Paul Muniz of PMI Management, New York, will handle sales on the East Coast for Imaginary Forces, Hollywood….The Directors Network, Encino, Calif., has signed New York-based humor director Wayne Gibson and Los Angeles-based director/cameraman Stephen Vidano. Additionally, longform helmer Lorraine Senna has returned to The Directors Network for spot representation….Independent rep Yvette Lubinsky, Playa del Rey, Calif., is handling West Coast sales for bicoastal Washington Square Films….Mirella Films, Hollywood, has signed Stuart Sternbach of Pangea, New York, for East Coast representation. Additionally, Chesley Helmsfield has joined Pangea as director of marketing/PR….Daria Zeliger has joined rhinofx, New York, as sales rep. She was formerly director of sales & marketing at Salamandra Images, New York….Blueyed Pictures, which maintains offices in Los Angeles, London and Tokyo, has secured independent reps Lynda Woodward and Janet Gilson to handle the West Coast and the Midwest, respectively. The company has also added London-based Caroline Brodrick for representation in the U.K. She succeeds Chris Ellis, who remains in England, but is now handling France for Blueyed….Cinematographer John Choi has joined The Skouras Agency, Santa Monica, for exclusive representation….Production designer Robb Buono has signed with Innovative Artists, Santa Monica, for exclusive representation in features, commercials and music videos….
First-Time Feature Directors Make Major Splash At AFI Fest, Generate Oscar Buzz
Two first-time feature directors who are generating Oscar buzz this awards season were front and center this past weekend at AFI Fest in Hollywood. Rachel Morrison, who made history as the first woman nominated for a Best Cinematography Oscar---on the strength of Mudbound in 2018--brought her feature directorial debut, The Fire Inside (Amazon MGM Studios), to the festival on Sunday (10/27), and shared insights into the film during a conversation session immediately following the screening. This came a day after William Goldenberg, an Oscar-winning editor for Argo in 2013, had his initial foray into feature directing, Unstoppable (Amazon MGM Studios), showcased at the AFI proceedings. He too spoke after the screening during a panel discussion. The Fire Inside--which made its world premiere at this year’s Toronto International Film Festival--tells the story of Claressa “T-Rex” Shields (portrayed by Ryan Destiny), a Black boxer from Flint, Mich., who trained to become the first woman in U.S. history to win an Olympic Gold Medal in the sport. She achieved this feat--with the help of coach Jason Crutchfield (Brian Tyree Henry)--only to find that her victory at the Summer Games came with relatively little fanfare and no endorsement deals. So much for the hope that the historic accomplishment would be a ticket out of socioeconomic purgatory for Shields and her family. It seemed like yet another setback in a cycle of adversity throughout Shields’ life but she persevered, going on to win her second Gold Medal at the next Olympics and becoming a champion for gender equality and equitable pay for women in sports. Shields has served as a source of inspiration for woman athletes worldwide--as well as to the community of... Read More