Director Peter Kagan has joined bicoastal Celsius Films. Kagan had a longstanding relationship with Stiefel+Company, but decided to explore his options when Frank Stiefel shuttered that shop to become an executive VP at bicoastal/international @radical.media. Several other Stiefel helmers opted to move over to @radical (SHOOT, 9/13, p. 1)….Keith Comrie, former chief administratrive officer for the City of Los Angeles, has been named to serve in a key role—as an outside consultant to the Entertainment Industry Development Corp. (EIDC), the entity that oversees the joint Los Angeles City/County Film Office. The hiring of Comrie by the EIDC executive committee is in response to the controversy over the EIDC’s financial dealings, which are under investigation by the Los Angeles County District Attorney’s Office (SHOOT, 9/20, p. 1). The EIDC is being scrutinized for alleged misapprorpriation of funds, related to certain entertainment and travel expenses, as well as political contributions. The EIDC contends it has done nothing wrong in that such expenditures—designed to promote filming in Greater Los Angeles—are within the organization’s province as a private entity. Comrie’s duties will include recommending an auditor to analyze the EIDC’s budget, suggesting changes in EIDC bylaws and operating procedures, developing fiscal policies and working with attorneys to determine if indeed the EIDC is a public agency or a private corporation…..Bicoastal/international Chelsea Pictures has launched Chelsea Digital, a creative post company under the aegis of Thor Raxlen, lead effects artist/editor….Edit Decisions Ltd., New York, has formed a strategic alliance with NewYorkDVD, a provider of DVD development services. The two companies remain separate entities but will partner on jobs that require both editorial and DVD design…. Director Francis Lawrence of DNA, Hollywood, took home a Latin Grammy for best music video on the strength of the clip "Suerte," featuring Latina performer Shakira….
London Critics Name “The Brutalist” The Film of the Year
The Brutalist, Brady Corbet’s immigrant saga, won the Film of the Year prize at the 45th London Critics’ Circle Film Awards.
While The Brutalist garnered just one award, it was the marquee honor. Meanwhile Nickel Boys, Conclave and A Real Pain all receivd multiple awards, and Zoe Saldaña was honored twice.
Edward Berger’s Vatican thriller Conclave took two awards for British/Irish Film of the Year and Actor of the Year for Ralph Fiennes, while RaMell Ross’s radical Colson Whitehead adaptation Nickel Boys was recognized with Director of the Year and the Technical Achievement Award for Jomo Fray’s first-person cinematography. Jesse Eisenberg’s dark comedy A Real Pain was the night’s other multiple prizewinner, landing Screenwriter of the Year for the actor-filmmaker, and Supporting Actor of the Year for co-star Kieran Culkin.
Payal Kapadia’s Mumbai-set drama All We Imagine as Light was named Foreign Language Film of the Year, while the Palestinian-Israeli collective behind No Other Land took Documentary of the Year.
Alongside Conclave, British productions awarded by the Circle in the top categories included Mike Leigh’s intimate character study Hard Truths, which took Actress of the Year for Marianne Jean-Baptiste, while Wallace & Gromit: Vengeance Most Fowl was named Animated Feature of the Year. In the British/Irish-specific categories, Saoirse Ronan won British/Irish Performer of the Year for her performances in The Outrun and Blitz, 14-year-old Nykiya Adams won Young British/Irish Performer of the Year for her screen debut in Andrea Arnold’s Bird, and Rich Peppiatt won the... Read More