Cut+Run has promoted Sean Stender to editor. While working in a dual capacity as an assistant and editor, Stender was nominated for an AICE award in 2015 for his contribution to the massive, multi-editor campaign for Starbucks. He was then nominated this year, alongside Sam Ostrove, on their co-edited Kendrick Lamar “Witness Greatness” video for the Grammyss and agency TBWA/Chiat/Day. In 2015, Stender won a D&AD award for “Branded film content/entertainment” for Levi’s “Oakland Skateboarding.”
Born and raised in Southern California’s San Fernando Valley, Stender grew up immersed in the punk rock culture. A self-taught musician, he spent hours locked away, learning how to play Clash and Minor Threat songs until his fingers were raw. Stender went on to start his own band, and released a 7 inch vinyl record titled, “Valley Rats.” His love for music is what inevitably introduced him to film, allowing him to channel his unique sense of rhythmic timing and pace from his days of playing in bands.
As an in-house editor at Reactor Films, he collaborated closely with directors, editing their director’s cuts, commercials, and music videos. On the recommendation of director friends, Stender contacted Cut+Run, and worked his way up to apprentice with cutter Steve Gandolfi before becoming an editor.
First-Time Feature Directors Make Major Splash At AFI Fest, Generate Oscar Buzz
Two first-time feature directors who are generating Oscar buzz this awards season were front and center this past weekend at AFI Fest in Hollywood. Rachel Morrison, who made history as the first woman nominated for a Best Cinematography Oscar---on the strength of Mudbound in 2018--brought her feature directorial debut, The Fire Inside (Amazon MGM Studios), to the festival on Sunday (10/27), and shared insights into the film during a conversation session immediately following the screening. This came a day after William Goldenberg, an Oscar-winning editor for Argo in 2013, had his initial foray into feature directing, Unstoppable (Amazon MGM Studios), showcased at the AFI proceedings. He too spoke after the screening during a panel discussion. The Fire Inside--which made its world premiere at this year’s Toronto International Film Festival--tells the story of Claressa “T-Rex” Shields (portrayed by Ryan Destiny), a Black boxer from Flint, Mich., who trained to become the first woman in U.S. history to win an Olympic Gold Medal in the sport. She achieved this feat--with the help of coach Jason Crutchfield (Brian Tyree Henry)--only to find that her victory at the Summer Games came with relatively little fanfare and no endorsement deals. So much for the hope that the historic accomplishment would be a ticket out of socioeconomic purgatory for Shields and her family. It seemed like yet another setback in a cycle of adversity throughout Shields’ life but she persevered, going on to win her second Gold Medal at the next Olympics and becoming a champion for gender equality and equitable pay for women in sports. Shields has served as a source of inspiration for woman athletes worldwide--as well as to the community of... Read More