Michael Epstein has joined Carat USA as chief strategy officer, a newly created role at the agency. He comes over from Mindshare in New York, where he was most recently president of strategic resources and client services, and was responsible for overseeing all digital media services for North America, new business, multicultural and promotions, and key client relationships. At Mindshare, Epstein also served as client leader, Team Unilever North America, where he was the driving force behind the agency’s collaboration with Unilever, heading up the development of the overall strategic vision for the account. In this role, he helped to build several of the brand’s campaigns including the “Journeys to Comfort” effort for Dove Men+Care, the “Pleasure Personified” campaign for Magnum ice cream and the “Cleans Your Balls” campaign for Axe…..VFX house Method Studios, a Deluxe Entertainment Services Group company, has named Chris Webb executive producer of Method Chicago. Webb will work closely with creative director Gil Baron in the continued expansion of the Chicago office, which opened its doors in July 2012. Over the last 13 years, Webb has worked as an agency producer in both NY and L.A. for such shops such as Crispin Porter + Bogusky, Goodby, Silverstein & Partners and Cramer-Krasselt….Audio and video production facility Ron Rose Milagro has launched a creative editorial division with new hires Dan Succarde, Drew Podgorski and John Mercado. Succarde comes from Start Editorial where he spent the last five years as an editor. Podgorski sports an agency background while Mercado has been moving up the ranks in his first year at Ron Rose Milagro after having been an assistant editor at Postique….BRW USA, L.A. has added industry vet Peter Trucco as executive producer….Bicoastal/Munich-based A๏ฟฝro Film has added exec producer Unique Hammond to its L.A. office. She previously wrapped a long tenure at HUM Music….
Utah Leaders and Locals Rally To Keep Sundance Film Festival In The State
With the 2025 Sundance Film Festival underway, Utah leaders, locals and longtime attendees are making a final push โ one that could include paying millions of dollars โ to keep the world-renowned film festival as its directors consider uprooting.
Thousands of festivalgoers affixed bright yellow stickers to their winter coats that read "Keep Sundance in Utah" in a last-ditch effort to convince festival leadership and state officials to keep it in Park City, its home of 41 years.
Gov. Spencer Cox said previously that Utah would not throw as much money at the festival as other states hoping to lure it away. Now his office is urging the Legislature to carve out $3 million for Sundance in the state budget, weeks before the independent film festival is expected to pick a home for the next decade.
It could retain a small presence in picturesque Park City and center itself in nearby Salt Lake City, or move to another finalist โ Cincinnati, Ohio, or Boulder, Colorado โ beginning in 2027.
"Sundance is Utah, and Utah is Sundance. You can't really separate those two," Cox said. "This is your home, and we desperately hope it will be your home forever."
Last year's festival generated about $132 million for the state of Utah, according to Sundance's 2024 economic impact report.
Festival Director Eugene Hernandez told reporters last week that they had not made a final decision. An announcement is expected this year by early spring.
Colorado is trying to further sweeten its offer. The state is considering legislation giving up to $34 million in tax incentives to film festivals like Sundance through 2036 โ on top of the $1.5 million in funds already approved to lure the Utah festival to its neighboring... Read More