Postproduction and production house Optimus has added Matt McLaughlin as marketing director, and Sean Sullivan and Perry Tongate as sales reps in the Midwest and South/Southeast, respectively. With the recent announcement of West Coast director of sales Sarah Schroeder, Sullivan and Tongate round out the Optimus sales force and will further drive the company’s growth nationally. As marketing director, McLaughlin will spearhead Optimus’ overall message, including communications for ONE at Optimus and Optimus Santa Monica. The new hires represent a significant step forward in Optimus’ continued evolution as a provider of comprehensive creative services for the advertising and marketing community. McLaughlin, who has almost a decade of agency experience with firms such as Draftfcb and clients such as MillerCoors, has been working with Optimus since the fall of 2009. After collaborating with ONE at Optimus EP and managing director John Noble on direct-to-client projects, McLaughlin became marketing director of the overall organization. After working in account management at agencies including Fallon, Deutsch NY and McCann-Erickson’s Amster Yard, Sullivan struck out on his own as a rep, which he has been doing for almost 10 years. In the Texas and Southeast market for almost 12 years, Tongate has worked as an in-house rep and independently with a host of companies….Digital studio Radium/Reel FX, Santa Monica and Dallas, has brought aboard executive producer Jeb Schary to join the studio’s sales and business development team. In this role, Schary will focus his efforts on cultivating new and existing relationships with clients. He is based out of Radium/Reel FX’s Dallas studio. Schary comes to Radium/Reel FX after successful runs as EP at 3008 Editorial and Willow Street Editorial, both in Dallas….Dattner Dispoto & Associates has just signed DP John Lindley, ASC….
DGA Feature Nominees: Audiard, Baker, Berger, Corbet and Mangold
The field of feature nominees for the Directors Guild of America (DGA) Awards spanning two categories is set. Nominated for the DGA honor for Outstanding Directorial Achievement in Theatrical Feature Film for 2024 are: Jacques Audiard for Emilia Pérez, Sean Baker for Anora, Edward Berger for Conclave, Brady Corbet for The Brutalist, and James Mangold for A Complete Unknown.
The DGA also revealed the nominees for the Michael Apted Award for Outstanding Directorial Achievement in First-Time Theatrical Feature Film. The first-time narrative feature directors are: Payal Kapadia for All We Imagine as Light, Megan Park for My Old Ass, RaMell Ross for Nickel Boys, Halfdan Ullman Tondel for Armand, and Sean Wang for Diddy.
“2024 has been a truly extraordinary year for storytelling--and today’s nominees have created audacious and unique films that expand the possibilities of cinematic excellence,” said DGA president Lesli Linka Glatter. “I am thrilled to congratulate all our nominated directors for their brilliant work, which is visionary, inspirational and speaks to the depth of the human experience. To be chosen by one’s peers is the true marker of outstanding directorial achievement and what makes these nominations so very special.”
The winners will be announced at the 77th Annual DGA Awards on Saturday, February 8.
Here’s a fuller rundown of the nominees in both DGA Award categories:
THEATRICAL FEATURE FILM
Outstanding Directorial Achievement in Theatrical Feature Film for 2024 (in alphabetical order):
JACQUES AUDIARD
Emilia Pérez
(Netflix)
SEAN... Read More