Director George Jecel has joined the commercial roster at HELLO! and Company. His spot credits span such clients as Adidas, Blue Cross, Boeing, Cadillac, Canon, California Tourism, Chrysler, Coca-Cola, Dannon, Evian, Ford, Gatorade, Ikea, Mazda, McDonald’s, Nike, Reebok and Travelocity. Last year he co-wrote, produced and directed his first full-length feature film, Little Dancer, which won the best feature award at the Moondance Film Fest in NY. The film is currently circulating the international festival circuit and is due to be released world wide in 2013….Director Xander has joined the roster of Backyard. He comes over from production studio East Pleasant. His directorial endeavors include nine episodic spots for Covergirl starring Holland Roden for the exclusive sponsorship of the MTV VMAs, dozens of films for Chevrolet Malibu to highlight its design partnership with Isaac Mizrahi, an Ultimat Vodka campaign, and spots for Royal Caribbean, Yahoo!, the NFL, HSBC and Adidas. He has already been awarded his first job at Backyard, a Gillette assignment for BBDO New York. Earlier, Xander served as an agency producer at JWT NY….Exec producer/director Jonathan Lia, exec producer Brian Welsh and managing director Ryan Heiferman have launched N.Y.-based production house GOODCOMPANY with a directorial roster that includes Lia, Aaron Platt, Alexandre Moors, Daniel Gomes, Noah Conopask, Scarlett Johansson and Surround (co-helmers Brian and Brad Palmer)….
Utah Leaders and Locals Rally To Keep Sundance Film Festival In The State
With the 2025 Sundance Film Festival underway, Utah leaders, locals and longtime attendees are making a final push — one that could include paying millions of dollars — to keep the world-renowned film festival as its directors consider uprooting.
Thousands of festivalgoers affixed bright yellow stickers to their winter coats that read "Keep Sundance in Utah" in a last-ditch effort to convince festival leadership and state officials to keep it in Park City, its home of 41 years.
Gov. Spencer Cox said previously that Utah would not throw as much money at the festival as other states hoping to lure it away. Now his office is urging the Legislature to carve out $3 million for Sundance in the state budget, weeks before the independent film festival is expected to pick a home for the next decade.
It could retain a small presence in picturesque Park City and center itself in nearby Salt Lake City, or move to another finalist — Cincinnati, Ohio, or Boulder, Colorado — beginning in 2027.
"Sundance is Utah, and Utah is Sundance. You can't really separate those two," Cox said. "This is your home, and we desperately hope it will be your home forever."
Last year's festival generated about $132 million for the state of Utah, according to Sundance's 2024 economic impact report.
Festival Director Eugene Hernandez told reporters last week that they had not made a final decision. An announcement is expected this year by early spring.
Colorado is trying to further sweeten its offer. The state is considering legislation giving up to $34 million in tax incentives to film festivals like Sundance through 2036 — on top of the $1.5 million in funds already approved to lure the Utah festival to its neighboring... Read More