NewsReel 23/01/09

Another week, another dose of newsy goodness. If you’ve got any moves, news or fresh new signings to shout about, email us on editor@thereel.net and we’ll make a digital song and dance of it.

Anyone up for a Bearfight?

Adding to their already striking list of directorial talent, The Ebleing Group have signed collective Bearfight – headed up by cult designer/director Christopher Hewitt. In the words of UK Exec Producer Nick Hussey, ‘Christopher is a polymath: He's creates, to the highest standards, just about everything in the process; merging 3D and photography, editing, combining music, print, even web design. And amazingly, he's completely self-taught. He's also bloody good with clients. Blimey.’ Blimey indeed Mr Hussey. We heartily recommend you click on this link to see for yourself, or wait a couple of weeks and see the Bearfight him/her/itself in the Ones To Watch section of our DVD.

Fenwick gets Passionate

Award winning filmmaker Richard Fenwick has signed to top UK production company Passion Pictures. Trained in graphic design, Fenwick started his career at video graphics company Static 2358 where he designed graphic sequences for UK broadcasters Channel 4 and Filmfour. He then founded his own film and design company OS2 which produced experimental films and design work for clients such as onedotzero, Sony, the BBC and London Records. Check out his showreel (especially the excellent ‘User Guides’) on the Passion Pictures website - http://www.passion-pictures.com/flash.html#page=d131.

This Way Up for and Oscar

Nexus directors Smith & Foulkes’ internationally acclaimed animated short, “THIS WAY UP”, has been nominated for an Oscar® for best animated short at the 81st annual Academy Awards. The comic tale follows the fateful journey of a father and son team of pallbearers, who end up joining the corpse they’re transporting on its trip to the underworld, and has already been beset with awards including the Palm Springs International Film Festival of Shorts, the London Film Festival and Siggraph Asia. Good choosing from an Academy who forgot to nominate Bruce Springsteen, this will be the first in many years that The Reel won’t be cheering for the Pixar short. www.thiswayupmovie.com