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.
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 — one that could include paying millions of dollars — 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 — Cincinnati, Ohio, or Boulder, Colorado — 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 — on top of the $1.5 million in funds already approved to lure the Utah festival to its neighboring... Read More