Killer Films, a New York-headquartered independent film company (Boys Don’t Cry, Far From Heaven, Velvet Goldmine, One Hour Photo) headed by producers Christine Vachon and Pam Koffler, has partnered with global commercial/branded content/long-form media production house Moxie Pictures, under the aegis of CEO Robert Fernandez and director/president Dan Levinson, to form KillerMoxie Management, a Los Angeles-based talent management firm with offices in N.Y. and London. Tabbed to head the new venture is manager/producer Brian Young, recently of Untitled Entertainment, LA.
Young departs Untitled Entertainment after 11 years, bringing to KillerMoxie his entire client roster including writer/directors Todd Haynes, Floria Sigismondi, Gregg Araki, James Foley, Alison Maclean, Sam Jones, Nicholas Jarecki and two of this year’s Best First Screenplay nominees at the Independent Spirit Awards–director/writers Nicholas Fackler and Dana Adam Shapiro–and actors Joy Bryant, Brady Corbet and Asia Argento, as well as rockers Sean Lennon, Conor Oberst of Bright Eyes and Alex Ebert of Edward Sharpe and the Magnetic Zeros.
Young recently executive produced Sigismondi’s feature debut The Runaways starring Kristen Stewart, Dakota Fanning and Michael Shannon.
KillerMoxie will shepherd the careers of filmmakers, actors and recording artists, drawing upon Moxie’s media production expertise and Killer’s filmmaking resume to foster an array of entertainment and branded opportunities across all media.
“The talent relationships we’ve built over the years among filmmakers, actors and musicians make KillerMoxie a logical next step. The filmmaking world is changing, and we’re changing with it,” stated Killer founder Vachon.
Moxie’s Levinson added, “All aspects of media are converging. We are not just about finding opportunities for clients, but creating them.”
Moxie Pictures is known for its representation of filmmakers in both the feature and commercial arena. Moxie’s directorial roster includes Wes Anderson, Jim Sherdian, Jared Hess, Kevin Smith, Cameron Crowe, Frank Todaro, Martin Granger, Errol Morris and Todd Phillips. Killer Films has established itself at the forefront of American independent film and has been instrumental in the careers of such artists as Hillary Swank, Julianne Moore and Todd Haynes.
Apple and Google Face UK Investigation Into Mobile Browser Dominance
Apple and Google aren't giving consumers a genuine choice of mobile web browsers, a British watchdog said Friday in a report that recommends they face an investigation under new U.K. digital rules taking effect next year.
The Competition and Markets Authority took aim at Apple, saying the iPhone maker's tactics hold back innovation by stopping rivals from giving users new features like faster webpage loading. Apple does this by restricting progressive web apps, which don't need to be downloaded from an app store and aren't subject to app store commissions, the report said.
"This technology is not able to fully take off on iOS devices," the watchdog said in a provisional report on its investigation into mobile browsers that it opened after an initial study concluded that Apple and Google effectively have a chokehold on "mobile ecosystems."
The CMA's report also found that Apple and Google manipulate the choices given to mobile phone users to make their own browsers "the clearest or easiest option."
And it said that the a revenue-sharing deal between the two U.S. Big Tech companies "significantly reduces their financial incentives" to compete in mobile browsers on Apple's iOS operating system for iPhones.
Both companies said they will "engage constructively" with the CMA.
Apple said it disagreed with the findings and said it was concerned that the recommendations would undermine user privacy and security.
Google said the openness of its Android mobile operating system "has helped to expand choice, reduce prices and democratize access to smartphones and apps" and that it's "committed to open platforms that empower consumers."
It's the latest move by regulators on both sides of the Atlantic to crack down on the... Read More