Brooklyn, NY-based production company XY Content has signed director Dean G. Moore for exclusive commercials and branded content representation in the U.S. Hailing from Leicestershire, England, Moore is currently based in Toronto, He has worked with such brands as Canon, Virgin, Snickers, Chevrolet, UE Boom, Dewars Whiskey and Converse in London before making his transition to the Americas. He got his start directing for Pretzel Films where he worked with the likes of David Beckham and was awarded a D&AD for his work with GE….
Independent creative agency Zambezi has promoted associate creative directors Ben George and Nick Rodgers to creative directors. They joined forces at Zambezi in 2014 when George was first hired by the agency to work with Rodgers on TaylorMade Golf. Together the team won a competitive pitch for Autotrader and Kelley Blue Book, and has led Autotrader’s recent millennial-themed campaign for the past year with work like The Journey, Kick and Driven By Style. George and Rodgers also played a key role in Zambezi’s Gold Pencil and Cannes Gold Lion winner The Uncommon Force for STANCE, Star Wars limited-edition socks. George came to Zambezi from Saatchi & Saatchi Los Angeles where he was a writer on Toyota, and CP+B Boulder before that on Burger King, Sprite, and Volkswagen with a stint in film development in between. Rodgers arrived at the agency from Dailey & Associates in L.A., and before that Goodby Silverstein and Partners in San Francisco, where he worked on Logitech, Sprint, Dickies, Sonic, and Cheetos….
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