Jonathan Majors, Stephanie March, Dee Poku, Lisa Taback Join Gotham Film & Media Institute Board — Film News in Brief

Jazz Tangcay and EJ Panaligan
·7 min read
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Leading up to the Gotham Week Conference and Expo, the Gotham Film & Media Institute has added four new board members. Actor Jonathan Majors, actor Stephanie March, entrepreneur and women’s advocate Dee Poku and marketing and PR executive Lisa Taback will join the board of directors, helping to advance the Gothams’ mission of celebrating and nurturing independent film and media creators.

“We are thrilled that these four brilliant media and entertainment veterans are bringing their unique perspectives and expertise to The Gotham’s board,” said Jeffrey Sharp, executive director of The Gotham Film & Media Institute. “As we find new and innovative ways to advance our mission and expand our impact, we know that Jonathan, Stephanie, Dee, and Lisa will be invaluable voices on our Board.”

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Majors, March, Poku and Taback will join The Gotham’s existing board members including Nancy Abraham, Anthony Bregman, Jeb Brody, Gerry Byrne, Alina Cho, Dan Crown, Mark D’Arcy (Director Emeritus), Amy Emmerich, Philipp Engelhorn, Kai Falkenberg, James Janowitz, Franklin Leonard, Soledad O’Brien, Hanna Rodriguez-Farrar, John Schmidt, Teddy Schwarzman, Drew Wilson, and Celia Winchester. Gotham Week runs Sept. 17-Sept. 23, featuring conversations spanning fiction and documentary feature films to TV series and audio.

Beyond Fest Announces Full 2022 Film Lineup, Headlined by ‘Halloween Ends’ World Premiere

Genre film festival Beyond Fest has announced its full slate of films.

The tenth-anniversary showcase is scheduled for Sept. 27 through Oct. 11. The lineup’s 63 features will include ten world premieres, three United States premieres and 25 west coast premieres.

David Gordon Green’s “Halloween Ends” will have its world premiere at the festival to close out its opening night, following two free screenings of Parker Finn’s “Smile.” Additional screenings include special showings of David Bruckner’s “Hellraiser,” with the director and talent from the film slated to join in person. “Weird: The Al Yankovic Story” from director Eric Appel is set to have its U.S. debut at the fest.

Beyond Fest will screen in IMAX theaters across the TCL Chinese Theatre, Hollywood Legion Theatre, Aero Theatre, Los Feliz 3 Theatre and IMAX headquarters. All programming at the Los Feliz 3 Theatre will be free of charge, paid for by horror streaming service Shudder. Tickets will go on sale here on September 14.

Horror Film Festival Screamfest Announces 2022 Lineup

Screamfest Horror Film Festival announced their first-wave lineup of competitive features and shorts for its 22nd edition. The festival is set to run October 11-20 at the TCL Chinese Theater.

World Premieres at this year’s Screamfest will include “Slayers,” the latest from director K. Asher Levin, “Deer Camp,” which centers on a 1980s Michigan deer-hunting trip gone wrong directed by L. Van Dyke Siboutszen and “KillHer” directed by Robyn August. “Run Sweetheart Run” from Prime Video and Blumhouse will close the festival on the 20th.

The festival was founded in 2001 by film producer Rachel Belofsky. The full festival lineup can be viewed at the festival’s website, with tickets set to go on sale soon.

WGA East Announces Election Results

WGA East announced the results Thursday of its first election since the guild was reorganized to balance the interests of workers in TV and film, digital media, and broadcast news.

The guild created three sectors, each of which now has its own vice president. Kathy McGee was elected VP of the Broadcast/Cable/Streaming News sector, and Sara David was elected VP of the Online Media sector. Lisa Takeuchi Cullen, who had been VP of the entire guild, will now become VP of the Film/TV/Streaming sector.

Michael Winship and Christopher Kyle are the president and secretary-treasurer of the guild, respectively. They were elected to two-year terms last year, and so their positions will not come up for election until 2023.

In April, the guild announced that it would reorganize in order to accommodate the concerns of the competing factions. The union has seen significant membership growth in the online media sector, but those workers typically make significantly less than the traditional membership, who work as film and TV writers. Under the new arrangement, contracts will be negotiated sector by sector.

In addition to the five officers, the union also has 20 council members. Six members were re-elected to represent the film and TV sector: Monica Lee Bellais, Kaitlin Fontana, Gina Gionfriddo, Tian Jun Gu , A.M. Homes, and Erica Saleh. Two were newly elected to represent the digital media sector: Susan Rinkunas and Jessica Schulberg. And three more were elected to represent the broadcast news membership: Justin Raffael DiLauro, Elizabeth Godvik and Gail Lee. Lee was an incumbent.
Turnout was 12.8%, 10.7% and 14.8%, in the film and TV, digital media, and broadcast news sectors, respectively.

Cinematographer Patti Lee Set to Receive International Cinematographers Guild Honor

Cinematographer Patti Lee, ASC (“Bob Hearts Abishola,” “Superior Donuts,” “Call Me Kat”) will receive the International Cinematographer’s Guild ASC Mentor Award.

Lee is set to be honored with the award at the 2022 Annual Emerging Cinematographer Awards (ECA), spotlighting promising cinematographers and providing crucial exposure.

Innovative Artists Hires Jennifer Kuwabara as Agent in Production Division

Innovative Artists has hired Jennifer Kuwabara, a 25-year veteran of working with cinematographers, studios and production crews at Panavision in Los Angeles. She has worked with artisans across multiple budget levels and has negotiated deals for clients and their projects. Innovative Artists represents clientele that work across different areas of film, television, commercial and music video production.

“With so many of our top clients having worked with Jennifer for more than two decades, she already possesses the management style that has made us so successful,” said Debbie Haeusler, who leads Innovative Artist’s production department. “The dedication to her clients and commitment to her work make her a perfect addition to the team.”

Prior to her work as a marketing executive for Panavision, she previously worked in the non-profit sector before transitioning into the entertainment business.

Netflix’s ‘Redeem Team’ Documentary About 2008 U.S. Men’s Olympic Basketball Team Gets Trailer

A new trailer for “The Redeem Team,” Netflix’s sports documentary about the 2008 U.S. Men’s Olympic Basketball Team led by the likes of the late Kobe Bryant, LeBron James, Dwyane Wade and Carmelo Anthony has been released.

James and Wade executive produced the documentary, with Jon Weinbach, who helmed the massively-popular “Last Dance” documentary about NBA icon Michael Jordan for ESPN, directing the story of the 2008 team’s chase for an Olympic gold medal following a surprising bronze medal outcome in Athens in 2004. The documentary will include sit-down interviews with James, Wade, Coach Mike “K” Krzyzewski and more prominent figures from the 2008 “Redeem Team” squad.

The documentary is set to launch globally on the streaming platform on October 7. Watch the full trailer below.

Women in Film, Los Angeles Announces 2022 Honorees, Including Quinta Brunson and Michaela Coel

Women in Film, Los Angeles announced the honorees for their 2022 WIF Honors, which is scheduled for Oct. 27 at the Beverly Hilton.

The Crystal Award for Advocacy will be awarded to Quinta Brunson, presented by Sheryl Lee Ralph; Gina Prince-Bythewood, presented by Viola Davis; Katie Silberman and Olivia Wilde. Jane Fonda will present her eponymous humanitarian award to Michaela Coel.

The yearly benefit supports WIF’s educational and philanthropic programs, along with advocacy for gender parity throughout the industry. The Crystal Award for Advocacy honors individuals and groups of women who create increased opportunities for the advancement of women working throughout screen industries. The Jane Fonda Humanitarian Award, which debuted last year, honors individuals who are fearless advocates through their work, both on and off camera.

Cosmo Media Labs Launches With Investment From the Sandbox

Cosmo Media Labs, a multi-functional production studio for content and gaming as well as IP and brand partnerships, announced its official launch on September 15 after securing an investment from The Sandbox, a decentralized gaming virtual world and subsidiary of Animoca Brands.

Cosmo develops, creates and produces successful content strategies that bridge traditional
media avenues with new ones. Their first project will commence with Complex Networks, creating a content landscape for its users that intersects aspects of sneaker, streetwear and hip-hop culture. Within the Sandbox, Cosmo will develop games, social hubs and experiences for Complex’s users that hopes to build a virtual economy platform for the sneaker and streetwear market.

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