Photoplay, a production house headquartered in Sydney, Australia, with offices in Auckland, NZ, and representation across Asia, has entered the U.S. market, opening a NY office through the acquisition of RAZR, an experiential production start-up launched a year ago by entrepreneur Mitchel Elsen who will stay on board as managing director overseeing all North American activities. Photoplay will launch its U.S. office with heavy sales capacity on both coasts and the Midwest. Sara Barnthouse, currently based in San Francisco, will continue to handle West Coast sales together with Lisa Gimenez in Los Angeles, while James Deloye will cover the Midwest market out of Chicago. Dana Dubay will take on all East Coast sales duties together with Daryl Devlin of Bernstein & Andriulli, who will specifically focus on Photoplay’s digital and experiential efforts….Matt Murphy has been named a partner at 72andSunny. He will continue his leadership on the agency’s Google business and will help to head up 72andSunny’s commitment to experimentation with art, technology, and entertainment. Since joining 72andSunny in 2009, Murphy has been a driving force behind some of the company’s most standout work, from introducing Kenny Powers as the outspoken MFCEO of KSWISS, to 72andSunny’s work with Nike, Activision, and most recently, Google….
Fernanda Torres’ Oscar Nomination Has Made Her Brazil’s Carnival Muse
Brazil's Carnival muse this year isn't one of the divas or drum queens parading with the Rio de Janeiro samba schools. It's Fernanda Torres, who's competing for the best actress Oscar on Sunday.
The Oscars fall smack in the middle of Carnival, Brazil's largest celebration, which runs through Tuesday. During the five-day revelry, the rest of the universe usually fades into the background as Brazilians cut loose and indulge.
Not this year, and the keen focus on the Oscars speaks to Brazil's pride for its culture and desire to be recognized on the global stage.
"Just imagine, her winning the Oscar on Carnival Sunday. It'll be a double celebration," Clarissa Salles, 33, told The Associated Press while buying a replica Oscar statuette in Sao Paulo for her costume.
Torres is nominated for her performance as the lead in the Walter Salles-directed "I'm Still Here," which is also nominated for best picture and best international feature. Excitement around the awards has prompted TV Globo, Brazil's largest network, to resume live coverage of the ceremony after a five-year hiatus. It will forgo the nationwide airing of high-ratings Carnival parades, instead broadcasting the Oscars everywhere except Rio.
Bars and nightclubs across Brazil are organizing Oscar watch parties and results will even be shown on a big screen to the tens of thousands of spectators gathered at Rio's Sambadrome for the parades.
"Today, all of Brazil only thinks about this," President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva said on his social media channels. "Everybody is cheering for 'I'm Still Here' and Fernanda Torres at the Oscars."
As far away as the Amazon, an Indigenous community in the Inhaa-be village promoted a screening of the film on Friday. With singing... Read More