Director Jaume, formerly of bicoastal/international Partizan, has come aboard bicoastal/international Believe Media for representation in the U.S. and Europe…..Passion Pictures, London, has taken on representation for the animation collective SSSR, which consists of Kristian Hammerstad, Marc Raisbig and Yu Sato. The latter is from Japan, while Hammerstad and Raisbig are from Norway; the threesome met at Central St. Martin’s College of Art where they graduated with degrees in graphic design last year. SSSR’s credits include a trilogy of music videos for the band Subtle, and a 30-second test commercial, “Evolution,” which won the Kodak Student Film Award. The spot addresses the dangers of smoking….The directing team of Coodie and Chike has signed with A Band Apart, Los Angeles, for exclusive representation in commercials and music videos. The duo’s credits include the Kanye West video “Through The Wire,” which recently copped video-of-the-year honors at The Source Hip Hop Awards. Among other Coodie and Chike-helmed clips are West’s “Two Words,” which featured Mos Def and Freeway, “Culo” with rappers Pit Bull and Lil’ Jon, and a directorial collaboration with Mos Def on the gritty street video “Ghetto Rock.” Coodie and Chike recently directed a spec TV spot for Burrell Advertising, Chicago, which helped the agency land work for McDonald’s….Director Sarah Pirozek, who continues to work via Dame Works, New York, has extended her geographic reach by linking with Sugar Film Production, Dallas….Director/graphic artist Anders Hallgren has joined Freestyle Collective, New York, as a senior designer. He most recently worked as a freelance designer and director at several New York studios….Director Allen Coulter (HBO’s The Sopranos and the upcoming Rome) is prepping his first feature, Truth, Justice and the American Way. The Focus Features film examines the mysterious death of actor George Reeves, who portrayed Superman in the original live-action TV series. Adrien Brody, Ben Afflect and Diane Lane will star. Coulter directs commercials via bicoastal/international Hungry Man….After wrapping work on the new MTV Networks series Wonder Showzen, director Jim Tozzi is again available for commercials via KanDoKid, a New York house founded last year by executive producer Tony Harding and director Jeff Kennedy….
Marlee Matlin Is “Not Alone Anymore” At Sundance, Opens Up In A New Documentary
Marlee Matlin gives an unflinchingly honest account of her experiences as a deaf actor in the funny and revelatory documentary "Marlee Matlin: Not Alone Anymore." The film kicked off the 41st Sundance Film Festival Thursday, as the first major premiere in the Eccles Theater in Park City, Utah.
After the screening audiences in the theater, some wiping tears away, greeted Matlin with a standing ovation when she took the stage.
The film delves into all aspects of her life, personal and professional: Her childhood and how her family handled learning she had become deaf at 18 months; her experience winning the best actress Oscar for her first movie role in "Children of a Lesser God" and her allegedly abusive romantic relationship with her co-star, the late William Hurt, which he denied; and her experiences in an industry not equipped to accommodate deaf actors.
The film was directed by Shoshanna Stern, who also is deaf. Matlin specifically requested that Stern take on the project when American Masters approached her about doing a documentary.
Matlin has written about her experiences before, including her volatile relationship with Hurt and drugs, in a memoir, "I'll Scream Later." But before the #MeToo movement, she felt her allegations were largely dismissed or glossed over.
Interviews from the book's press tour show journalists were more interested in the "amazing sex" she said she had with Hurt than the stories of the alleged physical and verbal abuse. One interviewer asked her why she waited "so long" to come forward with the claims.
The documentary isn't just a portrait of Matlin, but a broader look at deaf culture and how Matlin was thrust into the spotlight at a young age as a de facto spokesperson for all deaf... Read More