Woman-owned and led production company Little Minx has signed with New York City-based Champion for East Coast representation. Little Minx–under the aegis of founder Rhea Scott–has assembled a directorial roster which includes Ali Ali, Andrew Dosunmu, Augusto de Fraga, Cuba Scott, Jeymes Samuel, Kaito, Kevin Wilson Jr., Luca Guadagnino, Malik Sayeed, Malin Ingrid Johansson, Rodney Lucas, Rodrigo Prieto, Romain Laurent and The Chartrands. Champion was founded in 2021 by Julie Margilaj Knips, J. Patrick McElroy and Joanna Margilaj. In addition to Little Minx, Champion’s current roster includes division7, DROOL, Florence, Institute, Landia, MakeMake, Squeak E. Clean Studios and Trevor, as well as creatives and producers….
Emerald Pictures has secured Rotholz Reps to handle representation on the East Coast. Led by founders and co-managing directors John Duffin and Mara Miliฤeviฤ, Emerald Pictures is home to a roster of directorial talent who’ve helmed ad campaigns for global brands, including Nike, Apple, Starbucks, Budweiser, Pfizer, BMW, Gatorade, and Visa. Rotholz Reps is a joint venture from the sibling duo of Anna Rotholz and Eli Rotholz. Emerald Pictures joins the Rotholz Reps roster, which includes MADRE, Consulate, Chromista, Public Record, OB42, and Alkemy X….
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 yearโs Toronto International Film Festival--tells the story of Claressa โT-Rexโ 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 Shieldsโ 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