The Alliance of Independent Representatives, better known as AIR, is conducting a talent search for diverse filmmakers who are not currently signed to any U.S. production houses for representation. Entrants to the Diverse Directors Showcase can earn a chance to introduce themselves and their work to members of AIR, the trade association of the independent repping community for the advertising production industry, and the executive producers of the many production companies they represent.
The top five minority directorial talents, as judged by a panel of AIR members, will be selected to take part in a virtual Diverse Directors Showcase–co-sponsored by Simian–that will be presented on Monday, July 25 at 1 pm ET. Deadline for entering here is July 12.
The event is being organized and led by AIR’s Diversity in Talent committee, led by chair Isabel Echeverry of Kontakto Reps. Also on the committee are Sonia Blum of Sonia Reps and Mary Saxon of Saxon + Partners Presents.
Entry rules for submission and requirements are as follows:
Entrants must be a diverse/minority director including, Women, BIPOC, Latinx and LGBTQ.
Directors cannot currently be represented and must be independent or freelance.
Entrants must submit three pieces of work, with the total running time of their showreel no longer than five minutes. They must also submit bios.
Submissions are limited, so first come, first served.
AIR members will review all entries and select the five directors who demonstrate the best overall work and potential marketability to the commercial production industry.
California governor signs law to protect children from social media addiction
California will make it illegal for social media platforms to knowingly provide addictive feeds to children without parental consent beginning in 2027 under a new law Democratic Gov. Gavin Newsom signed Friday.
California follows New York state, which passed a law earlier this year allowing parents to block their kids from getting social media posts suggested by a platform's algorithm. Utah has passed laws in recent years aimed at limiting children's access to social media, but they have faced challenges in court.
The California law will take effect in a state home to some of the largest technology companies in the world. Similar proposals have failed to pass in recent years, but Newsom signed a first-in-the-nation law in 2022 barring online platforms from using users' personal information in ways that could harm children. It is part of a growing push in states across the country to try to address the impacts of social media on the well-being of children.
"Every parent knows the harm social media addiction can inflict on their children — isolation from human contact, stress and anxiety, and endless hours wasted late into the night," Newsom said in a statement. "With this bill, California is helping protect children and teenagers from purposely designed features that feed these destructive habits."
The law bans platforms from sending notifications without permission from parents to minors between 12 a.m. and 6 a.m., and between 8 a.m. and 3 p.m. on weekdays from September through May, when children are typically in school. The legislation also makes platforms set children's accounts to private by default.
Opponents of the legislation say it could inadvertently prevent adults from accessing content if they cannot verify their... Read More