Creative studio Luma, known for its visual effects work, has hired Ben Hibon to serve as head creative director.
A career as an artist and animation director has taken Hibon from television commercials to branded content to video game creation for clients like Disney, Microsoft, Sony, and Riot Games. He has lent his design skills to feature films such as Snow White and the Huntsman and The Last Witch Hunter. Most notably he was at the helm of the Academy Award-nominated The Tale of Three Brothers animated sequence from Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 1.
VFX house Luma is expanding into the realm of original content. Luma’s Santa Monica and Melbourne studios will continue their exclusive service model while developing partnerships that enable the company to be active in creative as well. Hibon will be working with the heads of Luma’s animated and live action content, and new content and media arms, helping to shape and guide the new branches toward varied forms of storytelling.
Founded by Payam Shohadai, Luma Pictures debuted in 2002 with visual effects for Charlie’s Angels and has gone on to contribute visual effects for such films as Deadpool, Captain America: Civil War, and Doctor Strange.
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