As part of this year’s virtual Sundance Film Festival, BMI will offer a pair of panels with composers for films selected for the festival in conversation with their directors, actors or producers, including one with Common and Patrick Warren and another with Amy Poehler and David Schwartz.
The hip-hop star and actor Common, who has a role in the thriller “Alice,” will convene with the film’s composer, Warren, to discuss how they both came to work on the film in a “Score to Screen” conversation slated for Jan. 23. The Sundance entry tells the story of a woman who escapes from slavery on a Georgia plantation, but with twists ahead.
Poehler, best known as a comedic actor, is making her bow as a documentary director with “Lucy and Desi,” and she’ll be joined by composer Schwartz on Jan. 22 for a panel about bringing Lucille Ball and Desi Arnaz to the screen in a doc that follows the fictionalized portrayal recently seen in “Being the Ricardos.”
More than 20 Sundance entries will have scores from composers affiliated with BMI, the performing rights organization said. Information on viewing the panels can be found at festival.sundance.org.
Tuesday, Jan. 19
+ Along with her “Caprisongs” mixtape on Friday came the news that FKA Twigs has “partnered with Atlantic Records for this next exciting phase of her art,” according to the announcement. In the U.K., she will continue to release music via the Young label (formerly Young Turks) through Beggars Group.
“FKA twigs is the kind of artist you dream of signing — one with truly original vision, voice, and presence,” said Atlantic chairman-COO Julie Greenwald. “She’s among the most compelling talents, always pushing her creative envelope to deliver emotionally honest music that’s both intensely personal and universal. We’re thrilled that she’s chosen Atlantic to be her home as she continues on her fantastic musical adventure.”
“The progression of FKA twigs’ music over the past decade has been extraordinary,” said chairman-CEO Craig Kallman. “She’s never content to stay in one place – constantly crossing musical boundaries, embracing fresh sounds, telling new stories, and exploring what’s next. An amazing vocalist, songwriter, lyricist, and producer, she’s barely scratched the surface of her potential, and we’re incredibly excited to see what she’ll be bringing her fans in the years to come.”
+ Artist-services company AWAL has promoted Jennifer Kirell to senior vice president of catalog & retail marketing. Based in New York, she will report directly to Ron Cerrito, president of AWAL North America, and oversee and support artist and label partners. Prior to joining AWAL, Kirell spent 11 years with Sony Music Entertainment at Legacy Recordings, where she led global marketing campaigns and audience development strategies for artists including Elvis Presley, Michael Jackson, Johnny Cash and others. Cerrito said, “Jennifer is a goal minded, follow-through obsessed, results oriented, serial over achiever with a deep understanding of modern music marketing. She is also a thoughtful leader and people manager. We are proud Jen is a member of our executive team and look forward to continuing to redefine catalog and retail marketing into the future.”
The 2021 deal that saw Kobalt selling AWAL to Sony for $430 million remains under review by the UK’s Competition and Markets Authority.
+ RCA Records has named Alex John director of publicity. She joins after two years at Red Bull Records, where she worked with Blxst, the Aces and producer WondaGurl. Over the course of her seven years in the business has also worked for Listen Up (where she worked with Martin Solveig, Kevin Saunderson, Jamie Jones and others), FYI Brand Group (Jhené Aiko, Tyga, DJ Khaled) and M&C Saatchi Sport & Entertainment (Sprite, Coca-Cola, WAV Media).
