Bicoastal/international Moxie Pictures has signed its first London-based director, James Griffiths, for commercial and music video representation worldwide. His credits include spots for adidas, Coca-Cola, Lynx and Sony PlayStation, and music videos for Groove Armada, HAL and Goldfrapp. His first assignment under the Moxie banner is a music video for Petra Jean Phillipson….Creative Film Management International (CFM), the New York production house headed by president Lou Addesso, has added Andrew McCarthy to its spot directorial roster. McCarthy recently made his writing and directorial debut in the screen adaptation of a Frank O’Connor short story, News for the Church. As a performer, his credits include The Joy Luck Club, Pretty In Pink and St. Elmo’s Fire, as well as the Tony Award-winning Sideman….Director Nigel Dick has signed with DNA, Los Angeles for music video and spot representation. Meanwhile, also joining DNA is L.A.-based director Fritz Flieder, for representation in the American ad market. He is known for his spotwork in Europe and the U.S…..Director Paula Walker has joined Bruce Dowad Associates, Los Angeles, for exclusive representation in North America and nonexclusive representation in the rest of the world for commercials….BeachHouse Films, Santa Monica, has signed comedy/dialogue director Jeff Gordon for U.S. representation. He comes over from X-Ray Productions, part of the Crossroads (bicoastal and Chicago) family of companies…..Feature filmmaker Stephen Daldry, a two-time Oscar nominee (Billy Elliot, The Hours), has signed with international shop Saville Productions for commercials….A Band Apart, Los Angeles, has signed director Adam Pollina and Ben Dickinson for exclusive representation in music videos and commercials. Polina is a well known comic book artist and video game designer who diversified into directing last year. Dickinson is one of a group of former NYU students who formed the Brooklyn-based directors collective Waverly Films, which has made inroads in spots and music clips….Richard P. Crudo has been re-elected for a third term as president of the American Society of Cinematographers (ASC)…..Barbara Marshall has been promoted to managing director of Encore Hollywood, a post facility that’s part of the Ascent Media Creative Services Group family of shops. Marshall formerly served as director of Encore Visual Effects……The industry is mourning the death of director Bruce Malmuth following a courageous fight against cancer. Malmuth, 71, was active in commercials, music videos, documentaries and features. In lieu of flowers, the family requests donations be made to the Bruce Malmuth Build a Child Foundation, P.O. Box 570625, Tarzana, CA 91357-0625…..
Oscar Nominees Gather For Cocktails, Dinner and The Annual Class Picture
Five days before the Academy Awards, nearly every nominee gathered for a cocktail reception, dinner and class picture shoot that served as an Oscars orientation.
The event Tuesday night at the Academy Museum of Motion Pictures was a stand-in for the annual Oscars luncheon usually held about a month earlier but scrubbed because of the Southern California wildfires.
With the voting over and winners determined, contenders got chummy and the mood was cheerful. Best actress favorites Mikey Madison and Demi Moore hugged and chatted. So did best actor front-runners Timothée Chalamet and Adrien Brody.
"Everyone say Oscar nominee!" best actress nominee Cynthia Erivo shouted gleefully from the front row of the museum's David Geffen Theater, where the dozens of nominees sat for their group picture.
Clustered in front with Erivo were three best supporting actress nominees: her "Wicked" castmate Ariana Grande, Monica Barbaro of "A Complete Unknown" and Zoe Saldaña of "Emilia Perez" along with Madison, nominated for "Anora." The five women stood in a circle and talked happily together after the photo, and kept the conversation going as they descended the stairs together to dinner.
In the back of the theater, a trio of best actor nominees sat together: Sebastian Stan of "The Apprentice," Colman Domingo of "Sing Sing" and Brody, of "The Brutalist."
After the photo was taken, Academy President Janet Yang gave the orientation presentation, reminding everyone that the 97th Academy Awards will be held Sunday.
She greeted first-time nominees and acknowledged there were also some with more than one.
Denis Villeneuve, director of "Dune: Part 2" and a four-time nominee, raised his hand. Sixteen-time best original song nominee... Read More