Industry veteran Ned Brown has joined production company Native Content as executive producer and partner. Alongside founder Tomer DeVito, Brown will oversee all aspects of production for the Los Angeles-based shop.
Brown has been a fixture in the commercial production industry for 20 years and helped to launch the careers of numerous successful directors including Daniel Barber, Pep Bosch, and Blue Source. During his tenure at The Directors Bureau, he shepherded the shop in its evolution from music videos to also encompass commercial production. He then opened Rock Fight, which he ran for eight years until its merger with HKM to form Hello & Co. Brown later helped to open the West Coast office of Humble.
Additionally, Native has secured Renee and Melissa for Midwest representation. The company is also repped by Pop-Arts Management for West Coast sales and Strike Media on the East Coast.
“Native is such a dynamic place to be–the ad world is changing and Native successfully runs the gamut from traditional commercials, to digital and social content, to photography and design, to original branded content,” said Brown. “I’m excited to hit the ground running to cultivate the incredible talent on the Native roster and expand its industry footprint.”
“Heretic” and “Maria” Set As Red Carpet Premieres At AFI Fest
The American Film Institute (AFI) has announced that Heretic, the psychological thriller starring Hugh Grant, and Maria, based on the life of opera singer Maria Callas starring Angelina Jolie, will round out the Red Carpet Premieres section at this year’s AFI Fest. The Heretic Gala Screening will take place on Thursday, October 24, and the Maria Gala Screening will be held on Saturday, October 26. The complete Red Carpet Premieres section includes the world premieres of Music By John Williams, Robert Zemeckis’ Here, Wallace & Gromit: Vengeance Most Fowl and Clint Eastwood’s Juror #2. All Red Carpet Premieres will take place at the historic TCL Chinese Theatre. The full lineup for AFI Fest 2024 will be unveiled on October 1.
“At the heart of AFI Fest is an unwavering dedication to celebrating the best in global cinema--together,” said Bob Gazzale, AFI president and CEO. “We look forward to uniting artists and audiences once again to be inspired by the art form in a powerful sense of community.”
Heretic follows two young missionaries (Sophie Thatcher and Chloe East) who are forced to prove their faith when they knock on the wrong door and are greeted by a diabolical Mr. Reed (portrayed by Grant), becoming ensnared in his deadly game of cat-and-mouse. The film is directed by Scott Beck and Bryan Woods and produced by Stacey Sher, Beck, Woods, Julia Glausi and Jeanette Volturno. The film will be released nationwide by A24 on November 8.
Directed by Pablo Larraín, Maria presents a tumultuous and beautiful depiction of one of the world’s most renowned artists and reimagines the legendary soprano in her final days in Paris, as Callas (Jolie)... Read More