Alex Tonisson has been appointed the new national executive director of IATSE Local 600’s International Cinematographers Guild (ICG).

As the new national executive director, Tonisson will spearhead critical negotiations, in effort to solicit new opportunities and changes on behalf of the ICG, as well as supervise the full-time staff that work closely with other IATSE Local and International chapters.

“I am excited for this opportunity to continue the important work that ICG does, including the crucial support the Guild provides during this industry-wide strike that has impacted so many of our members,” said Tonisson. “During this critical moment of technology-driven change in film and the arts – it’s my honor to represent the best interests of our members who include some of the most brilliant, creative and talented individuals in our industry.”

Prior to joining Local 600, Tonisson formerly served as the International Federation of Professional and Technical Engineers (IFPTE Local 21) director of field services, Golden Gate Bridge Labor Coalition co-chair and as the commissioner to the City and County of San Francisco Citizens’ Government Obligation Bond Oversight Committee.

Quinta Brunson Awarded Comedy Person of the Year by Just for Laughs

ComedyPRO’s event by Just For Laughs is back, offering an annual global gathering for the comedy industry’s biggest players. This year’s recipients include Quinta Brunson for “Comedy Person Of The Year,” Bert Kreischer for “Stand Up Comedian Of The Year”, Ronny Chieng for “Breakout Comedy Star Of The Year,” and Mae Martin for “Rising Comedy Star Of The Year”. The event will run from July 26-July 29, and the award show will be held in the Grand Salon Ballroom in Double Tree by Hilton at 3 p.m. on July 28th, 2023.

Production Designer Collective to Celebrate New Worldwide Design Initiative Week This October

The Production Designers Collective will be hosting an international week of production design events worldwide from Oct. 20-29, 2023. These global events will focus on themes of creativity, research and inspiration, sustainable design methods, digital tools and emerging Technologies, collaboration, leadership, mentorship, representation and inclusion.

Founding partners include the Art Directors Guild and United Scenic Artists, the European Federation of Production and Costume Design (Artscenico), the Australian Production Design Guild, Brazilian Art Directors (BRADA), the Turkish Art Directors Association and the Japanese Film and Television Art Directors Association.

“International Production Design Week will be a an opportunity to highlight the immense creative work done by production designers behind the scenes, and their essential contribution to telling stories on screen,” said Inbal Weinberg, production designer and co-founder of the collective.

Academy Museum of Motion Pictures Elects Travis Knight to Board of Trustees

Academy Museum of Motion Pictures today announced Travis Knight to its Board of Trustees and Effie T. Brown with the lifetime position as an honorary trustee.

Knight, the LAIKA president and CEO, producer, director and animator, will join the re-elected board members, Patricia Bellinger Balzer, Arnaud Boetsch, Olivier de Givenchy, Ray Halbritter, Ryan Murphy, and Regina Scully. Brown, the motion picture producer and former chair of the Academy Museum Inclusion Advisory Committee joins Sid Ganis as a fellow honorary trustee.

Ted Sarandos, Board Chair and Co-CEO of Netflix, said, “We are thrilled to welcome Travis Knight to the Board of Trustees. He is an extraordinary leader who has already made such an impact on the industry at large through his groundbreaking advancements in the art of stop-motion animation and live-action moviemaking.” Sarandos continued, “We are also proud to recognize Effie T. Brown, a talented producer who has been a crucial voice for diversity and inclusion at the museum, with this lifetime honorary position.”

Knight and Brown’s terms take effect on July 1.

Academy Expands Costume Collection

The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences has expanded its extensive Academy collection with new additions of costumes, film posters, conceptual art and more. 

New acquisitions range from costumes featured in the Oscar-winning “Everything Everywhere All at Once” to conceptual art for “E.T. The Extra-Terrestrial.” Other new additions include more than 600 rare silent film posters, collections of producer Gale Anne Hurd, director Harold Ramis, filmmaker Gregg Araki and film scholar Kevin Brownlow and more than 150 hand-painted animation artworks dating, donated by Steven Spielberg and Kate Capshaw.

“We are thrilled and honored to expand the Academy’s collection with these exceptional pieces,” said Academy CEO Bill Kramer. “To be housed at our archive, library and museum, these vital components of the filmmaking process highlight the collaborative disciplines that develop and produce the movies we love. They also demonstrate the Academy’s unique capacity to preserve the full range of film history formats. We are incredibly grateful to our donors for their remarkable gifts to the Academy and for their commitment to illuminating our film history.”

See some of the new additions to the Academy’s collection below.

Sally Field and ‘Norma Rae’ Producers to Kick Off Women in Film’s 50th Anniversary Screening Series

Academy-Award-winning actor Sally Field and “Norma Rae” producers will kick off Women in Film, Los Angeles (WIF)’s 50th Anniversary Screening Series with a viewing and discussion panel surrounding the film. 

The WIF’s Screening Series will honor monumental film and television series made by women throughout the past 50 years, tackling varying film and TV projects by the decade to commemorate women and underrepresented genders who have worked both in front of and behind the camera. 

“WIF has been working tirelessly for the last fifty years to increase representation and parity for women in Hollywood,” said Kirsten Schaffer, CEO of WIF. “We can think of no greater way to celebrate this milestone anniversary than to shine a light on amazing collaborations between women in our industry over the past five decades.”

The series launches on June 29 at Vidiots in L.A. with a screening of “Norma Rae,” followed by a discussion with Field and producers Tamara Asseyev and Alexandra Rose to discuss the film’s legacy and impact. Lake Bell, WIF board member, will lead the discussion. 

“We’re excited to launch this series with the trailblazing Sally Field and ‘Norma Rae,’ a film that resonates with both the moment of its era and our current times,” said Bell.

Outfest Announces 41st Outfest Los Angeles LGBTQ+ Festival’s Full Lineup, Set to Honor Melissa McCarthy and Ben Falcone

Outfest announced the 41st Outfest Los Angeles LGBTQ+ Festival’s full lineup, along with the event’s honorees and speakers. The festival takes place around Los Angeles from July 13 – 23 and will be headquartered at the Directors Guild of America in West Hollywood.

The festival announced that it will honor Melissa McCarthy and Ben Falcone with the James Schamus Ally Award on July 23 at the festival’s closing night in recognition of their allyship with the LGBTQ community. McCarthy and Falcone will also celebrate the festival’s screening of “Relighting Candles: The Tim Sullivan Story,” which is the short documentary they executive produced together.

In addition to “Relighting Candles,” the festival will showcase over 170 films from over 25 countries. The featured screenings include an episodic showcase, narrative and documentary features and shorts. 

At the opening night gala, “Aristotle and Dante Discover the Secrets of the Universe” will screen, and “Chasing Chasing Amy” will close the festival. On July 16, there will be a special screening of the 1996 Queer film, “Chocolate Babies” and on July 22, the festival will host the seventh annual Trans, Nonbinary, and Intersex Summit. 

See below for the Outfest schedule of feature film screenings.

Centerpieces:

Late Night Spotlight: “Down Low” on Sat. July 15 at 9:45 p.m.

U.S. Centerpiece: “Fancy Dance” on Sat. July 15 at 7:15 p.m.

Documentary Centerpiece: “Kokomo City” on Sun. July 16 at 7 p.m.

Platinum Centerpiece: “My Animal” on Sat. July 15 at 6:30 p.m.

Special Centerpiece: “Passages” on Thu. July 20 at 7:15 p.m. 

North American Narrative Feature Films:

“Big Boys” on July 22 at 11 a.m. 

“Bottoms” on July 21 at 7:30 p.m. 

“Cora Bora” on July 16 at 4:15 p.m.

“Egghead & Twinkie” on July 21 at 5 p.m.

“Mutt” on July 14 at 7 p.m.

“Rotting in the Sun” on July 14 at 9:30 p.m.

“Something You Said Last Night” on July 22 at 4:45 p.m. 

“The Mattachine Family” July 22 at 1:30 p.m. 

“This Place” on July 14 at 7:15 p.m.

International Narrative Feature Films:

“All the Colours of the World Are Between Black and White” on July 15 at 7 p.m. 

“Almamula” on July 16 at 11:30 a.m.

“Asog” on July 16 at 2 p.m. 

“Bones and Names” on July 20 at 9:45 p.m.

“Clashing Differences” on July 21 at 7:30 p.m.

“Opponent” on July 22 at 9:45 p.m.

“Peafowl” on July 22 at 11 a.m.

“Pornomelancolía” on July 16 at 9:30 p.m. 

“Silver Haze” on July 21 at 9:45 p.m. 

“The Fabulous Ones” on July 16 at 9:45 p.m.

Documentary Feature Films:

“1946: The Mistranslation That Shifted Culture” on July 22 at 4:15 p.m.

“Acsexybility” on July 16 at 7:15 p.m. 

“Break the Game” on July 15 at 4:45pm

“Coming Around” on July 22 at 7:30 p.m.

“Going to Mars: The Nikki Giovanni Project” on July 15 at 12 p.m.

“Hidden Master: The Legacy of George Platt Lynes” on July 16 at 1:45 p.m. 

“It’s Only Life After All” on July 15 at 1:30 p.m. 

“Queendom” on July 20 at 7:30 p.m.

“Truth Be Told” on July 20 at 5 p.m.

Platinum Features:

“Anhell69” on July 16 at 4:30 p.m.

“Captain Faggotron Saves The Universe” on July 16 at 6:45 p.m.

“Perpetrator” on July 14 at 9:30 p.m. 

“Playland” on July 14 at 7 p.m.

“T Blockers” on July 15 at 4 p.m.