Havas Media Group has appointed Erin Flaxman, an industry vet of some 20-plus years, to serve as global chief growth officer. Flaxman has been charged with delivering new business best practices for the Media Group, as well as furthering the network’s commitment to meaningful media. Based in New York, she will report to Havas Media Group global CEO Peter Mears. Working with the new business teams around the globe, Flaxman will focus on sharing best practices, tools, and expertise across key markets to support closer integration and collaboration. In line with Havas Group’s “Village model,” Flaxman will work closely with Havas Creative and Havas Health & You to continue to bring prospective and current clients integrated and innovative solutions for their businesses. Flaxman, who holds an MBA in global business and marketing, has worked at some of the largest agency networks including WPP, Publicis, IPG, Omnicom, and MDC. In addition to senior roles in global and U.S. marketing and business development, she has played key media strategy roles on brands including Procter & Gamble, Kraft, Pillsbury, Mercedes-Benz, Four Seasons Hotels, Mastercard, Nintendo, and Diageo…..
Doublewide, the production house under the aegis of owner/EP Danielle Lovett, has been certified as a Woman-Owned Business. Lovett values the WBENC certification, helping to further position L.A.-based Doublewide as a model for other women coming up, as well as for her daughter. Doublewide’s directorial roster includes Jeffrey Karoff, Gab Taraboulsey, Elise Holowicki, Alfredo de Villa, Craig Teper and rock icon Rob Zombie. The company’s post operation is led by chief creative officer David Banks, working closely with Territory Studio, Doublewide’s design, VFX and animation partners….
First-Time Feature Directors Make Major Splash At AFI Fest, Generate Oscar Buzz
Two first-time feature directors who are generating Oscar buzz this awards season were front and center this past weekend at AFI Fest in Hollywood. Rachel Morrison, who made history as the first woman nominated for a Best Cinematography Oscar---on the strength of Mudbound in 2018--brought her feature directorial debut, The Fire Inside (Amazon MGM Studios), to the festival on Sunday (10/27), and shared insights into the film during a conversation session immediately following the screening. This came a day after William Goldenberg, an Oscar-winning editor for Argo in 2013, had his initial foray into feature directing, Unstoppable (Amazon MGM Studios), showcased at the AFI proceedings. He too spoke after the screening during a panel discussion. The Fire Inside--which made its world premiere at this year’s Toronto International Film Festival--tells the story of Claressa “T-Rex” Shields (portrayed by Ryan Destiny), a Black boxer from Flint, Mich., who trained to become the first woman in U.S. history to win an Olympic Gold Medal in the sport. She achieved this feat--with the help of coach Jason Crutchfield (Brian Tyree Henry)--only to find that her victory at the Summer Games came with relatively little fanfare and no endorsement deals. So much for the hope that the historic accomplishment would be a ticket out of socioeconomic purgatory for Shields and her family. It seemed like yet another setback in a cycle of adversity throughout Shields’ life but she persevered, going on to win her second Gold Medal at the next Olympics and becoming a champion for gender equality and equitable pay for women in sports. Shields has served as a source of inspiration for woman athletes worldwide--as well as to the community of... Read More