Director Kendall Goldberg has joined Gravy Films for U.S. commercial representation.
Hailing from the Chicago suburbs, Goldberg graduated from Chapman University’s film program and quickly made a name for herself directing her first feature, When Jeff Tried to Save the World. At 22 years old, she assembled a star-studded cast for the film, including Jon Heder (Napoleon Dynamite), Anna Konkle and Maya Erskine (both from PEN15), and Jim O’Heir (Parks and Recreation).
Goldberg’s work has screened at festivals worldwide and she was selected as a Panavision New Filmmaker, a Student Academy Awards Semifinalist, a Women In Film Mentee, and a participant in the Big Vision Empty Wallet Lab. She also co-created, produced, and directed a pilot with Derek Waters (Drunk History) and Comedy Central. Goldberg’s narrative projects quickly led her to advertising and she has since directed campaigns for brands including Nissan, The Athletic, BarkBox, The Honest Company and Carvana.
Brent Stoller, founder and managing director at Gravy, said of Goldberg, “Her comedic sensibility, collaborative energy, and charm make her the total package. I’ve been absolutely blown away by her hustle. Her talent and appetite to grow will take her far in this business and I feel so fortunate to partner with her on this next stage of her career.”
Goldberg shared, “I love directing commercials because I find great satisfaction in tackling the challenge of working closely with a lot of people at a fast pace to craft something at a premium level. Joining forces with Gravy feels like a perfect fit – like joining a family where relationships matter most, and that’s refreshing in this industry. Brent and everyone at Gravy are not only passionate about the craft, but also prioritize the power of connection, and that’s always been very important to me.
Goldberg is currently in development on her second feature film, which will be shot in the summer of 2024.
Prior to joining Gravy Films, Goldberg was repped by Chicago-based Strange Loop. She now comes aboard a Gravy directorial roster which includes Cameron Harris, Trent & Marlena, Crobin Leo, Laura Murphy, and Sebastian “Bas” Hill-Esbrand.
Rom-Com Mainstay Hugh Grant Shifts To The Dark Side and He’s Never Been Happier
After some difficulties connecting to a Zoom, Hugh Grant eventually opts to just phone instead.
"Sorry about that," he apologizes. "Tech hell." Grant is no lover of technology. Smart phones, for example, he calls the "devil's tinderbox."
"I think they're killing us. I hate them," he says. "I go on long holidays from them, three or four days at at time. Marvelous."
Hell, and our proximity to it, is a not unrelated topic to Grant's new film, "Heretic." In it, two young Mormon missionaries (Chloe East, Sophie Thatcher) come knocking on a door they'll soon regret visiting. They're welcomed in by Mr. Reed (Grant), an initially charming man who tests their faith in theological debate, and then, in much worse things.
After decades in romantic comedies, Grant has spent the last few years playing narcissists, weirdos and murders, often to the greatest acclaim of his career. But in "Heretic," a horror thriller from A24, Grant's turn to the dark side reaches a new extreme. The actor who once charmingly stammered in "Four Weddings and a Funeral" and who danced to the Pointer Sisters in "Love Actually" is now doing heinous things to young people in a basement.
"It was a challenge," Grant says. "I think human beings need challenges. It makes your beer taste better in the evening if you've climbed a mountain. He was just so wonderfully (expletive)-up."
"Heretic," which opens in theaters Friday, is directed by Scott Beck and Bryan Woods, co-writers of "A Quiet Place." In Grant's hands, Mr. Reed is a divinely good baddie — a scholarly creep whose wry monologues pull from a wide range of references, including, fittingly, Radiohead's "Creep."
In an interview, Grant spoke about these and other facets of his character, his journey... Read More