Ascential plc., the parent company of Cannes Lions, has announced that Philip Thomas, CEO of Ascential Events, will take on the additional role of chairman of Cannes Lions when Terry Savage leaves that position after this year’s Festival in June. Previous to his current role running Ascential’s Events division, Thomas was CEO of Cannes Lions and its associated festivals for 10 years.
“Philip is the obvious choice for this role, having led Cannes Lions to great success as CEO from 2006 to 2016,” said Ascential plc. CEO Duncan Painter. “His knowledge of the brand and the global creative industry is unparalleled. He will of course continue in his role as CEO of Ascential Events, leading across a portfolio of brands.”
Philip Thomas commented: “My role as chairman will be to support managing director José Papa and his team in the strategic development of Cannes Lions and its associated festivals, offering counsel as he leads and manages the business. The role of creativity for growth and for change has never been so critical, and Cannes Lions exists to help people and businesses become more creative. I am delighted to be able to help José and his team in this mission.”
Jose Papa stated: “Cannes Lions is experiencing an exciting transformative era and we are privileged to have Philip’s knowledge and vision. His involvement will ensure we continue pushing the limitless boundaries of creativity that drives business and change in the world.”
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