Director Rob Sanders has joined Seed, Venice, Calif., a sister shop to Backyard Productions, Venice, for representation in North America. Sanders continues to work in Europe via Amarillo Films, a London-based shop he launched with partner/producer Tom Shard….Director Johan Edström has come aboard Vinton Studios, Portland, Ore….Editor Tim Brooks has joined the San Francisco office of FilmCore, which also has a shop in Santa Monica. Brooks had previously been with Pomegranit Editorial, San Francisco….Editor Gigi Cone Welch has moved from Mad River Post, Dallas, to Fast Cuts Edits, Dallas….Editing house Swell, Chicago, has promoted assistant editor Massayo Kaneko to editor….Editor Gideon Brown has joined Wonderland Productions, New York. He was previously with New York’s WNYE-TV….Santa Monica-based audio post facility AudioBanks has added engineer/sound designer Pete Kneser to its roster. He previously served as an in-house mixer at such editorial houses as bicoastal Lost Planet’s Santa Monica operation and Hyena Editorial, Santa Monica….Marc Smerling, founder of New York-based production house Notorious, and company broadcast designer/producer/director Wilson Van Law have launched a design division at Notorious….Juan Delcan, creative director/director at Spontaneous Combustion, New York, has signed with Hero Films, Toronto, for Canadian representation. Additionally, Hero will market the design, 3-D and visual effects services of Spontaneous to Canadian agencies….Adidas has been named advertiser of the year at the 2004 One Show. A special One Show pencil will be presented to adidas at the One Show Awards gala on May 14….Radio Lions, a new category dedicated to the best in radio advertising, will be introduced in 2005 at the Cannes International Advertising Awards….
Breakout Films and Major Takeaways From This Year’s Sundance Fest
Film wasn't the only thing on people's minds at this year's Sundance Film Festival, which comes to a close Sunday in Park City, Utah ( and online ).
The effects of the wildfires in Southern California loomed large, as did the bittersweet knowledge that this year will be the second to last Sundance based in Park City. Some films offered an escape from reality; others were a pointed reminder of the domestic and international political landscape, from transgender rights to the war in Ukraine.
Here are some of the key takeaways from the 41st edition of the festival.
The effects of the Southern California fires were deeply felt
The wildfires were still burning in parts of Los Angeles when Sundance began last week and reminders of its devastation were everywhere, even on screen. Max Walker-Silverman's "Rebuilding," starring Josh O'Connor as a cowboy who loses his ranch in a wildfire and forms a community with fellow survivors in a FEMA camp, hit close to home for many.
Filmmakers Meena Menon and Paul Gleason lost their home in Altadena where they filmed some of their zombie apocalypse movie "Didn't Die." Sundance artist labs head Michelle Satter lost her Palisades home as well. Satter had an audience of Sundance Institute donors in tears early in the festival while accepting an honor at a fundraising gala.
"It's a deeply devastating time for us and so many others, a moment that calls for all of us coming together to support our bigger community," Satter said. "As a friend recently noted, and I have to listen to this, 'Take a deep breath ... We lost our village, but at the end of the day we are the village.'"
The festival's move to another city dominated conversations
It was a topic... Read More