory, Manabat broadened... Read More, Comment

LOS ANGELES -- Nominees for the Location Managers Guild International’s (LMGI) 5th Annual Awards were announced by LMGI president Eric Klosterman. The awards honor productions in feature films, television programs and commercials from around the globe, in which the creative use of filming locations enhances or helps to drive the storyline. The LMGI Awards also recognize outstanding service by film commissions for their support “above and beyond” during the production process. Winners will be revealed during a... Read More, Comment

NEW YORK (AP) -- It's been 50 years since Fred Rogers first appeared on TV screens, a gentle and avuncular man who warbled "Won't You Be My Neighbor?" as he changed into a cardigan and sneakers. The low-key, low-tech "Mister Rogers' Neighborhood" presented Rogers as one adult in a busy world who always had time to listen to children. That legacy burns for many in these turbulent times. "Sometimes I think I wish we had a bat signal for Mister Rogers right now," said comedian Sarah Silverman, who has hung a... Read More, Comment

"The Shimmer" is the name given to the mysterious phenomenon that, after a meteor strike, settles along a swampy coastline in Alex Garland's "Annihilation." It's an area enclosed by a fluid, translucent wall bathed in an eerie rainbow glimmer. The Shimmer's steady expansion threatens to swallow surrounding towns, cities and, eventually, everything. Naturally, this is Florida. Efforts to determine what's inside the Shimmer have proven futile. Except for one survivor, none to enter have ever... Read More, Comment

A murder mystery party goes sideways when violent kidnappers arrive before the fake ones in "Game Night ," which seems on the page to be like all the other disappointing action-comedies of late. You know the kind, where ordinary, upper middle class-ish suburbanites get thrown into some wacky underworld or genre situation. Spies live next door! We have to start a casino to put our kid through school! We killed a stripper! While it's a formula that can be brilliant and/or fun (see: everything... Read More, Comment

Friday's election-interference indictment brought by Robert Mueller, the U.S. special counsel, underscores how thoroughly social-media companies like Facebook and Twitter were played by Russian propagandists. And it's not clear if the companies have taken sufficient action to prevent something similar from happening again. Thirteen Russians, including a businessman close to Vladimir Putin, were charged Friday in a plot to interfere in the 2016 U.S. presidential election through social media... Read More, Comment

NEW YORK (AP) -- A wave of feverish anticipation, fawning critical acclaim and groundbreaking cultural meaning pushed "Black Panther" to a record-setting $192 million debut in U.S. and Canada theaters, firmly establishing the superhero sensation as a box-office landmark. The Marvel film from the Walt Disney Co. blew past expectations to become the fifth-highest-grossing debut ever, not adjusting for inflation, following only "Star Wars: The Force Awakens," ''Star Wars: The Last Jedi," ''Jurassic World" and "The... Read More, Comment

LOS ANGELES (AP) -- The aerial wizardry of snowboarders Shaun White and Chloe Kim lifted the Winter Olympics and NBC to a weekly ratings victory. Veteran White’s gold-medal comeback in the halfpipe gave NBC the most-watched night in prime-time last week, according to Nielsen ratings released Wednesday. Kim’s unprecedented combination of spins for a woman in competition captured gold for her and delivered almost as many viewers as tuned in the night of White’s performance. Altogether, Olympic broadcasts from... Read More, Comment

This latest spot in the “Imagine” campaign for Lotto New Zealand introduces us to two long-partnered armored truck guards who are once again on duty just a few feet away from a pile of money that can make their dreams come true. The driver then abruptly goes off course, much to the alarm of his long-time buddy in the passenger’s seat. Are we witnessing a spine-tingling, spur-of-the-moment heist? No, instead it’s a financial windfall that’s legal. The driver has won the lotto and is honoring a... Read More, Comment

Global creative studio Lobo uncovers the subtle ways young love can turn into pervasive torment in the powerful animated short “Sunshine” for nonprofit Day One, out of BBDO NY. The short shows a budding young love moving from the blissfully early stages of carnival-won stuffed animals and selfies to a gradually more jealous, controlling and abusive rapport. The piece shows the creeping and oftentimes subtle ways in which abuse can rear its head in dating, from an aggressive barrage of texts to... Read More, Comment

On February 10, during halftime of the game between the Golden State Warriors and the San Antonio Spurs, PlayStation and BBH NY launched a first-ever narrative projection mapping experience transforming the court of the Oracle Arena in Oakland, Calif., into a snowy landscape for an epic “War on the Floor.” The event was all part of PlayStation’s latest Greatness Awaits campaign launching the PS4 game God of War which rolls out in April. This film depicts the activation which took place on the... Read More, Comment

McCann London launches its latest creative for Mastercard--the headline sponsor of The BRIT Awards 2018 honoring the best in U.K. music. The campaign “Start Something Priceless” highlights the important role music can play in people’s lives. After many years of successful Priceless Surprises in Music at The BRIT Awards, Mastercard uses this year’s sponsorship to launch its new global brand platform ‘Start Something Priceless’ in the UK where they move from observing Priceless moments, to... Read More, Comment

This commercial opens on a scene reminiscent of 1776 and the signing of the Declaration of Independence. The Founding Fathers are gathered around a table in a moment of great significance, reflecting on the momentous occasion and what the signing will mean for all Americans. However, the Founding Fathers are gathered not for independence, but for pancakes. Just as the first quill strikes the parchment for the signing of this historic Declaration of Pancakes, the Founding Fathers are interrupted... Read More, Comment

This animated piece advocates spreading love like butter, showing how one little positive, caring gesture can spread across a community, even the world. Timed to Valentine’s Day, this message from Land O’Lakes butter came from The Martin Agency, illustrated by its designer, Patricia Morales. Brian Covalt of Moving Color served as animation director. Read More, Comment