Contact, a startup supported by Maisie Williams, raises $1.9 million seed led by Founders Fund

Game of Thrones stars have been very successful in the acting industry, now they are slowly spreading their wings and trying their hands at newer fields. Last year the platform Contact was launched, initially offering models a way to take bookings and manage some aspects of their work. It is backed and supported by Game of Thrones star Maisie Williams who is also the Creative Strategist and Advisor to the startup.

Contact has now raised a $1.9 million (£1.4 million) seed round of funding led by Founders Fund. Also participating is LAUNCH (the fund led by investor Jason Calacanis), Sweet Capital (via Pippa Lamb), Rogue VC (via Alice Lloyd George) and Angel investors Simon Beckerman (co-founder of Depop), Eric Wahlforss (co-founder of SoundCloud and now Dance), Abe Burns and Joe White.

Although Contact’s initial incarnation is addressing the modelling world, its vision is far bigger. Contact co-founder and CEO Reuben Selby, Maisie Williams’ boyfriend— a fashion designer who was formerly of Williams’ founding team, when she started her career — has worked with Nike, Thom Browne and JW Anderson. He says the platform aims to become a scalable back-end solution across the $104.2 billion Creator Economy, “democratizing” access to the world’s best creative talent.

Williams’ production company Rapt has joined hands with UK indie Delaval films for a new animated feature. Are you excited about Maisie Williams’ new venture? Tell us in the comments below!

Game of Thrones stars are exceptional at acting, and they are slowly spreading their roots in other directions as well. Though most of them can be seen starring in new shows and movies, there are some who have chosen to try their hands at fresh career paths. Game of Thrones star Maisie Williams has recently shown an interest in the production of animated films, as reported by Deadline. Williams and her production company Rapt are partnering with UK indie Delaval Film on a short stop motion animation from The Sparks Brothers animation director Joseph Wallace.

The film, Salvation Has No Name, began production in 2020 at Aardman in Bristol and has since moved to Media City in Manchester to continue the shoot safely during COVID. The film will explore themes of xenophobia and the refugee crisis and is depicted through a dynamic mixture of colour and black with a dramatic narrative and international all-female voice cast, including Money Heist star Itziar Ituño.

In the film, a troupe of clowns gather to perform a story about a priest and a refugee but as their misguided tale unfolds, the boundaries between fiction and reality begin to fray. The film is scheduled to finish filming in September.

Actress Lena Headey is also preparing to produce new films and movies with her company Peephole production. Are you excited about Maisie Williams’ new endeavour? Let us know in the comments below!

Every year diehard Game of Thrones fans wait for the release of the yearly A Song of Ice and Fire Calendar that features some of the best artworks in the world. They depict the fantastical world of George R. R. Martin’s famous novel series. This year is no different and the author has himself announced the release of the highly awaited calendar this year as well.

The 2022 A Song of Ice and Fire Calendar is now available, as George R.R. Martin posted on Twitter recently. It is a post featuring a fantastic preview of one of the pieces by Spanish artist Arantza Sestayo.

Buy: A Song of Ice and Fire 2022 Calendar

Enjoy a sneak peek at some the incredible art created for the 2022 A Song of Ice & Fire calendar by acclaimed [email protected] Now available:https://t.co/wa3PWEcK0h pic.twitter.com/d9uc2T1Otg

— George RR Martin (@GRRMspeaking) August 18, 2021

The image depicts the ravens being sent out from Dragonstone, with one of the best depictions we’ve seen of the citadel’s many terrifying gargolyes and the stone shaped by Valyrian magic.

As with previous calendars in the series, there will be thirteen pieces in total, one for each month and a bonus image. Will be exciting to see what else Sestayo has come up with!

We might even get to see some artworks for Fire and Blood, especially from the Dance of the Dragons period as House of The Dragon is closing in.

Are you excited about this year’s calendar? Talk to us in the comments below!

A Song of Ice and Fire 2022 Calendar

Game of Thrones had a lot of complex relationships, and most of them didn’t end well. However, the cast has managed to share a healthy relationship off-screen, some of them are even best buddies. Jason Momoa and Emilia Clarke shared a season together as on-screen couple Khal Drogo and Daenerys Targaryen, but their friendship behind-the-screens is exemplary.

The duo met at a birthday party last week, and they couldn’t help reminiscing their time spent together on Game of Thrones. They took to Instagram to show their affection, with photos capturing them in each other’s arms and lots of heart emojis. Clarke posted a photo on Saturday of Momoa literally sweeping her off her feet at a party for Game of Thrones co-creator David Benioff. She captioned it, “When your sun and stars rolls into town you check that he can still bench press a Khaleesi.”

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A post shared by @emilia_clarke

Momoa commented on the post, “love u forever moon of my life” including seven heart emojis. In the caption, Clarke referenced her character’s short-lived romance with the fierce Dothraki warlord, adding the hashtags #drinkingwithdrogoimamazedwesurvived #theboysarebackintown and #likeheneverleft.

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A post shared by Jason Momoa (@prideofgypsies)

In the rest of the caption, Momoa celebrated Game of Thrones showrunner Benioff and included photos of the two together at the party.

Would you like to see Momoa and Clarke share a screen together once again? Tell us in the comments below!

 

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