Commercial production and post company Bella has entered into a representation agreement with Brandon Pico and Amanda Waite of indie firm Hapa. Bella is now repped on the East Coast by Hapa. Under the aegis of executive producer David Perry, Bella is the exclusive home of directors Anthony Pellino, Jeremy Liebovitch, and Robert Adamo. Bella’s roster editors are Brandon Roten, Christian Whittemore, Jonathan Rogers, Ken Conrad, and Tim Moore. Bella’s representation also includes Mo Butler Reps in the Midwest, Devine Reps on the West Coast, and Jack Reed in the South. Bella was launched last year as a stand-alone company after seven years of development under the auspices of Fivestone Studios….
New York-based postproduction studio Assembly has hired Jenn Johnson as EP of business development. Johnson started her advertising career as an agency producer at JWT and Select/NY, working with brands such as COTY, Smirnoff, Swarovski, Macy’s and LUX. Recognizing her passion for connecting people and talent, she decided to pursue a career in sales/talent management, which led to working in-house with innovative companies such as RadicalMedia, B-Reel, and Tool. Over time her network connections grew so she opened her independent shop, Open Season, which led her to merge and become a partner with the East Coast repping firm Hustle. Now at Assembly, she dovetails with a VFX team that’s worked on such shows as The Last of Us, Russian Doll, Ripley, The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel, and Mr. & Mrs. Smith. Assembly also maintains a roster of award-winning colorists…..
Director Malin Ingrid Johansson Brings “Deck 5B” To The Toronto International Film Festival
In her young career, director Malin Ingrid Johansson continues to gain recognition on the festival circuit while looking to extend her reach into the American advertising market. On the latter score, she’s joining the roster of Little Minx, the production company under the aegis of Rhea Scott who’s known for nurturing the careers of filmmakers and helping to successfully establish them in the U.S. across commercials, music videos and other varied projects.
As for Johansson’s film festival pedigree, she first saw her short film Madden, a coming-of-age story inspired by her teenage years on a farm, debut internationally at the Berlinale (Berlin International Film Festival) 2023. Madden was also awarded best Swedish Short at last year’s Gothenburg International Film Festival. Furthermore, Johansson is currently in development on a feature-length film based on Madden.
Now another Johansson short film is making a major splash. Her Deck 5B premiered this week at the Toronto International Film Festival during its Short Cuts program. Among the production houses behind Deck 5B--and earlier Madden--was Pine, a Stockholm-based shop which reps Johansson for commercials internationally.
In the interest of avoiding a spoiler alert, SHOOT in this piece provides a deliberately sparse description of the storyline for Deck 5B. Suffice it to say that the short stars Alma Pöysti as Mia, a mother torn between the needs of her young son and her own desires for romance and fulfillment. Johansson said that she was deeply moved by Pöysti’s portrayal of the recently divorced Mia and considers getting the chance to work with the actress as a major career highlight. Earlier this year,... Read More