LOS ANGELES When Randall Einhorn took on the then brand new Abbott Elementary (ABC) as a director and executive producer, he knew from the first day on set that the series was special. Up until then, he hadn’t met any of his colleagues on the show in person. Rather in the midst of the COVID pandemic, his Read More 

CANNES, France (AP) The Cannes Film Festival has played host to the directorial debuts of three stars: Scarlett Johansson, Kristen Stewart and relative newcomer Harris Dickinson. Their films are very different but the fulfillment of longtime dreams of being behind the camera. All three movies are part of Cannes’ Un Certain Regard section, which has helped launch the Read More 

CANNES, France (AP) Iranian dissident filmmaker Jafar Panahi won the Palme d’Or at the Cannes Film Festival on Saturday for his revenge thriller “It Was Just an Accident,” handing the festival’s top prize to a director who had been banned from leaving Iran for more than 15 years. Cate Blanchett presented the award to Panahi, who three years Read More 

CANNES, France (AP) When Michael Cera was announced as joining the cast of a Wes Anderson movie for the first time, the prevailing response was: Hadn’t he already been in a Wes Anderson movie? So seemingly aligned in sensibility and style are Cera and Anderson that you could easily imagine a whole fake filmography. It is, for a Read More 

LOS ANGELES The American Society of Cinematographers (ASC) Board of Governors has elected Mandy Walker, ASC, ACS, AM as president, making her the first woman to lead the organization. The Board also voted in VPs Eric Steelberg, John Simmons and Patrick Cady; treasurer Charles Minsky; secretary Dejan Georgevich; and sergeant-at-arms Charlie Lieberman. The members of the ASC Read More 

SANTA FE, N.M. (AP) A movie armorer convicted in the fatal shooting of a cinematographer by Alec Baldwin on the set of the Western movie “Rust” was released from a New Mexico prison on Friday after completing an 18-month sentence. Prison records show Hannah Gutierrez-Reed signed out of the Western New Mexico Correctional Facility in Grants to return home Read More 

LOS ANGELES (AP) Paul Reubens did not tell his director that he was dying. On July 31, 2023, the news of Reubens’ death came as a shock to documentary filmmaker Matt Wolf, who had spent a year trying to convince him to make the ambitious two-part documentary “Pee-wee as Himself,” now streaming on HBO Max, and over 40 Read More 

NEW YORK Emmy Award-winning comedian and actor JB Smoove is stepping into the advertising world with the launch of a comedy-focused ad agency, The First Darrin, in partnership with United Entertainment Group (UEG), a leading global entertainment, sports, and lifestyle marketing agency. Known for his iconic roles on HBO’s Curb Your Enthusiasm, as a writer for Saturday Read More 

LOS ANGELES Production company Partizan has added comedy director Amber Schaefer to its talent roster for U.S. representation spanning commercials and branded content. Schaefer’s short films at Saturday Night Live and Jimmy Kimmel Live, as well as her own viral shorts have made her a standout voice in comedic storytelling. Schaefer draws on her background in acting Read More 

BERLIN Jury presidents have been named for the CICLOPE Awards, which are scheduled for October 9 in Berlin. The lineup of jury heads consists of: –Brent Anderson, global chief creative officer, TBWAMedia Arts Lab, who will preside over the Ideas & Innovation Jury. –Pip Smart, executive producer & partner, Revolver, who’s been named president of the Read More 

LONDON LIA has unveiled the full juries for TV & Cinema and Online Film, and Music & Sound. These expert jurors will convene at Encore @ Wynn, Las Vegas and award the most creative work entered into this year’s festival. Judging will run from September 25 to October 3. Vicki Maguire, chief creative officer of Havas Read More 

PARIS (AP) Marcel Ophuls, the Academy Award-winning filmmaker whose landmark 1969 documentary “The Sorrow and the Pity” shattered the comforting myth that most of France had resisted the Nazis during World War II, has died at 97. The German-born filmmaker, who was the son of legendary filmmaker Max Ophuls, died Saturday at his home in southwest France Read More 

LOS ANGELES (AP) A stunt performer has sued Kevin Costner, alleging she was subjected to an unscripted rape scene without proper warning, consent or protocols while shooting his film “Horizon: An American Saga: Chapter 2.” Devyn LaBella filed the lawsuit Tuesday in Los Angeles Superior Court. It names Costner — the director, star and cowriter of the “Horizon” Read More 

NEW YORK (AP) Sean “Diddy” Combs ‘ former personal assistant testified Thursday that the hip-hop mogul sexually assaulted her, threw her into a swimming pool, dumped a bucket of ice on her head and slammed her arm into a door during a torturous eight-year tenure. The woman, testifying at Combs’ sex trafficking trial under the pseudonym “Mia,” has Read More 

NEW YORK (AP) “Succession” fans rejoice. Jesse Armstrong has again gathered together a conclave of uber-wealthy megalomaniacs in a delicious satire. “Mountainhead,” which the “Succession” creator wrote and directed, is a new made-for-HBO movie that leaves behind the backstabbing machinations of media moguls for the not-any-better power plays of tech billionaires. Or, at least, three billionaires. Their host Read More 

LOS ANGELES (AP) “They say you murdered my mother,” the young would-be nun tells the shady tycoon. “I feel the need to address this.” There’s something about the deadpan delivery and the clear-eyed manner that makes you sit up and take notice of Liesl, and even more of Mia Threapleton, who plays her in “The Phoenician Scheme.” (And Read More 

LOS ANGELES (AP) Mr. Miyagi was known for waxing poetic. So the fact that “Karate Kid: Legends” has nothing to say is all the more disappointing. One of the most interesting aspects of the original “The Karate Kid” and its early sequels is Mr. Miyagi’s radical proclivity for mercy, often mistaken for cowardice by those around him. He Read More 

LOS ANGELES Monument Los Angeles has signed directorial duo Storm/Hansen for U.S. representation spanning commercials and branded content. Tue Storm and Michael Hansen have a body of work that includes such clients as Chase, Acura, Ford, Vodafone, Pirelli, Jaguar, Nissan and Heineken. Storm and Hansen met at the American Film Institute in Los Angeles where they were Read More 

DALLAS, AUSTIN & NYC The Board of Directors has added London-based director and creative director Dan Henshaw to its roster, marking his first representation in the U.S. Henshaw’s storytelling spans lifestyle brands including Adidas, Aries x Umbro, and New Balance. He’s also lent his perspective and talent to music videos and music-driven short films. “Dan is the kind of Read More 

NEW YORK Fallon has appointed James Fox as chief strategy officer and Lauren Pulwer as managing director. They join a leadership team headed by CEO Nikki Baker. Fox brings over two decades of global experience in advertising, design, brand, media and finance while Pulwer has been tasked with leading the agency’s day-to-day operations and fostering strong client Read More 

NEW YORK Tabletop director Michelle Pak has joined production company Lord Danger. “Michelle joining Lord Danger expands our capabilities and gives our clients access to a new, modern tabletop filmmaking style, one that emphasizes her design background,” said Anthony Ficalora, executive producer at Lord Danger. “Her multi-faceted career spent honing a versatile skill set in live action, Read More 

NEW YORK The One Club for Creativity announced the initial 39 creatives from 21 countries who have been selected to serve on the jury for Next Creative Leaders 2025, the industry’s only free global competition recognizing women and non-binary creatives on the rise. Celebrating its 10th year, Next Creative Leaders was created in partnership with The 3% Read More 

BUENOS AIRES, Argentina (AP) A group of friends gather to play cards in their host’s cozy home when the power cuts. Cellphones die. An eerie snow falls all over the city, killing everyone it touches. The friends struggle to survive, their panic replaced by a growing awareness that humanity itself is at stake. This is the premise of “The Read More 

LOS ANGELES (AP) “Lilo & Stitch” teamed with Tom Cruise for a monster Memorial Day box office weekend. Disney’s live action version of “Lilo & Stitch” earned a staggering $145.5 million in North American theaters, according to studio estimates Sunday, the second biggest domestic opening of the year after “A Minecraft Movie.” The movie is a faithful remake Read More 

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