Looking Glass Films, Los Angeles, and Bikini Films, London, have entered into an arrangement whereby each will represent select talent from the other’s roster in their respective markets. Initially, Bikini at Looking Glass will feature directors Andy Morahan, David Hartley, Peter Lydon, Johnny Magginn, Jonty Toosey and Katie Bell for stateside projects.
Conversely, under the Looking Glass at Bikini banner, gaining U.K. spot representation will be Bikini’s roster of filmmakers which includes David Mamet, Alek Keshishian, Alfonso Arau, Steven Antin, Kerry Conran, Chad Einbinder, Renny Harlin, Anjelica Huston, Marc/Andy, Francine McDougall, Marine Panossian, Jay Roach, Chris Rock, Mark Simmons, and Cliff Watts.
Looking Glass is headed by owner/executive producer June Guterman. The Bikini Films executive team consists of managing partner Kate Elson, deputy managing director/head of music video Phil Barnes and director/partner Morahan.
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