Gustavo “Gus” Ribeiro has joined Absolute as lead compositor following previous roles at Untold, The Mill and Framestore. In addition to compositing for Absolute’s varied client base, Ribeiro will serve as a mentor for jr. artists. He is no stranger to Absolute, having freelanced previously for the studio.
Brazilian-born Ribeiro saw his interest in filmmaking pique as a teen. He began shooting skateboarding and music videos with friends. A filmmaking degree and experience assisting in editorial and grading followed, before the realization crept in that compositing was his calling. Ribeiro moved to Spain to undertake a Masters in VFX, before relocating to London to accept a role as a compositor.
Ribeiro has since collaborated over the years with directors such as Dougal Wilson, Sam Pilling and Chris Balmond on notable projects including John Lewis’ ”Excitable Edgar” and Amazon’s “An Unlikely Friendship.” In TV, Netflix’s The Crown remains a particular highlight after it picked up a VES Gold Stick for VFX. Meanwhile, film credits include Paddington 2, Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald and Avengers: Infinity War, the latter of which was nominated for a VFX Oscar and BAFTA.
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