Production company Tomorrow has added director Rodney Passé to its diverse talent roster. He had most recently been repped by Love Song in the commercialmaking space.
Passé’s visceral, raw point-of-view and groundbreaking films celebrating Black normality and vulnerability have earned the filmmaker and contemporary artist a client list that includes Apple, Google, Gucci, Indeed, ESPN, and Lincoln.
Passé’s work has been exhibited at galleries and museums across the United States. His 2018 short film titled Where are the African Gods? debuted at the UTA Artist Space in Los Angeles and screened at other leading institutions. The poetic film brings lyricist Abbey Lincoln’s words to life, while exploring the experiences of African Americans living in America. “Between Hell and Dreamstate,” Passé’s upcoming solo art show presented by Alternative Options Workshop, is set to open in 2023.
Passé said of the crew at Tomorrow, “They produce some of the most visually stunning work out there. I’m looking forward to this new journey and glad to be part of the team.”
Chris Zander, managing director at Tomorrow, said, “The way Rodney looks at the world and captures it on film makes me smile. Surprises me. Challenges me. Makes me feel hopeful about the future, and makes me THINK. I love the man’s soul, and I’m thrilled we get to have his talents at Tomorrow.”
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