Epoch Films has secured filmmakers Tom McCarthy and Daryl Wein for commercial representation. McCarthy has received critical acclaim for his writing and direction work for the independent films The Station Agent, Win Win and The Visitor.
For the latter, McCarthy won the Best Director honor at the 2009 Independent Spirit Awards and was nominated for Best Original Screenplay by the Writers Guild of America. Five years earlier, he earned his first WGA Awards Best Original Screenplay nomination for The Station Agent, which premiered at the ’03 Sundance Film Festival where it won the Audience Award as well as the Waldo Salt Screenwriting Award. Win Win won the 2011 Humanitas Prize in the Feature Film category. Additionally, McCarthy earned an Oscar nomination for Best Original Screenplay for Pixar’s Up, a shared writing credit with Pete Docter and Bob Peterson.
McCarthy was recently tapped to pen the Disney sports drama Million Dollar Arm.
Meanwhile, Wein is a New York filmmaker, who directed, co-wrote, co-produced and co-starred in the indie romantic comedy Breaking Upwards, which debuted at the 2009 SXSW Film Festival to critical acclaim and was released theatrically by IFC Films. He also directed Sex Positive, about the invention of safe sex during the AIDS crisis; the film won the Grand Jury Prize at the L.A. Outfest Film Fest, and was an Official Selection at the 2008 SXSW Film Festival. Regent released the film theatrically world-wide. Wein also co-wrote and directed Unlocked, a short psychological drama. The film was an Official Selection at the 2007 Tribeca Film Festival. He is currently in postproduction on his second narrative feature film, Lola Versus, slated for distribution by Fox Searchlight in spring 2012. The movie is produced by Groundswell Productions, Academy Award-winning producers of Sideways and Milk.
Mindy Goldberg, partner and founder of Epoch Films, said, “Introducing unique filmmaking voices to the advertising community continues to be a guiding company principle and this signing [of McCarthy and Wein] is a good example of that principle in action.”
In addition to producing, commercials, music videos and web content, Epoch Films has previously developed and produced two feature films, Junebug, directed by Phil Morrison, and Gigantic, directed by Matt Aselton. Anne Carey (The American, Adventureland, The Savages) is now working with Goldberg on building Epoch Films’ feature and TV division. The two have a slate of projects in varying stages of development. Epoch is currently developing the feature film Low Down, with producers Albert Berger & Ron Yerxa (Little Children, Little Miss Sunshine) of Bona Fide Productions. Low Down will be directed by Epoch Films’ partner and commercial director Jeff Preiss.
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