Director Leonardo Ricagni has signed with A Band Apart, Los Angeles, for commercial and music video representation. Sister company Bikini Films, London, will also represent the director. Additionally, in conjunction with Mojo Film, Montevideo, Uruguay, a company in which Ricagni is a partner, A Band Apart is launching a Hispanic division called Mojo/A Band Apart. Nicolas Aznarez, executive producer of Mojo Film, will relocate to Los Angeles to help run the division. Meanwhile, Mojo Film will maintain its operation in Uruguay….Ogilvy & Mather (O&M), Chicago, has upped Monna O’Brien to executive director of broadcast. She was formerly director of broadcast production at the agency. O’Brien has been an O&M staffer for 18-plus years. She joined there as a producer in ’85. In her new capacity, O’Brien will work closely with Joe Sciarrotta, co-managing director/executive creative director of O&M Chicago, as well as with the shop’s group creative directors….Director Reginald Hudlin has signed with Zero 2 Sixty Productions, New York, for exclusive spot representation. Hudlin’s feature credits include House Party and Boomerang….Director Paul Fuentes, formerly of Huge, New York, has joined The Firm, New York….Blue Room Music, New York, has added composer Gabrielis Kaye to its roster….Editor Nick Lofting has moved stateside from the U.K., joining Chrome, a Santa Monica-based editorial boutique. He will be handled worldwide by Chrome for spots, music videos and longform….Sparks Productions, Toronto, has added director Gord McWatters to its roster. He had been with Apple Box Productions, which recently closed….Director Farhad Mann of Farhad Mann Productions, Los Angeles, has signed with Toronto-based commercial production company ‘ello Luv for representation in Canada….James L. McDowell, VP of marketing for BMW of North America, will be the keynote speaker at the inaugural AICP Brand Integration Honors, slated for the morning of June 9 in New York. Later that evening, the 12th annual AICP Show will be presented….The industry is mourning the death of Chris Petersen, 82. Petersen headed the now defunct The Petersen Co., a commercial production house that was a spawning ground for filmmaking talent for three decades (’60s, ’70s, ’80s). Petersen passed away on May 9 after a yearlong struggle with health problems….
Michelle Satter To Be Honored At Sundance Film Festival Gala
The nonprofit Sundance Institute today announced details for the 2025 Sundance Film Festival’s gala fundraiser, Celebrating Sundance Institute, which will take place on Friday, January 24, 2025 at the Grand Hyatt Deer Valley in Utah. The event will be an evening in celebration of Michelle Satter, founding sr. director of artist programs at Sundance Institute, for her longstanding commitment to nurturing artists and cultivating independent film through the Sundance Labs, where visionary artists convene to develop groundbreaking projects through an in-depth creative process, for the past four decades. The annual Vanguard Awards will be presented during the evening to Sean Wang, writer and director of Dìdi, and Julian Brave NoiseCat and Emily Kassie, co-directors of Sugarcane, who premiered their films at the 2024 Sundance Film Festival.
The annual gala enables the nonprofit to raise funds to support independent artists year-round through labs, grants, and public programming that nurture artists from all over the world. The 2025 event is made possible with the generous support of Google TV. The Festival will take place from January 23–February 2, 2025, in person in Park City and Salt Lake City, with a selection of titles available online from January 30–February 2, 2025 for audiences across the country to discover bold independent storytelling.
“For over four decades Michelle has been devoted to truly championing independent storytellers,” said Amanda Kelso, acting CEO of Sundance Institute. “She has encouraged artists to own their voice, learn their craft, become fierce leaders, and develop their resilience in our changing ecosystem. Her life-long commitment to supporting artists, especially in underrepresented... Read More