Paul Muniz of PMI Management, New York, will handle sales on the East Coast for Imaginary Forces, Hollywood….The Directors Network, Encino, Calif., has signed New York-based humor director Wayne Gibson and Los Angeles-based director/cameraman Stephen Vidano. Additionally, longform helmer Lorraine Senna has returned to The Directors Network for spot representation….Independent rep Yvette Lubinsky, Playa del Rey, Calif., is handling West Coast sales for bicoastal Washington Square Films….Mirella Films, Hollywood, has signed Stuart Sternbach of Pangea, New York, for East Coast representation. Additionally, Chesley Helmsfield has joined Pangea as director of marketing/PR….Daria Zeliger has joined rhinofx, New York, as sales rep. She was formerly director of sales & marketing at Salamandra Images, New York….Blueyed Pictures, which maintains offices in Los Angeles, London and Tokyo, has secured independent reps Lynda Woodward and Janet Gilson to handle the West Coast and the Midwest, respectively. The company has also added London-based Caroline Brodrick for representation in the U.K. She succeeds Chris Ellis, who remains in England, but is now handling France for Blueyed….Cinematographer John Choi has joined The Skouras Agency, Santa Monica, for exclusive representation….Production designer Robb Buono has signed with Innovative Artists, Santa Monica, for exclusive representation in features, commercials and music videos….
Steve McQueen Shows Wartime London Through A Child’s Eyes In “Blitz”
It was a single photograph that started Oscar-winning filmmaker Steve McQueen on the journey to make "Blitz." As a Londoner, the German bombing raids on the city during World War II are never all that far from his mind. Reminders of it are everywhere. But the spark of inspiration came from an image of a small boy on a train platform with a large suitcase. Stories inspired by the evacuation are not rare, but this child was Black. Who was he, McQueen wondered, and what was his story? The film, in theaters Friday and streaming on Apple TV+ on Nov. 22, tells the tale of George, a 9-year-old biracial child in East London whose life with his mother, Rita ( Saoirse Ronan ), and grandfather is upended by the war. Like many children at the time, he's put on a train to the countryside for his safety. But he hops off and starts a long, dangerous journey back to his mom, encountering all sorts of people and situations that paint a revelatory and emotional picture of that moment. SEARCHING FOR GEORGE AND FINDING A STAR When McQueen finished the screenplay, he thought to himself: "Not bad." Then he started to worry: Does George exist? Is there a person out there who can play this role? Through an open casting call they found Elliott Heffernan, a 9-year-old living just outside of London whose only experience was a school play. He was the genie in "Aladdin." "There was a stillness about him, a real silent movie star quality," McQueen said. "You wanted to know what he was thinking, and you leant in. That's a movie star quality: A presence in his absence." Elliott is now 11. When he was cast, he'd not yet heard about the evacuation and imagined that a film set would be made up of "about 100 people." But he soon found his footing, cycling in and out of... Read More