Bicoastal GO Film has added director Phil Brown whose ad industry experience spans the agency and production house sides of the fence.
Brown started out as an art director at Aberdeen, Scotland-based agency Formula. He made his spot directing debut by way of a competition sponsored by Brit magazine Creative Review, helming an Absolut Vodka ad, “Absolut Intrigue,” which came up one of the contest winners.
Next Brown moved to Canada where he took on an art director position at BBDO Vancouver. During his tenure there, he took another shot at directing when a creative colleague, Bradley Wood, from Palmer Jarvis DDB, Vancouver, offered him an assignment for Fong’s fresh poultry, “Dead Chicken,” which was shortlisted at Cannes in 1998.
Brown went on to land spot representation as a director via Radke Films, Toronto and then in the U.S. at The Artists Company. Subsequent U.S. roosts included Partizan, Tate USA and Backyard. Brown’s directorial credits span such clients as Ikea, General Motors, Ford, Volkswagen, Samsung, Molson, Pfizer, Blue Cross, Kia, Toyota, McDonald’s, Hasbro, Verizon and Home Depot.
Brown is currently working on a film project for the Royal Canadian Legion, retelling veterans’ war stories to raise awareness and funding for Remembrance Day.
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