The industry is mourning director Ted Demme, 37, who died Sunday, Jan. 13, after suffering cardiac arrest during a celebrity basketball game in Santa Monica. Known primarily as a feature director, Demme was represented for spotwork by Creative Film Management International, New York. Cause of death had yet to be determined at press time. He is survived by his wife; their two children; his parents; and a sister….Bicoastal commercial production house Moxie Pictures has entered into a relationship with New York-based music video company Notorious. Plans call for select directors at Moxie to be available for videos via Notorious, and for talent at Notorious to possibly get into the spot arena via Moxie…. Maya Brewster has been named East Coast head of sales for bicoastal Partizan. She will also assume the role of executive producer, working with Shelia Stepanek, Partizan’s senior executive producer…. Director Robert Logevall who recently exited production company Bruce Dowad Associates, Los Angeles, and Drew Miller, formerly a sales agent with repping firm Stenz and Miller, New York, now known as Stenz and Company, have teamed up to launch a production house. The new company is currently awaiting legal clearance on its moniker….Chuck Pfeifer has joined owner/director Gary Lankford, and directors Clay Peres and Jacob Williams at Lankford Films. Pfeifer will serve as the company’s head of sales. Lankford Films is based in Houston, and has additional bases of operation at Johnson/Burnett’s Los Angeles and New York facilities….Director Kim Geldenhuys has signed with bicoastal Bob Industries for stateside representation….Director Michael Spiller—whose helming credits include seven episodes of HBO’s Sex and The City—has signed with Los Angeles-based production house coma industries for commercials. Spiller is no stranger to the ad arena, having earlier in his career served as a DP on numerous spots….Director Rich Wafer is joining Los Angeles-based Visitor….Former Olive Jar principal Matthew Charde has taken on the newly created position of senior VP/director of multimedia and entertainment at Euro RSCG Circle, Boston, where he will focus on creating and producing various forms of digital media for the branding agency’s global client roster….Michael Mark, president/creative director of San Diego-based matthews/mark, has left the ad agency to pursue other interests…. Cool Bean Digital Audio, New York, has changed its name to Tonic. The audio facility, which is based in midtown, recently opened an additional operation in Thirteen/WNET’s New York office, signaling an expansion into longform television and film work, diversifying beyond its established base in commercials….Dana Townsend has been named executive producer at Santa Monica-based visual effects house Colorado. She previously served in the same role at Radium, the digital effects company with bases of operation in San Francisco and Santa Monica….
“Come See Me in the Good Light” Wins Festival Favorite Award At Sundance
The Sundance Film Festival today (2/2) announced its final award for the 2025 edition: Come See Me in the Good Light in the Premieres category received the Festival Favorite Award. The honor was voted on by the audiences from all the new feature films presented at the 2025 Festival. Other award winners were previously announced at a ceremony at The Ray Theatre in Park City, Utah, on January 31 (for SHOOT's coverage, click here).
Kim Yutani, director of programming for the Sundance Film Festival, said, “Throughout the Festival we saw audiences moved by Andrea Gibson’s and Megan Falley’s journeys in Come See Me in the Good Light. Festival goers embraced the humor and heartbreak of this intimate documentary directed by Ryan White, as it speaks to art and love and reminds us what it means to be alive as we face mortality.”
Looking ahead to next year, Sundance Institute also disclosed today the dates for the 2026 Sundance Film Festival, taking place in person in Park City and Salt Lake City, Utah, from January 22–February 1, 2026.
“The past 11 days of the Festival have been a meaningful opportunity to connect as a community in support of independent storytelling,” said Amanda Kelso, acting CEO, Sundance Institute. “We look forward to being reunited with audiences, artists, industry, and press next January for another edition of the Festival.”
Eugene Hernandez, director, Sundance Film Festival and public programming, added, “As this year’s Festival comes to a close, we’re already looking ahead to 2026 and what will no doubt be an unforgettable experience! We invite you to save... Read More