Director Max Joseph has joined the roster of Hungry Man which was initially drawn to his “Follow the Frog” work for the Rainforest Alliance. A clever approach to short-form advocacy filmmaking, “Follow the Frog” has garnered industry acclaim, the most recent recognition being its winning Gold at the EPICA Award show in the Public Interest category. The three-minute romp through Central America was written, directed and edited by Joseph.
As a triple threat–conceptualizing, directing and editing–Joseph last year saw his Toms Shoes’ “Get Out And Play” spot earn inclusion into SHOOT‘s “The Best Work You May Never See” gallery (7/8/11). And our end-of-year readers’ poll had that project tied for second as the best of “The Best Work You May Never See” entries for 2011. This spot gave new meaning to the phrase “concert in the park” as folks strip down to white and black skivvies/sweats and lay down in the grass in a configuration that resembles a piano keyboard. Each person in this keyboard is wearing white classic summer Toms shoes. The alternating black and white “keys” move to seemingly produce a piano riff that’s easy on the ears. A super reads, “Get out and play,” with a tag touting Toms’ classic summer shoes.
Joseph made his first mark as creative director of video at GOOD Mag for two-and-a-half years. He honed his filmmaking skills at GOOD, where he wrote and directed over 60 films for clients such as Pepsi, Prius and Ford. He went on to helm the short films Saab Story and Atomic Alert which then screened at festivals such as Sundance and Telluride. His work has screened at LACMA, BAM, The Gagosian Gallery in New York and has been featured many times on the front pages of YouTube, FunnyOrDie, and DailyMotion accumulating over 30 million views so far. He’s also directed and edited commercials for Starbucks and Nike.
Currently Joseph is co-starring in MTV’s new docu-series Catfish, a modified version of–and with the same title as–the noted documentary released in 2010 and directed by Henry Joost and Ariel Schulman (a.k.a. Henry & Rel who are handled by Moxie Pictures for spots and branded content).
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