In covering Daniel Russ’ recent move from his post as senior VP/group creative director at GSD&M, Austin, Texas, to executive creative director at R&R Partners, overseeing the work of that agency’s five shops in Las Vegas, Phoenix, Salt Lake City, Reno and Washington, D.C., SHOOT noted that he would remain very much involved in the Peace Council, a nearly 10-year-old nonprofit foundation dedicated to creating advertising that helps to raise awareness for issues of social consequence.
And while the reference to the Peace Council was an incidental part of our news story on Russ last month, we now make it the focus of this column as that organization, known for its public service spots, diversifies into short and feature-length films. The other new wrinkle is that while the Peace Council has perennially created PSAs for assorted issues and causes, this time around it is soliciting others to come up with longer form content.
As executive director/founder of the Peace Council, Russ manages an organizational board of 16 creative professionals. Over the years, Peace Council fare has consistently earned inclusion into SHOOT’s “The Best Work You May Never See” gallery, the latest example coming in November 2005 for “Screwdriver,” a PSA which promoted The Center For Child Protection in Austin.
Now the Peace Council has extended its reach into longer form via an initiative for client the New Milestones Foundation, a group which works in collaboration with the Austin Travis County Mental Health Mental Retardation Center to expand awareness of mental illness and to eradicate its stigma while raising funds to address the needs of those affected by mental retardation, mental illness or substance abuse issues.
New Milestones and the Peace Council are teaming on the We Don’t Talk About Chris Film Festival, which is seeking short and feature-length films that tell the story of living with mental illness. The hope is that these films will promote awareness and understanding of mental health problems–and help in fund-raising efforts as well. Already, said Russ, about a dozen films have been entered into the competition, with entrants being a mix of independent filmmakers and nonprofessionals who have a story to tell.
The Peace Council is actively seeking more entries. Furthermore Russ has secured legendary documentary filmmaker Albert Maysles of Maysles Films, New York, as a judge to review submitted work. Maysles and Russ have known each other for some time, initially striking up a rapport when they collaborated on a Wal-Mart campaign out of GSD&M.
Judges will pick approximately five to seven winning short films (no more than 30 minutes each) and a feature length film (one to two hours long). There is a total of $5,000 in cash prizes. Plans call for the winning work to be screened during a film festival event, scheduled for April 20, 2007. Work will also be posted on the New Milestones Foundation Web site, and winning entries will also likely gain DVD distribution, according to Russ.
“This is another way for the Peace Council to do some good, helping to see that important issues are addressed, using our communication skills to promote something worthwhile,” related Russ.
For more info, entry forms and rules, log onto www.newmilestonesfilmfestival.com. Entry deadline is January 17.
“Mufasa: The Lion King” and “Sonic 3” Rule Box Office For 1st Weekend Of 2025
The Walt Disney Co.'s "Mufasa: The Lion King" claimed the No. 1 spot on the North American box office charts over the first weekend of 2025.
The photorealistic "Lion King" prequel earned $23.8 million in its third weekend, according to studio estimates Sunday. Paramount's "Sonic the Hedgehog 3," which has dominated the past two weekends, wasn't far behind.
"Sonic 3" stayed close with a 3-day estimate of $21.2 million, bringing its total domestic earnings to $187.5 million and helping the overall franchise cross $1 billion worldwide. "Mufasa's" running total is slightly less, with $169.2 million.
In third place, Focus Features' "Nosferatu" remake defied the fate of so many of its genre predecessors and fell only 39% in its second weekend. Horror films typically fall sharply after the first weekend and anything less than a 50% decline is notable. "Nosferatu," which added 140 screens, claimed $13.2 million in ticket sales, bringing its running total to $69.4 million since its Christmas debut. The film, directed by Robert Eggers, already surpassed its reported production budget of $50 million, though that figure does not account for marketing and promotion expenses).
No new wide releases opened this weekend, leaving the box office top 10 once again to holdovers from previous weeks. Several have been in theaters since Thanksgiving. One of those, "Moana 2," claimed the No. 4 spot for Disney in its sixth weekend in theaters. The animated sequel earned another $12.4 million, bumping its global total to $960.5 million.
The Bob Dylan biopic "A Complete Unknown," dipped only slightly in its second weekend, bringing in $8.1 million. With $41.7 million total, it's Searchlight's highest grossing film since Disney acquired the company in... Read More