Director Ringan Ledwidge of Small Family Business (SFB), London, will be represented in the U.S. via Park Pictures, New York. Additionally, SFB will represent the Park Pictures roster—director/DP Lance Acord, and directors Neil Abramson, Alison MacLean, Ramaa Mosley, and Carter Smith—in the U.K. market….Milan, Italy-based tabletop director/cameraman Vittorio Sacco has joined Plum Productions, Santa Monica, for stateside representation. He has already wrapped his first job under the Plum banner, a Sony spot for Young & Rubicam, Irvine, Calif….Director Lisbon Okafor has come aboard bicoastal commercial production house Coppos….Director Brian Aldrich has signed with bicoastal/international Believe Media….Director David Gordon Green has signed with bicoastal/international Chelsea Pictures for spot representation in the U.S. Green, who directed George Washington, All the Real Girls and the soon-to-be-released Undertow, recently made his commercial helming debut with a truth campaign for the American Legacy Foundation via Crispin Porter+ Bogusky, Miami, and Arnold Worldwide, Boston….Director Joel Peissig has signed with bicoastal Notorious Pictures for commercials and music videos….Executive producer Noelle Whitfield, a former Midwest rep at Get Reehl, Chicago, has partnered with director Marcos Zavitsanos to form Boutique Films, Hollywood….Director Jeremy Warshaw has come aboard Highway 61, New York….Lankford Films, New York and Houston, has signed director Ed Bianchi for spot representation….Agency BaylessCronin, Atlanta, is set to close on Jan. 30….Hollywood-headquartered Crest National is expected to complete the purchase of all assets of Concord Disc Manufacturing, Anaheim, Calif. Crest National currently operates five facilities in Hollywood that encompass a motion picture film lab, a digital video post house, a DVD/CD/SACD manufacturing facility, and two DVD design, authoring and encoding studios….
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