London-based production company FRIEND has signed director Dax Martinez-Vargas, formerly one-half of the comedy duo Sniper Twins. Having co-founded Sniper Twins at film school in Texas, Martinez-Vargas went on to spend five years writing and directing multi-award winning promos in the MTV On-Air Promos department. Since then, he has gone on to create notable work with such agencies as Droga5, Grey, Mother, and BBH. Martinez-Vargas has directed for brands including Carling, Coors, Burger King and Mentos, helping to establish a reputation for cinematically stylized comedy spots. Martinez-Vargas continues to be handled in the U.S. by production house m ss ng p eces….
Production house Ruffian has opened in Los Angeles under the aegis of founder/EP Robert Herman whose extensive industry experience includes having run global house Stink as managing director/COO for 16 years. Ruffian is repped on the West Coast by Bueno and on the East Coast by RepresentationCo….
Cast & Crew Entertainment Services, a provider of technology-enabled payroll and production-management services to the entertainment industry, has promoted entertainment payroll expert Durressa Powers to VP of payroll operations for Burbank. In her new position, Powers will continue to oversee the company’s Burbank payroll-processing department, client onboarding team, account management and specialized staff of payroll coordinators. Powers also will be helping to lead the implementation of Cast & Crew’s new Payroll+ Suite technology designed to digitize production management. Powers, who joined Cast & Crew in 2014, has more than 15 years of experience in the payroll industry, with nine of those years specializing in entertainment payroll. She has managed payroll accounts and departments, as well as the implementation of new software….
“Heretic” and “Maria” Set As Red Carpet Premieres At AFI Fest
The American Film Institute (AFI) has announced that Heretic, the psychological thriller starring Hugh Grant, and Maria, based on the life of opera singer Maria Callas starring Angelina Jolie, will round out the Red Carpet Premieres section at this year’s AFI Fest. The Heretic Gala Screening will take place on Thursday, October 24, and the Maria Gala Screening will be held on Saturday, October 26. The complete Red Carpet Premieres section includes the world premieres of Music By John Williams, Robert Zemeckis’ Here, Wallace & Gromit: Vengeance Most Fowl and Clint Eastwood’s Juror #2. All Red Carpet Premieres will take place at the historic TCL Chinese Theatre. The full lineup for AFI Fest 2024 will be unveiled on October 1.
“At the heart of AFI Fest is an unwavering dedication to celebrating the best in global cinema--together,” said Bob Gazzale, AFI president and CEO. “We look forward to uniting artists and audiences once again to be inspired by the art form in a powerful sense of community.”
Heretic follows two young missionaries (Sophie Thatcher and Chloe East) who are forced to prove their faith when they knock on the wrong door and are greeted by a diabolical Mr. Reed (portrayed by Grant), becoming ensnared in his deadly game of cat-and-mouse. The film is directed by Scott Beck and Bryan Woods and produced by Stacey Sher, Beck, Woods, Julia Glausi and Jeanette Volturno. The film will be released nationwide by A24 on November 8.
Directed by Pablo Larraín, Maria presents a tumultuous and beautiful depiction of one of the world’s most renowned artists and reimagines the legendary soprano in her final days in Paris, as Callas (Jolie)... Read More