An anti-runaway production initiative—Assembly Bill 2747, which would have established a wage-based tax credit in California, effective July 2004—was killed by the State Senate Appropriations Committee this past weekend (8/31) in Sacramento. The bill’s demise was attributed largely to California’s projected $22 billion deficit for the ’02-’03 fiscal year, as well as opposition from Senate President Pro Tem John Burton (D-San Francisco). The measure—which would have provided a 15 percent tax credit applicable to the first $25,000 of a worker’s qualified wages on certain productions (including commercials)—had passed the State Assembly earlier this summer (SHOOT, 7/7, p. 1)…..Rick Fishbein, executive producer of Green Dot Films, Santa Monica, has been elected as Governor of the Commercial Peer Group for the Academy of Television Arts & Sciences (ATAS). His two-year term begins in October. Fishbein and Sheila Manning of Sheila Manning Casting, Los Angeles, are ATAS Commercial Peer Group Governors. Manning has a year remaining on her current two-year term…. Editor Karen Knowles has launched kk.e, an editorial boutique in Venice, Calif. She formerly edited at Venice-based King Cut….HD postproduction/production house American Production Services, North Hollywood and Seattle, has changed its moniker to Victory Studios. The company remains under the aegis of CEO Conrad Denke….3-D design and animation facility Phactory Productions, New York, and broadcast design facility Ultraviolet (formerly Liquid Design Group), New York, have merged to form UV Phactory. The new firm will target both broadcast and commercial clients…..Audio post house Sound Lounge, best known for its TV spot work, is expanding into radio advertising production. The New York-based company expects its newly constructed radio production facility—and added staff—to be up and running this month….Saul Joseph "Joe" Hoffman, former chairman of Ingalls Advertising, Boston (now a part of Holland Mark, Boston), has died at 82…David A. Dreschel, who spent the majority of his career at Campbell-Ewald Advertising, Warren, Mich., passed away at the age of 66. The former VP/executive producer had retired from the agency in 2001….
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