Bicoastal production partner m ss ng p eces has added Joe Talbot to its directorial roster. Talbot is best known for directing and co-writing The Last Black Man in San Francisco (A24), his feature film debut and one of the most critically acclaimed pictures of 2019. This signing marks his first commercial representation.
Talbot co-created The Last Black Man in San Francisco with his childhood best friend and longtime professional collaborator Jimmie Fails, adapted from Fails’ life story. The film premiered at Sundance, where it earned the Best Director and Special Jury Awards, and was released theatrically by A24 in June of this year. It was named a Critic’s Pick byThe New York Times, where Manolah Dargis wrote that it was an “astonishing, haunting and indelibly beautiful story of love.” Rolling Stone called it the “best film of 2019.” This year, Talbot and Fails also co-founded their film production company, Longshot Features, based in San Francisco and Los Angeles.
A fifth-generation San Franciscan, Talbot was recently nominated in multiple categories at the Gotham and Independent Spirit Awards. In the latter competition, The Last Black Man in San Francisco is up for Best First Feature, Best Supporting Actor for Jonathan Majors, and Talbot is a nominee for the Someone to Watch Award.
Talbot first gained critical attention with his award-winning 2017 short film American Paradise, which premiered at Sundance and also screened at SXSW, the L.A. Film Festival, Palm Springs ShortFest, and many others, in addition to being a Vimeo Staff Pick.
“Through his extraordinary film, Joe has shown that he’s a wholly original new voice in cinema. I can’t wait to see how he translates his unique brand of emotional storytelling and visually rich filmmaking to the commercial world,” said Kate Oppenheim, managing partner at m ss ng p eces.
