Roberto Cecchini of bicoastal/international The Artists Company, and John Benson, formerly of Industrial Light+ Magic, San Rafael, Calif., have launched visual effects shop Orphanage Spots, which has offices in Los Angeles and San Francisco….David Bowie has signed with bicoastal RSA USA’s Top Dog Films to direct commercials and music videos. This marks the first time that the singer/songwriter/producer/actor has formally been represented as a helmer…. Director Earle Sebastian has signed with bicoastal You Media for exclusive commercial and music video representation….Hollywood-based Orbit Productions has signed director Paul Santana…. Nonfiction spots, Santa Monica, and Paris-based Dissidents have entered into a reciprocal representation and co-production agreement. Both companies represent documentary filmmakers for commercials. Dissidents will handle spot production and representation in France for nonfiction’s U.S. roster. Conversely, nonfiction will do the same in the U.S. for the Dissidents lineup of directors….After nine years, New York-based boutique agency Dweck! is closing its doors. The agency is perhaps best known for its Cannes Gold-Lion winning ads for Dial-A-Mattress, directed by John O’Hagan of bicoastal/international hungry man. At press time, the future plans of Michael Dweck, agency chairman/creative director, were not yet known….Director Sam Raimi is again available for commercials via bicoastal Zooma Zooma, after wrapping principal photography on Sony Pictures Spiderman feature…Kieran Walsh, creative director/senior visual effects/Henry artist, R!OT Manhattan (formerly Manhattan Transfer), New York, has been named as the North American regional winner of the International Quantel Artist of the Year Award presented at last month’s Promax & BDA Conference & Exhibition in Miami…OC Post, the Orange County, Calif.-based editorial, design and finishing house, has changed its name to Stun Gun. Involved primarily in spot work, the boutique continues to be headed by president/CEO Ken Anderson….
For Documentaries At Sundance, Oscar Nominations (and Wins) Often Follow
The Sundance Film Festival welcomed back three Oscar-winning documentary filmmakers to help kick off the annual independent film showcase in Park City, Utah.
On Thursday night at The Ray Theater, "20 Days in Mariupol" filmmaker Mstyslav Chernov, who won the Oscar last year, debuted his latest dispatch from Ukraine, "2000 Meters to Andriivka," a harrowing journey to the front lines of a 2023 counteroffensive. A few hours later, at the Eccles, Ahmir "Questlove" Thompson, who won an Oscar for "Summer of Soul" in 2022, unveiled his Sly Stone portrait, "SLY LIVES! (aka The Burden of Black Genuis)." Earlier, "One Day in September" filmmaker Kevin MacDonald also showcased his film "One to One: John & Yoko," which debuted last year at the Venice Film Festival and will get an IMAX release on April 11 before hitting Max later this year.
Some critics reflected that "2000 Meters to Andriivka," a joint production between The Associated Press and PBS Frontline, was even more powerful than "20 Days in Mariupol." "SLY LIVES!" (on Hulu Feb. 13) was called "sublime" and "illuminating" in its examination of an underappreciated, shapeshifting genius.
"I've been coming here since 2000 and I thought the coolest thing you could do would be to DJ an after party," Thompson said before the screening. "I never dreamt this for my future, so this is really humbling."
It was a full-circle end to a day that began with a slate of documentary Oscar nominations all connected to the Sundance Institute in some way. Some were supported by the Institute, some debuted at the festival as recently as last year.
"Black Box Diaries," in which a Japanese filmmaker investigates her own sexual assault, had its premiere in Park City last year and was supported by the... Read More