ONE at Optimus, the production arm of Optimus, has added Tim Mason to its directorial roster. This marks Mason’s first formal production company affiliation as a director. Mason, who’s also a writer and actor, recently directed No Other Way To Say It in collaboration with ONE and Optimus. The comedic short film has earned wide recognition, including Best Short Film at the Best of the Midwest Awards Film Fest and a screening at the SlamDance Film Fest this January.
“Tim’s experience as a writer and creative director will be invaluable to clients looking to bring their concepts to fruition,” said ONE executive producer/managing director Lisa Masseur. “And, his work as a comedic actor helps him bring out more nuanced performances from other actors. As part of our roster, Tim has already collaborated with Downtown Partners and Golin on campaigns for Illinois Lottery and New Ocean, respectively.”
Mason is a veteran of the Second City Mainstage, where he appeared in numerous shows including the critically acclaimed revue, “Southside of Heaven.” In 2014, he performed in and served as head writer on “The Art of Falling,” a groundbreaking collaboration with Hubbard Street Dance Chicago. Mason has won two Gold Lions from the Cannes Festival of Creativity for his work in advertising. He also directed several Kmart pieces for FCB, including the 60-minute “Joe Boxer Lounger Games.” Mason will continue working with Hog Butcher, a content creation collective also based out of ONE.
“I’ve had the pleasure of partnering with ONE numerous times over the past few years as an actor and a writer,” said Mason. “Now that my career path has expanded into directing, there is no group of people I would rather work with than the folks here at ONE. They’ve been invaluable in helping me build my directing experience and find my own comedic voice and style.”
Michelle Satter To Be Honored At Sundance Film Festival Gala
The nonprofit Sundance Institute today announced details for the 2025 Sundance Film Festival’s gala fundraiser, Celebrating Sundance Institute, which will take place on Friday, January 24, 2025 at the Grand Hyatt Deer Valley in Utah. The event will be an evening in celebration of Michelle Satter, founding sr. director of artist programs at Sundance Institute, for her longstanding commitment to nurturing artists and cultivating independent film through the Sundance Labs, where visionary artists convene to develop groundbreaking projects through an in-depth creative process, for the past four decades. The annual Vanguard Awards will be presented during the evening to Sean Wang, writer and director of Dìdi, and Julian Brave NoiseCat and Emily Kassie, co-directors of Sugarcane, who premiered their films at the 2024 Sundance Film Festival.
The annual gala enables the nonprofit to raise funds to support independent artists year-round through labs, grants, and public programming that nurture artists from all over the world. The 2025 event is made possible with the generous support of Google TV. The Festival will take place from January 23–February 2, 2025, in person in Park City and Salt Lake City, with a selection of titles available online from January 30–February 2, 2025 for audiences across the country to discover bold independent storytelling.
“For over four decades Michelle has been devoted to truly championing independent storytellers,” said Amanda Kelso, acting CEO of Sundance Institute. “She has encouraged artists to own their voice, learn their craft, become fierce leaders, and develop their resilience in our changing ecosystem. Her life-long commitment to supporting artists, especially in underrepresented... Read More