Exclusive: Anonymous Content is elevating longtime literary managers and producers Ryan Cunningham, David Kanter and Nicole Romano to partner.
Cunningham joined Anonymous Content in 2019 from Madhouse Entertainment where he had been a manager and producer for a decade. On the management side, his clients include filmmakers Scott Beck & Bryan Woods (65), Derek Tsang (The Three Body Problem), Daniel Goldhaber and Isa Mazzei (How to Blow Up a Pipeline); showrunners and writers Steven DeKnight (Spartacus), Jewel Coronel (The Chi), Seamus Fahey (Walker: Independence) and Sonya Winton & Jonathan Kidd (Lovecraft Country), Darnell Metayer and Josh Peters (Transformers: Rise of the Beasts), Neil Uliano and Bryan Schulz (The Peanuts Movie), and Ben Queen (The Addams Family 2). Cunningham most recently produced the Sky/Relativity feature The Independent, and executive-produced Stephen King adaptation The Boogeyman, which will be released in June by 20th Century Studios and Disney.
Kanter is a producer and manager at Anonymous...
Cunningham joined Anonymous Content in 2019 from Madhouse Entertainment where he had been a manager and producer for a decade. On the management side, his clients include filmmakers Scott Beck & Bryan Woods (65), Derek Tsang (The Three Body Problem), Daniel Goldhaber and Isa Mazzei (How to Blow Up a Pipeline); showrunners and writers Steven DeKnight (Spartacus), Jewel Coronel (The Chi), Seamus Fahey (Walker: Independence) and Sonya Winton & Jonathan Kidd (Lovecraft Country), Darnell Metayer and Josh Peters (Transformers: Rise of the Beasts), Neil Uliano and Bryan Schulz (The Peanuts Movie), and Ben Queen (The Addams Family 2). Cunningham most recently produced the Sky/Relativity feature The Independent, and executive-produced Stephen King adaptation The Boogeyman, which will be released in June by 20th Century Studios and Disney.
Kanter is a producer and manager at Anonymous...
- 4/12/2023
- by Andreas Wiseman
- Deadline Film + TV
Exclusive: UTA has signed Jonathan Roumie, the actor-producer best known for starring in the faith-based hits The Chosen and Jesus Revolution.
The largest fan-supported entertainment project of all time, The Chosen is a drama series about the life of Jesus Christ (Roumie) and the calling of his initial disciples.
Related Story Buchwald Signs TikTok Star & Original Hype House Member Jack Wright Related Story UTA, Partner Klutch Sports Open Atlanta Office Related Story Longtime UTA Agent Bec Smith Joins Anonymous Content
The show from Dallas Jenkins, boasting a seven-series commitment, which is entering its fourth season in April, most recently took a trio of Season 3 episodes, along with the holiday special Christmas with The Chosen to movie theaters. While the show is also available online via Angel Studios’ website and dedicated app, and has been licensed by assorted major streaming platforms, the combined grosses of the theatrical releases put on with...
The largest fan-supported entertainment project of all time, The Chosen is a drama series about the life of Jesus Christ (Roumie) and the calling of his initial disciples.
Related Story Buchwald Signs TikTok Star & Original Hype House Member Jack Wright Related Story UTA, Partner Klutch Sports Open Atlanta Office Related Story Longtime UTA Agent Bec Smith Joins Anonymous Content
The show from Dallas Jenkins, boasting a seven-series commitment, which is entering its fourth season in April, most recently took a trio of Season 3 episodes, along with the holiday special Christmas with The Chosen to movie theaters. While the show is also available online via Angel Studios’ website and dedicated app, and has been licensed by assorted major streaming platforms, the combined grosses of the theatrical releases put on with...
- 3/23/2023
- by Matt Grobar
- Deadline Film + TV
Exclusive: Anonymous Content has hired longtime literary agent and former UTA partner Bec Smith as a partner and manager in their Los Angeles-based lit team. We revealed Smith’s impending exit from UTA last month.
The respected veteran has amassed a client roster including directors and writers such as Coline Abert, Levan Akin, Jane Anderson, Benedict Andrews, Emily Atef, Anthony Chen, Eva Husson, Ellen Kuras, Katrin Gebbe, Sebastian Junger, Julia Leigh, Phillip Noyce, Joshua Oppenheimer, Jennifer Peedom, Maria Schrader, Tali Shalom-Ezer, Dawn Shadforth, Kirsten Sheridan, Goran Stolevski, Warwick Thornton and Max Werner.
Related Story Shocker! Anonymous Content CEO Dawn Olmstead & COO Heather McCauley Resign; Protesting Settlement To Former Top Producer Keith Redmon? Related Story UTA Partner & Top Talent Agent Brian Swardstrom Leaving Agency For New Ventures; Will Produce With 'Nomadland's Peter Spears To Start Related Story UTA Signs Cecillia Aldarondo, Filmmaker Behind SXSW-Premiering Documentary 'You Were My First Boyfriend...
The respected veteran has amassed a client roster including directors and writers such as Coline Abert, Levan Akin, Jane Anderson, Benedict Andrews, Emily Atef, Anthony Chen, Eva Husson, Ellen Kuras, Katrin Gebbe, Sebastian Junger, Julia Leigh, Phillip Noyce, Joshua Oppenheimer, Jennifer Peedom, Maria Schrader, Tali Shalom-Ezer, Dawn Shadforth, Kirsten Sheridan, Goran Stolevski, Warwick Thornton and Max Werner.
Related Story Shocker! Anonymous Content CEO Dawn Olmstead & COO Heather McCauley Resign; Protesting Settlement To Former Top Producer Keith Redmon? Related Story UTA Partner & Top Talent Agent Brian Swardstrom Leaving Agency For New Ventures; Will Produce With 'Nomadland's Peter Spears To Start Related Story UTA Signs Cecillia Aldarondo, Filmmaker Behind SXSW-Premiering Documentary 'You Were My First Boyfriend...
- 3/22/2023
- by Andreas Wiseman
- Deadline Film + TV
Exclusive: Mark Subias, UTA partner and head of theater, is exiting the agency to take a newly created job at production company Smuggler.
Subias, who has headed UTA’s Theater department for the past decade, will join Smuggler as Managing Partner of a new management arm at Smuggler, an international commercial, theater and film production company. Subias also will be developing and producing projects across theater, TV and film for the company.
“Mark helped plant UTA’s flag in the theater community and we are grateful to him for building out the business and the wonderful team of agents he helped hire, promote and mentor,” said UTA President David Kramer. “We’re excited to see what Mark does, and to continue to collaborate with him in his new endeavor.”
As Managing Partner, Subias will oversee the development and growth of the newly created Smuggler Management. He’ll be tasked with...
Subias, who has headed UTA’s Theater department for the past decade, will join Smuggler as Managing Partner of a new management arm at Smuggler, an international commercial, theater and film production company. Subias also will be developing and producing projects across theater, TV and film for the company.
“Mark helped plant UTA’s flag in the theater community and we are grateful to him for building out the business and the wonderful team of agents he helped hire, promote and mentor,” said UTA President David Kramer. “We’re excited to see what Mark does, and to continue to collaborate with him in his new endeavor.”
As Managing Partner, Subias will oversee the development and growth of the newly created Smuggler Management. He’ll be tasked with...
- 2/17/2023
- by Greg Evans
- Deadline Film + TV
Exclusive: UTA partner Bec Smith, a company vet of 16 years, is leaving the agency, we can reveal.
Working in the Motion Picture Literary department, the respected Australian native has built a strong internationally-oriented client list (some of whom she has worked with since their first short films) including Garth Davis, Maria Schrader, Goran Stolevski, Oliver Hermanus, Joshua Oppenheimer, Warwick Thornton, Na Hong-Jin, Eva Husson, Emily Atef, Agnieszka Holland, Phillip Noyce, Ellen Kuras, Benedict Andrews, James Ponsoldt, Anthony Chen, Levan Akin, Katrin Gebbe and Andor director Ariel Kleiman.
We hear Smith is likely to segue to management — there has been interest from multiple companies over the years — where she will be able to flex her producorial instincts. Most of her clients are expected to follow.
The timeline for her departure from UTA is understood to be in the 4-6 week range.
Smith’s exit from UTA coincides with a layer of layoffs at the agency.
Working in the Motion Picture Literary department, the respected Australian native has built a strong internationally-oriented client list (some of whom she has worked with since their first short films) including Garth Davis, Maria Schrader, Goran Stolevski, Oliver Hermanus, Joshua Oppenheimer, Warwick Thornton, Na Hong-Jin, Eva Husson, Emily Atef, Agnieszka Holland, Phillip Noyce, Ellen Kuras, Benedict Andrews, James Ponsoldt, Anthony Chen, Levan Akin, Katrin Gebbe and Andor director Ariel Kleiman.
We hear Smith is likely to segue to management — there has been interest from multiple companies over the years — where she will be able to flex her producorial instincts. Most of her clients are expected to follow.
The timeline for her departure from UTA is understood to be in the 4-6 week range.
Smith’s exit from UTA coincides with a layer of layoffs at the agency.
- 2/16/2023
- by Andreas Wiseman
- Deadline Film + TV
New York-based distributor A24 has acquired the worldwide rights to Warwick Thornton’s The Beach, with the docuseries to have its global premiere on the company’s virtual platform later this month.
Set in Jilirr on Western Australia’s Dampier Peninsula, the six-part series follows the Sweet Country and Samson and Delilah writer-director as he hunts and gathers food, prepares dishes, and talks to three chickens, while relating stories from his childhood and adult life.
After being shot by Thornton’s son Dylan River across May and June of 2019 with the support of Screen Australia and Nitv, The Beach premiered on Nitv, Sbs, and Sbs On Demand in May 2020.
A feast for the senses. This Thanksgiving, spend a week at The Beach, a continuous streaming event in the A24 Screening Room
Get tickets: https://t.co/958s0zbXys pic.twitter.com/91JIndih7G
— A24 (@A24) November 2, 2021
The project, which was produced by Michelle Parker,...
Set in Jilirr on Western Australia’s Dampier Peninsula, the six-part series follows the Sweet Country and Samson and Delilah writer-director as he hunts and gathers food, prepares dishes, and talks to three chickens, while relating stories from his childhood and adult life.
After being shot by Thornton’s son Dylan River across May and June of 2019 with the support of Screen Australia and Nitv, The Beach premiered on Nitv, Sbs, and Sbs On Demand in May 2020.
A feast for the senses. This Thanksgiving, spend a week at The Beach, a continuous streaming event in the A24 Screening Room
Get tickets: https://t.co/958s0zbXys pic.twitter.com/91JIndih7G
— A24 (@A24) November 2, 2021
The project, which was produced by Michelle Parker,...
- 11/3/2021
- by Sean Slatter
- IF.com.au
Exclusive: 47 Meters Down outfit Tea Shop Productions has signed writer-director Natasha Kermani (Lucky) to adapt and direct Locke & Key co-creator Joe Hill’s short story Abraham’s Boys as a feature film.
The action-horror story is a follow-up of sorts to Bram Stoker’s Dracula, testing the relationships Stoker formed in his original novel. The plot follows Max and Rudy Van Helsing, who know nothing of their father Abraham’s past and cannot understand his overprotective attitude and strange behavior. To make matters worse, Abraham is becoming increasingly more unhinged, paranoid, and violent.
Kermani’s adaptation is set to explore the boys’ trauma through the eyes of a young Asian woman who is no stranger to death.
The project will mark the third feature for Iranian American filmmaker Kermani, who last year played in SXSW with her genre film Lucky, which was picked up by Shudder.
Author Hill, the son of Stephen King,...
The action-horror story is a follow-up of sorts to Bram Stoker’s Dracula, testing the relationships Stoker formed in his original novel. The plot follows Max and Rudy Van Helsing, who know nothing of their father Abraham’s past and cannot understand his overprotective attitude and strange behavior. To make matters worse, Abraham is becoming increasingly more unhinged, paranoid, and violent.
Kermani’s adaptation is set to explore the boys’ trauma through the eyes of a young Asian woman who is no stranger to death.
The project will mark the third feature for Iranian American filmmaker Kermani, who last year played in SXSW with her genre film Lucky, which was picked up by Shudder.
Author Hill, the son of Stephen King,...
- 6/7/2021
- by Andreas Wiseman
- Deadline Film + TV
Australians in Film (AiF) has welcomed several new board members as it works to provide professional development opportunities for its members and industry partners during the pandemic.
The recent additions include Toby Borg, head of the global client strategy division at CAA; director Unjoo Moon (I Am Woman); Penny Smallacombe, head of Indigenous, Screen Australia; Bec Smith, partner at UTA; and Richard Weinberg, CEO Terrace Tower Group and a partner in Material Pictures, Iconic Images, 8 Angel (part of the 8Vc group) and KarlinBerg Entertainment.
They join AiF chair Simonne Overend, Eq Media’s vice president of scripted television for the US; deputy chair Emma Cooper, producer of Penguin Bloom; Rob Marsala, talent manager at Atlas Artists; Eden Gaha, CEO of content production company Mother Media Group; and Karen Robson, partner in the US law firm of Pryor Cashman Llp.
Overend says the AiF Board will navigate the organisation to the...
The recent additions include Toby Borg, head of the global client strategy division at CAA; director Unjoo Moon (I Am Woman); Penny Smallacombe, head of Indigenous, Screen Australia; Bec Smith, partner at UTA; and Richard Weinberg, CEO Terrace Tower Group and a partner in Material Pictures, Iconic Images, 8 Angel (part of the 8Vc group) and KarlinBerg Entertainment.
They join AiF chair Simonne Overend, Eq Media’s vice president of scripted television for the US; deputy chair Emma Cooper, producer of Penguin Bloom; Rob Marsala, talent manager at Atlas Artists; Eden Gaha, CEO of content production company Mother Media Group; and Karen Robson, partner in the US law firm of Pryor Cashman Llp.
Overend says the AiF Board will navigate the organisation to the...
- 2/11/2021
- by Sean Slatter
- IF.com.au
Strand Releasing has acquired all North American rights to Anthony Chen’s “Wet Season,” which represents Singapore in the Oscar race for best international feature film.
The movie world premiered in the Platform section at the Toronto International Film Festival, and is being represented in international markets by Memento Films International.
Penned and directed by Chen, “Wet Season” revolves around a Chinese language teacher whose marriage and school life are falling apart because she’s unable to bear a child. An unlikely friendship with a student helps her reaffirm her identity as a woman.
“Wet Season” marks Chen’s sophomore outing. His feature debut, “Ilo Ilo,” world premiered at Cannes in 2013 and earned him the prestigious Camera d’Or award for best first film. “Ilo Ilo” went on to win more than 40 awards around the world, including the Sutherland Award at BFI London Film Festival, and four Golden Horse Awards...
The movie world premiered in the Platform section at the Toronto International Film Festival, and is being represented in international markets by Memento Films International.
Penned and directed by Chen, “Wet Season” revolves around a Chinese language teacher whose marriage and school life are falling apart because she’s unable to bear a child. An unlikely friendship with a student helps her reaffirm her identity as a woman.
“Wet Season” marks Chen’s sophomore outing. His feature debut, “Ilo Ilo,” world premiered at Cannes in 2013 and earned him the prestigious Camera d’Or award for best first film. “Ilo Ilo” went on to win more than 40 awards around the world, including the Sutherland Award at BFI London Film Festival, and four Golden Horse Awards...
- 12/21/2020
- by Elsa Keslassy
- Variety Film + TV
Focus Features has acquired the worldwide rights to “You Won’t Be Alone,” a supernatural horror film that stars “The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo” actress Noomi Rapace and that just completed filming in Serbia.
“You Won’t Be Alone” is produced by the team that was behind “The Babadook,” and the film is directed by Australian/Macedonian writer and director Goran Stolevski in his feature film debut.
Set in an isolated mountain village in 19th century Macedonia, “You Won’t Be Alone” follows a young witch who is left to go feral in the woods. Curious about life as a human, she accidentally kills a peasant in the village, then takes her shape to see what life is like in her skin. This ignites her deep-seated curiosity to experience life inside the bodies of others.
Co-starring in “You Won’t Be Alone” are Anamaria Marinca, Alice Englert, Carloto Cotta,...
“You Won’t Be Alone” is produced by the team that was behind “The Babadook,” and the film is directed by Australian/Macedonian writer and director Goran Stolevski in his feature film debut.
Set in an isolated mountain village in 19th century Macedonia, “You Won’t Be Alone” follows a young witch who is left to go feral in the woods. Curious about life as a human, she accidentally kills a peasant in the village, then takes her shape to see what life is like in her skin. This ignites her deep-seated curiosity to experience life inside the bodies of others.
Co-starring in “You Won’t Be Alone” are Anamaria Marinca, Alice Englert, Carloto Cotta,...
- 12/9/2020
- by Brian Welk
- The Wrap
Ben Mendelsohn in ‘Babyteeth’, cast by Kirsty McGregor.
Actor Ben Mendelsohn, casting director Kirsty McGregor, Australian Cinematographers Society (Acs) national president Ron Johanson and the ABC’s Sally Riley are among the Aussies recently invited to join the Academy of Motion Pictures Arts and Science (AMPAS).
Other invitees include Dop Nicola Daley, UTA partner Bec Smith and documentary filmmaker Violeta Ayala.
In total, the Oscars body invited 819 people to join its ranks this year, 45 per cent of which were women, 36 per cent from underrepresented ethnic/racial communities, and 49 per cent from outside the Us.
The Academy has been on quest to widen its membership base since 2016. In 2015, only 1446 or 25 per cent of its membership base were women, with the figure now at 3179, or 33 per cent. In 2015, only 10 per cent of, or 554, members were people of colour; that now stands at 1787, or 19 per cent.
The organisation has also tripled the number...
Actor Ben Mendelsohn, casting director Kirsty McGregor, Australian Cinematographers Society (Acs) national president Ron Johanson and the ABC’s Sally Riley are among the Aussies recently invited to join the Academy of Motion Pictures Arts and Science (AMPAS).
Other invitees include Dop Nicola Daley, UTA partner Bec Smith and documentary filmmaker Violeta Ayala.
In total, the Oscars body invited 819 people to join its ranks this year, 45 per cent of which were women, 36 per cent from underrepresented ethnic/racial communities, and 49 per cent from outside the Us.
The Academy has been on quest to widen its membership base since 2016. In 2015, only 1446 or 25 per cent of its membership base were women, with the figure now at 3179, or 33 per cent. In 2015, only 10 per cent of, or 554, members were people of colour; that now stands at 1787, or 19 per cent.
The organisation has also tripled the number...
- 7/2/2020
- by jkeast
- IF.com.au
Samantha Lang.
Lion and Mary Magdalene director Garth Davis and See-Saw Films have launched a production co-venture with Samantha Lang as head of development.
Entitled I Am That, the partnership will develop feature film and TV projects for Davis to direct and produce alongside See-Saw founders Iain Canning and Emile Sherman.
The president of the Australian Directors Guild, Lang has started work already, based at See-Saw Films’ Sydney office. “This is a really great fit,” Sam tells If. “I really admire Garth and Emile and we look forward to creating beyond beautiful, large scale international film and TV projects together.”
Davis said: “I Am That stems from my long-standing relationship with both Iain Canning and Emile Sherman, who have been incredibly supportive of me in my filmmaking journey and are wonderful partners.
“I also feel very lucky to have the talented Samantha Lang by our side in this new chapter,...
Lion and Mary Magdalene director Garth Davis and See-Saw Films have launched a production co-venture with Samantha Lang as head of development.
Entitled I Am That, the partnership will develop feature film and TV projects for Davis to direct and produce alongside See-Saw founders Iain Canning and Emile Sherman.
The president of the Australian Directors Guild, Lang has started work already, based at See-Saw Films’ Sydney office. “This is a really great fit,” Sam tells If. “I really admire Garth and Emile and we look forward to creating beyond beautiful, large scale international film and TV projects together.”
Davis said: “I Am That stems from my long-standing relationship with both Iain Canning and Emile Sherman, who have been incredibly supportive of me in my filmmaking journey and are wonderful partners.
“I also feel very lucky to have the talented Samantha Lang by our side in this new chapter,...
- 11/4/2019
- by The IF Team
- IF.com.au
Exclusive: Garth Davis, the Australian filmmaker whose work includes Lion with Dev Patel and Mary Magdalene starring Rooney Mara and Joaquin Phoenix, is joining forces with See-Saw Films producers Iain Canning and Emile Sherman (The King’s Speech) on a new production venture.
Under the moniker I Am That, the 50-50 partnership will develop feature film and TV projects for Davis to direct and produce alongside Canning and Sherman.
The company has hired Aussie filmmaker Samantha Lang as Head of Development, starting immediately out of its Sydney base. Lang is president of the Australian Directors Guild and has written, directed and produced work including feature film The Well, which was in competition in Cannes in 1997.
The partnership follows UK-Australia powerhouse See-Saw producing both the six-time Oscar-nominated Lion and Mary Magdalene, and also series Top of the Lake, on which Davis directed episodes alongside Jane Campion, scoring them an Emmy nomination.
Under the moniker I Am That, the 50-50 partnership will develop feature film and TV projects for Davis to direct and produce alongside Canning and Sherman.
The company has hired Aussie filmmaker Samantha Lang as Head of Development, starting immediately out of its Sydney base. Lang is president of the Australian Directors Guild and has written, directed and produced work including feature film The Well, which was in competition in Cannes in 1997.
The partnership follows UK-Australia powerhouse See-Saw producing both the six-time Oscar-nominated Lion and Mary Magdalene, and also series Top of the Lake, on which Davis directed episodes alongside Jane Campion, scoring them an Emmy nomination.
- 11/4/2019
- by Tom Grater
- Deadline Film + TV
Glendyn Ivin (Photo credit: Sam Chiplin).
Glendyn Ivin was in Glasgow shooting the BBC/ABC psychological thriller The Cry last year when he got a call from his Us agent.
UTA’s Bec Smith wanted to know if the director was still interested in a screen adaptation of Penguin Bloom, an Australian book by Bradley Trevor Greive which he had read several years earlier.
He sure was: He’d been very moved by the story of Samantha Bloom, a young Sydney woman who broke her back after a railing snapped and she fell head-first six metres onto a concrete floor while holidaying with her family in Thailand in 2013.
After being diagnosed as a paraplegic, she slipped into depression and hopelessness until her son Noah found a frail, injured magpie chick. By caring for the little bird, which the family named Penguin for her black and white plumage, she regained her strength and confidence.
Glendyn Ivin was in Glasgow shooting the BBC/ABC psychological thriller The Cry last year when he got a call from his Us agent.
UTA’s Bec Smith wanted to know if the director was still interested in a screen adaptation of Penguin Bloom, an Australian book by Bradley Trevor Greive which he had read several years earlier.
He sure was: He’d been very moved by the story of Samantha Bloom, a young Sydney woman who broke her back after a railing snapped and she fell head-first six metres onto a concrete floor while holidaying with her family in Thailand in 2013.
After being diagnosed as a paraplegic, she slipped into depression and hopelessness until her son Noah found a frail, injured magpie chick. By caring for the little bird, which the family named Penguin for her black and white plumage, she regained her strength and confidence.
- 3/26/2019
- by The IF Team
- IF.com.au
The United Talent Agency has appointed six men and two women as new partners, the agency’s board of directors announced Friday.
Jacob Fenton, Ken Fermaglich, Susie Fox, Ben Jacobson, Ophir Lupu, John Sacks, Bec Smith and Mark Subias have been appointed from across UTA’s businesses, accounting for a 13 percent expansion of the company’s partnership. The agents come from the world of theatre, music, TV, movies, video games and more. Between them they have nearly 70 years of experience at the agency.
“These eight individuals from across our business have been a critical part of UTA’s growth over the past years,” the UTA Board of Directors said in a statement. “Their appointments reflect not just the longstanding contributions each has made, but their leadership, innovation and commitment to creating unique opportunities for our clients. We are proud to have them join our partnership.”
Also Read: Veteran Agent David Lubliner...
Jacob Fenton, Ken Fermaglich, Susie Fox, Ben Jacobson, Ophir Lupu, John Sacks, Bec Smith and Mark Subias have been appointed from across UTA’s businesses, accounting for a 13 percent expansion of the company’s partnership. The agents come from the world of theatre, music, TV, movies, video games and more. Between them they have nearly 70 years of experience at the agency.
“These eight individuals from across our business have been a critical part of UTA’s growth over the past years,” the UTA Board of Directors said in a statement. “Their appointments reflect not just the longstanding contributions each has made, but their leadership, innovation and commitment to creating unique opportunities for our clients. We are proud to have them join our partnership.”
Also Read: Veteran Agent David Lubliner...
- 1/25/2019
- by Brian Welk
- The Wrap
The UTA board of directors said Friday that the agency has promoted eight agents to partner, repping a 13% expansion of the group. The promotions come from across UTA’s businesses including theater, music, TV, movies and video games.
The new partners include two division heads — Video Games’ Ophir Lupu and Theatre’s Mark Subias — along with Jacob Fenton, Ken Fermaglich, Susie Fox, Ben Jacobson, John Sacks and Bec Smith.
“These eight individuals from across our business have been a critical part of UTA’s growth over the past years,” UTA said in a statement announcing the news. “Their appointments reflect not just the longstanding contributions each has made, but their leadership, innovation and commitment to creating unique opportunities for our clients. We are proud to have them join our partnership.”
More info her, per UTA:
Jacob Fenton, an 18-year UTA veteran who started in the mailroom in 2001 and rose through...
The new partners include two division heads — Video Games’ Ophir Lupu and Theatre’s Mark Subias — along with Jacob Fenton, Ken Fermaglich, Susie Fox, Ben Jacobson, John Sacks and Bec Smith.
“These eight individuals from across our business have been a critical part of UTA’s growth over the past years,” UTA said in a statement announcing the news. “Their appointments reflect not just the longstanding contributions each has made, but their leadership, innovation and commitment to creating unique opportunities for our clients. We are proud to have them join our partnership.”
More info her, per UTA:
Jacob Fenton, an 18-year UTA veteran who started in the mailroom in 2001 and rose through...
- 1/25/2019
- by Bruce Haring
- Deadline Film + TV
Two of Mexico’s most respected women film executives Alejandra Paulín and Maru Garzón, have been named joint heads of the country’s Los Cabos Intl. Film Festival, one of Latin America’s fastest-growing film events. Paulín will serve as executive director and Garzón as artistic director.
The appointments were announced Thursday by Los Cabos president Eduardo Sánchez Navarro and Alfonso Pasquel, president of Los Cabos Arte y Cultura A.C.
Paulín and Garzón replace Hugo Villa, Los Cabos Festival director at last year’s edition but named in February as director of Mexico’s Unam Filmoteca, a key national cinematheque.
Garzón and Paulín’s new joint leadership recognizes their role in the build of Los Cabos, launched as recently as 2012, as a key – as well as highly enjoyable – event working an ever more dynamic U.S.-Mexico-Canada movie axis. Both already held top jobs at Los Cabos, Garzón as programming director,...
The appointments were announced Thursday by Los Cabos president Eduardo Sánchez Navarro and Alfonso Pasquel, president of Los Cabos Arte y Cultura A.C.
Paulín and Garzón replace Hugo Villa, Los Cabos Festival director at last year’s edition but named in February as director of Mexico’s Unam Filmoteca, a key national cinematheque.
Garzón and Paulín’s new joint leadership recognizes their role in the build of Los Cabos, launched as recently as 2012, as a key – as well as highly enjoyable – event working an ever more dynamic U.S.-Mexico-Canada movie axis. Both already held top jobs at Los Cabos, Garzón as programming director,...
- 4/26/2018
- by John Hopewell
- Variety Film + TV
Exclusive: Im Global fully financing and introducing to Cannes buyers.
Two-time Oscar nominee Viggo Mortensen will star in the thriller Unabomb for The Trouble With The Curve director Robert Lorenz.
Im Global is fully financing the project and lining up additional cast for a January 2018 production start.
Lorenz is producing Unabomb with Michele Weisler and Im Global’s president of feature film production Greg Shapiro.
Unabomb centres on one of the largest manhunts in history as FBI agent Jim Freeman, played by Mortensen, takes on the unsolved case of the Unabomber, who terrorised Americans with 16 bombings over the course of two decades.
Freeman and his unconventional team travel the country piecing together a profile of the infamous hooded suspect.
However the closer they get to narrowing down the terrorist’s identity, the more deadly and personal the attacks become. Randy Brown adapted the screenplay from the book Unabomber by Jim Freeman, Terry Turchie and Donald...
Two-time Oscar nominee Viggo Mortensen will star in the thriller Unabomb for The Trouble With The Curve director Robert Lorenz.
Im Global is fully financing the project and lining up additional cast for a January 2018 production start.
Lorenz is producing Unabomb with Michele Weisler and Im Global’s president of feature film production Greg Shapiro.
Unabomb centres on one of the largest manhunts in history as FBI agent Jim Freeman, played by Mortensen, takes on the unsolved case of the Unabomber, who terrorised Americans with 16 bombings over the course of two decades.
Freeman and his unconventional team travel the country piecing together a profile of the infamous hooded suspect.
However the closer they get to narrowing down the terrorist’s identity, the more deadly and personal the attacks become. Randy Brown adapted the screenplay from the book Unabomber by Jim Freeman, Terry Turchie and Donald...
- 5/15/2017
- by jeremykay67@gmail.com (Jeremy Kay)
- ScreenDaily
Exclusive: Off-beat romantic comedy set to premiere in Cannes Critics’ Week.
Paris-based Elle Driver has snapped up international sales on Atsuko Hirayanagi’s off-beat comedy romance Oh Lucy! ahead of its premiere in Cannes Critics’ Week.
Top Japanese actress Shinobu Terajima stars as Setsuko, a lonely, chain-smoking office worker in Tokyo, who brings fresh meaning to her life when she starts taking English lessons, dons a blond wig and adopts a new American persona called Lucy.
In the process, she also falls for her American English teacher played by Josh Hartnett. When he suddenly disappears, she teams up with her sister to track him down in a journey that will take them to some of the sleazier parts of outer Los Angeles.
The feature builds on Hirayanagi’s short film of the same name which premiered in Cannes in 2014, after winning the second prize in the festival’s Cinéfondation Selection initiative focused on shorts and medium-length works from...
Paris-based Elle Driver has snapped up international sales on Atsuko Hirayanagi’s off-beat comedy romance Oh Lucy! ahead of its premiere in Cannes Critics’ Week.
Top Japanese actress Shinobu Terajima stars as Setsuko, a lonely, chain-smoking office worker in Tokyo, who brings fresh meaning to her life when she starts taking English lessons, dons a blond wig and adopts a new American persona called Lucy.
In the process, she also falls for her American English teacher played by Josh Hartnett. When he suddenly disappears, she teams up with her sister to track him down in a journey that will take them to some of the sleazier parts of outer Los Angeles.
The feature builds on Hirayanagi’s short film of the same name which premiered in Cannes in 2014, after winning the second prize in the festival’s Cinéfondation Selection initiative focused on shorts and medium-length works from...
- 5/3/2017
- ScreenDaily
(l-r) Angie Fielder, Luke Davies, Dev Patel, Garth Davis and Dp Greig Fraser on-set.
Aussie screenwriter Luke Davies lives in La with director David Michôd, and is repped by UTA's Bec Smith. Both are former If editors, and Davies himself used to contribute DVD reviews to the magazine. We spoke with the honorary old boy on the phone from Bondi, where he was staying on a layover in Oz late last year.
Your path into screenwriting began with Candy, is that right?.
Yeah. I was always obsessed with film but didn.t know how to break in. So I said to Margaret Fink, the producer, that she could option the book if I was allowed to try my hand at the first draft of the screenplay. That was the beginning of the path that led to here.
Had you been reading screenplays before that point or did you just learn on the job?...
Aussie screenwriter Luke Davies lives in La with director David Michôd, and is repped by UTA's Bec Smith. Both are former If editors, and Davies himself used to contribute DVD reviews to the magazine. We spoke with the honorary old boy on the phone from Bondi, where he was staying on a layover in Oz late last year.
Your path into screenwriting began with Candy, is that right?.
Yeah. I was always obsessed with film but didn.t know how to break in. So I said to Margaret Fink, the producer, that she could option the book if I was allowed to try my hand at the first draft of the screenplay. That was the beginning of the path that led to here.
Had you been reading screenplays before that point or did you just learn on the job?...
- 2/20/2017
- by Harry Windsor
- IF.com.au
Emma Jensen.
Brisbane native Emma Jensen talks to Harry Windsor about her career as a writer and the path to her first feature, 'A Storm in the Stars', starring Elle Fanning and Douglas Booth and set for release this year.
How did you get into writing?
My background is in script development. I started as a producer.s assistant in London 17 years ago at Film4. I was their second assistant. I went to Queensland College of Art and studied film and television, and then graduated and thought — now what do I do? So I spent a few years in illustrious careers like Sizzler and working in a bank and I got to the point where I thought, maybe I should do that backpacking thing. I signed up with a temp agency and they asked if I wanted to do half a day at Film4, and I was like,...
Brisbane native Emma Jensen talks to Harry Windsor about her career as a writer and the path to her first feature, 'A Storm in the Stars', starring Elle Fanning and Douglas Booth and set for release this year.
How did you get into writing?
My background is in script development. I started as a producer.s assistant in London 17 years ago at Film4. I was their second assistant. I went to Queensland College of Art and studied film and television, and then graduated and thought — now what do I do? So I spent a few years in illustrious careers like Sizzler and working in a bank and I got to the point where I thought, maybe I should do that backpacking thing. I signed up with a temp agency and they asked if I wanted to do half a day at Film4, and I was like,...
- 2/2/2017
- by Harry Windsor
- IF.com.au
Stephen Curry and Emma Booth in Hounds of Love.
Perth director Ben Young is attached to direct American sci-fi thriller Extinction, from Good Universe and Mandeville Film.
Per Deadline, James McAvoy (X-Men, Last King of Scotland) is in talks to star in the film, which follows the story of man haunted by nightmares in which his wife is assaulted, and who is lauded as a hero when Earth is invaded by a destructive army.
The announcement comes off the back of Young.s success in Venice with his debut feature Hounds of Love.
David Hoberman and Todd Lieberman will produce, and the latest draft of the script has been penned by Brad Caleb Kane, with previous incarnations written by Eric Heisserer and Spenser Cohen.
Former If editor Bec Smith is Young's literary agent at UTA. He's managed by Thruline Entertainment's Josh Kesselman.
Young graduated from Curtin with a BA...
Perth director Ben Young is attached to direct American sci-fi thriller Extinction, from Good Universe and Mandeville Film.
Per Deadline, James McAvoy (X-Men, Last King of Scotland) is in talks to star in the film, which follows the story of man haunted by nightmares in which his wife is assaulted, and who is lauded as a hero when Earth is invaded by a destructive army.
The announcement comes off the back of Young.s success in Venice with his debut feature Hounds of Love.
David Hoberman and Todd Lieberman will produce, and the latest draft of the script has been penned by Brad Caleb Kane, with previous incarnations written by Eric Heisserer and Spenser Cohen.
Former If editor Bec Smith is Young's literary agent at UTA. He's managed by Thruline Entertainment's Josh Kesselman.
Young graduated from Curtin with a BA...
- 10/20/2016
- by Staff Writer
- IF.com.au
Los Cabos International Film Festival took place this month of November. It was a brave move to keep it going after Cabo had been so hard hit by Hurricane Odile with winds of 125mph less than a month earlier. The vast destruction in our part of town was quickly being repaired though traces remained visible and repairs still to be done necessitated cutting the normal invitation list by half and doubling up hotel rooms for a few unlucky journalists. That being said, there were 15,000 attending the festival. Volunteers wore the worthy words on their t-shirts: #Unstoppable, and they were that.
For all the infrastructure problems of the city in the midst of rebuilding itself, the festival seemed to thrive with all sorts of invitees showing up from all over the world. It seemed like gala events, panels, master classes, coproduction meetings, works in progress, screenings and interviews were constantly taking place. It was a great team and we all felt part of it.
The festival is overseen by the executive board members Eduardo Sánchez Navarro, Alfonso Pascal Barcenas, Scott Cross and Sean Cross (who also founded Vail Film Festival) and is organized by the festival team of Alonso Aguilar (General Director), Alejandra Paulin (General Coordinator) - who was a great market director in Guadajalara before coming here, Maru Garzon (Head of Programming), Ana Molinar Trujillo (Communication Manager), and Monica Herrera (Film Programmer). My friend from Guadalajara, normally an English teacher, Fabian Cruz was also there working for the festival.
When Eduardo Sánchez Navarro Redo remembers how he first came to Los Cabos, there is no doubt in his mind that destiny and luck played an important part. When he married his wife 30 years ago, he decided to travel along the entire Pacific Coast, from Acapulco to Mazatlan, where he crossed over to La Paz eventually driving to Los Cabos. The beauty of the area impressed him and it was during this trip that he and his wife decided to buy a vacation home in Los Cabos, thus beginning a distinguished career as a principal player and developer of what is Los Cabos today. Over the course of more than 20 years, his company, Grupo Questro, has emerged as one of the most highly respected developers in all of Mexico. He, together with Juan Gallardo Thurlow, Scott Cross, and Sean Cross, founded the festival in 2012.
My job as a journalist was to explore and write, hard to do when you are having such fun 24/7. We journalists were all in one hotel where we were given space and time to bond. Travel writers mixed with trade writers: from Film Journal David Noh, whose article is worth sharing here, my colleagues Peter Rainer from NPR and Christian Science Monitor, Anne Thompson from Thompson on Hollywood on Indiewire, Godfrey Cheshire of RogerEbert.com and many others met and mixed. Also Ira Deutchman of Colombia University Film School and Emerging Pictures and Robin Brock of Creative Coalition were there with time to share dinners.
The filmmakers, in another hotel, mixed by day and at the communal lunches and parties. I will write more on them in an upcoming blog! After all, filmmakers are the backbone of our industry. Without them, we have nothing!
The agents, mostly from CAA, were placed in another hotel, luxurious and far away. As someone said, Cabos is like Cannes, only in November. If so, perhaps they were at the Eden Roc in Cap d’Antibes. (Actually they were at Hacienda Beach Club & Residences) CAA has always been an honored part of this festival. I have heard that that is because someone with lots of money from Mexico invests it in cinema through CAA and even started the festival. That is, however, pure conjecture. Under the guidance of CAA agent, Micah Green, people can be assured that the directions he sees and the decisions he makes about investing private individuals' capital into filmed entertainment is priceless. I could think of no one I would trust more --in this untrustworthy business we are in-- than Micah.
At least two other agents – Bec Smith and Rena Ronson from UTA -- were also there. Rena and Micah were on the Film Financing Panel moderated by Variety’s expert in all things Iberoamerican and my idol, John Hopewell. Other participants on the Film Finance Panel were Jonathan King, Evp of Production at Jeff Skoll’s Participant Media whose partnership with Canana formed Participant PanAmerican production fund. “No” by Pablo Lorrain was their first investment. Pp also financed "El Ardor" which played in Cannes and “Cesar Chavez”, directed by Diego Luna. Also on the panel were Mark Musselman of Canada’s 10X2yinc, the exec producer of “Eastern Promises” and most recently of “Remember” by Atom Egoyan which was also produced by Robert Lantos and son, also in Los Cabos. It went into production in 2014 and is tipped for Cannes. Other panelists included Raul Del Alto of Mexico’s Ag Studios (Itaca Films Mexico, Itaca Films USA, Itaca Films Colombia and Itaca Filkms Brazil, and Rena Ronson of UTA who, like Micah Green of CAA focuses on global film finance, distribution and marketing strategies for Independents and co-financed features and is fluent in Spanish because of her long time experience with Latin America.
At one point I looked up and found the European fund chiefs there as well, Laufey Gudjonsdottir from Iceland (where Interstellar was filmed), Katriel Schory from Israel Film Fund and Edith Sepp-Dallas from the Estonian Film Institute. They were there for Bpx. Best Practice Exchange is an initiative that brings together the leaders of film funding agencies from across the world to take part in high-level-workshops – one or two each year – designed to promote new standards of excellence in the provision of public funding for the support of film production, development and distribution. The aim of Bpx is to ensure that policies and procedures adopted by film funding agencies will act together, positively and proactively, to stimulate and sustain practices of international coproduction and cofinancing worldwide.
Triggered by the situation in which filmmaking outside the main production centers of Hollywood and Bollywood now finds itself, Bpx was created by Simon Perry, president of Ace (Ateliers du Cinéma Européen), in collaboration with Katriel Schory, executive director of the Israel Film Fund. It held its first workshop in February 2013 in Israel, and two further workshops in Toronto (September 2013) and Berlin (February 2014) and this was the third! Bravo!
Among the Mexican, Canadian and U.S. films that showed, the winners were as follow:
Mexico First
Mexico First winning film was ¨Llevate mis amores” ("All of Me") by Arturo Gonzalez. The film narrates the story of the generosity of the women of Las Patronas who feed the immigrants who ride La Bestia. The director was awarded a cash Prize of Usd $15,000. This film made me cry. I thought of it again when reading the L.A. Times article about the murder of Adrian Rodriguez and his assistant, Mexican good Samaritans who dedicated their scarce resources to feeding Central American migrants passing by on La Bestia, which is what the women in this movie do. And one of the women was at the festival too.
Los Cabos Competition
The Los Cabos Competition winner was “Güeros” by Alonso Ruizpalacios, also a winner at the Berlinale, Jerusalem Film Festival, Tribeca, Toronto and San Sebastian. Being sold internationally by Mundial, the joint venture of Canana (again!) and Im Global, the film has sold to Kino Lorber for U.S., Cannibal for Mexico, Dreams Hill for Italy, Noori for So. Korea and Maison Motion for Taiwan … "Güeros" is the undeniable triumph of a nouveau director who dares to pay homage the French New Wave on a wild detective hunt through Mexico City. In light of the 43 murdered students, this film, about students on strike, strikes a chord within the watcher. The film´s producer won a Usd $15,000 cash prize.
Work In Progress Mexico
The second Work in Progress Mexico prize was awarded to "Los Herederos," by Jorge Hernandez, a film that describes adolescent effervescence and idleness through a group of friends who spend their vacations adrenaline-seeking through parties, sex and alcohol. The winner received a Usd $10,000 cash prize.
Mexico-usa-canada Co-production Forum
The winner of the first Mexico- USA- Canada Co-production Forum was also announced: "Afronauts" by Frances Bodomo, based on the real life story of the Academia Nacional de Ciencias, Investigación Espacial e Investigación Astronómica of Zambia. Writer- Director Frances Bodomo received a Usd $8,000 cash prize. It also received funding from the Alfred P. Sloan Foundation.
Mexico First: Fox +
In its second year running the México Primero: Fox+ chose one of the films that participated to have its distribution rights pre-bought for the Latin American and Caribbean (Except Brazil) markets. The México Primero: Fox+ prize consists of Usd $40,000 and was awarded to Isaac Ezban´s "El Incidente" ("The Incident"), two M.C. Escher-maze-like parallel stories about characters trapped in illogical endless spaces: two brothers and a detective locked on an infinite staircase, and a family locked on an infinite road… for a very long time. The international sales agent, Shoreline, will be showing the film at Ventana Sur December 3rd at 17:00 at Cinemark 3.
Work In Progress Mexico Fox +
In its second year running as well, Work in Progress México Fox+ selected a participating film to have its distribution rights pre-bought for the Latin American and Caribbean (Except Brazil) markets. The Usd $30,000 prize was awarded to Katina Medina Mora’s "Sabras que hacer conmigo" aka "En Contraluz", produced by Gerardo Gatica and Alberto Muffelmann.
Work In Progress Mexico Chemistry
This Third edition of the Festival also witnessed the first Work In Progress México –Chemistry award. Chemistry post-production studios granted the winner, Jorge Hernandez’s "Los Herederos", $45,000 Usd in color correction services.
Mexico – USA – Canada Splendor Omnia Mantarraya Co-production Forum
On its first year running, the Coproduction Forum Mexico- USA- Canada Splendor Omnia – MANTArraya will be granting a $30,000 Usd equivalent prize worth 40 hours of color correction, 40 hours of sound mixing, as well as a paid stay in Tepoztlan Morelos, site of their studios, to the winner "Afronauts" by Francez Bodomo (U.S.).
The key phrase to understanding Cabo is "Seeing what the neighbors do" as the festival and market connects Canada, U,S, and Mexico in showing of films and exploring coproduction. And the mixing of filmmakers and journalists from all three Americas was exciting in the possibilities it offered to everyone.
As for the hard-core business done there:
Mark Kassen will be directing "Criminal Empire for Dummies" written by Cliff Dorman. Kassen will also be producing the film along with James Gibb of Cutting Edge Group and Greg Hajdarowicz of Gremi Films. The deal took place at the exclusive resort Hacienda Beach Club & Residences and was reported by Variety.
Actor and producer Luis Gerardo Mendez ("Nosotros Los Nobles") signed a representation agreement with Paradigm. Reported by Variety. So I guess Paradigm also sent agents to Los Cabos.
Pat Saperstein of Variety also attended Los Cabos and scooped a story, that “Wolverine Hotel” from director Patricia Chica who was participating in the Coproduction Forum, is closing in on production with a "recent financing commitment from Jean-Guy Després, who will serve as exec producer. The edgy crime thriller is produced by Canada-based Byron Martin. Looking to cast a Latino actor as co-star, Chica met with rising Mexican thesp Luis Gerardo Mendez ('We Are the Nobles') during Afm though he has not yet been attached. 'A Latino star opens up a market', said Martin."
Celebrated producer Monica Lozano announced the launch of Alebrije Distribución. She has had her hand in 23 productions since her first film, "Amores Perros". "Instructions Not Included" the Us$ 5.5 million film that grossed Us$ 100 million worldwide was also her production. With this Pan-American initiative, the company will acquire distribution rights for the Latin and North American markets. Reported by Variety again!! You would think John was the only real reporter there. Pinske should be proud of him! Most of us got no scoops, but then, I guess we have to prove ourselves worthy - which I am not because at heart, I am not a reporter hunting for news, but rather a gatherer of information and a writer.
Speaking of Monica Lozano, the Germany-based international sales agent, Media Luna, acquired world rights to Internet Junkie, directed by Alexander Katzowicz and produced by Monica Lozano. Variety reports on this again!
"Yamaha 300", a participating project of the 1st Mexico – USA- Canada Coproduction Forum, produced by Valerium Arts (Mayra Espinosa y Jorge Michel Grau, producer and writer-director of the horror hit "Somos lo que hay" respectively, and Grau, the writer of the remake "We Are What We Are") and Uncorked Productions (Andrew Corkin, the producer of the horror film "What We Were"), will be one of the first projects to receive the development stage and postproduction support offered by The Good Film Fund, an initiative of Media Darling (Amy Darling) and The Chatanooga Film Festival. See Variety.
New York producer Dodgeville Films ("To Be Takei") will be joining Varios Lobos in Mexico to produce "Ya no estoy aquí", Fernando Frias’s second film, which was also a winner during Gabriel Figueroa Film Fund second edition. This film in the Coproduction Forum was reported on in Variety.
"Siete Horas" ("Seven Hours"), one of the winning projects of the second Gabriel Figueroa Film Fund edition, which will be directed by Chema Rodriguez and produced by Francisco Vargas, the renowned director of the film "El violin", made an alliance with the Spanish production companies Sin un Duro and Noodles Prods to co-produce the project. (Variety)
CineTren closed deals to handle Latin American distribution for Spring, a Justin Benson and Aaron Moorhead film, whose Latin American Premiere was held at Los Cabos International Film Festival. Negotiations between Nate Bolotin and Marie Katz fromLos Angeles-based Xyz and Manuel Garcia from CineTren, took place at the Hotel Grand Solmar. Next time, I'll have to visit all the hotels!! See Variety article.
BH5 Group, which participates in the executive production of "Remember" by Atom Egoyan, will be working with Alonso Ruizpalacios, director of Güeros, in his second movie: Museo, a project that participated in the Ist Mexico- USA- Canada Co-production Forum. Even though Variety wrote about this, my blog on the three year old conglomerate of companies, BH5, was more complete:
BH5 Group Makes a Splash with Three Impressive Films at Los Cabos Int'l Film Fest
BH5, a conglomerate of five formerly independent production companies all run by various friends from the same film school, will be working the international markets much more. Besides the Toronto hit, Jodorowsky's "Dance of Reality", they are working with larger companies like Pathe now. Their work in progress, "You Will Know What To Do With Me" ("Sabras que hacer conmigo" aka "En Contraluz") which just won the The Usd $30,000 prize of Fox+, is seeking an international sales agent.
"Entrevero" by Max Zunino, also winner of the Gabriel Figueroa Film Fund second edition, was selected in the development project category by Ibermedia. See Variety.
And though Colombian Ciro Guerra, whose "The Wind Journeys" was produced by our German friends Roman Paul and Gerhard Meixner at Razor Film Production and by Burning Blue's prolific Diana Bustamente -- who is now also heading the Carthagena Film Festival -- showed in 2009 Cannes Un Certain Regard and was sold by Paris’ Elle Driver to 19 countries including Film Movement for U.S., announced to Variety's John Hopewell that his next film, "Embrace of the Serpent" will star U.S. actor Brionne Davis (“Savaged”) and Belgium’s Jan Bijvoet, the lead in Cannes Competition entry “Borgman” a really creepy dark comedy, he did not discuss his next project "Taganga" in the Coproduction Forum. "Taganga" is about a fisherman from a small village by the Colombian coast where many foreign-owned scuba diving centers have been established. A new law requiring local fisherman to change the motors of their boats forces him to earn quick money, so he chooses to dynamite to fish. The owner of the largest scuba diving center opposes this use of explosives. When the fisherman receives a death threat if he continues the dynamiting of fish, he assumes the center's owner is behind the threat. In order to prove it, he begins a series of fateful actions.
Finally, while it seems like Variety wrote all the news, I have one item which no one has reported on. Reese Witherspoon stated at her press conference in Los Cabos, where her film "Wild" premiered in a red carpet gala, that she is talking to Eugenio Derbez ("Instructions Not Included") to make a movie with him. I heard her say it and later spoke of this to Ben Odell (my next blog on Los Cabos features him). Ben (now partners with Eugenio at 3Pas Studios) said, Actually that would be a great idea but they had not spoken about it. However, they are both represented by CAA, so it would seem like a natural and really exciting pairing. After all, aren't "Legally Blond" and "Beverly Hills Chihuahua" the same film? She is certainly on a role as a producer with "Wild" and David Fincher's "Gone Girl" as he is with his U.S. career. The studios are all courting her now, she said. More to come on this...
For all the infrastructure problems of the city in the midst of rebuilding itself, the festival seemed to thrive with all sorts of invitees showing up from all over the world. It seemed like gala events, panels, master classes, coproduction meetings, works in progress, screenings and interviews were constantly taking place. It was a great team and we all felt part of it.
The festival is overseen by the executive board members Eduardo Sánchez Navarro, Alfonso Pascal Barcenas, Scott Cross and Sean Cross (who also founded Vail Film Festival) and is organized by the festival team of Alonso Aguilar (General Director), Alejandra Paulin (General Coordinator) - who was a great market director in Guadajalara before coming here, Maru Garzon (Head of Programming), Ana Molinar Trujillo (Communication Manager), and Monica Herrera (Film Programmer). My friend from Guadalajara, normally an English teacher, Fabian Cruz was also there working for the festival.
When Eduardo Sánchez Navarro Redo remembers how he first came to Los Cabos, there is no doubt in his mind that destiny and luck played an important part. When he married his wife 30 years ago, he decided to travel along the entire Pacific Coast, from Acapulco to Mazatlan, where he crossed over to La Paz eventually driving to Los Cabos. The beauty of the area impressed him and it was during this trip that he and his wife decided to buy a vacation home in Los Cabos, thus beginning a distinguished career as a principal player and developer of what is Los Cabos today. Over the course of more than 20 years, his company, Grupo Questro, has emerged as one of the most highly respected developers in all of Mexico. He, together with Juan Gallardo Thurlow, Scott Cross, and Sean Cross, founded the festival in 2012.
My job as a journalist was to explore and write, hard to do when you are having such fun 24/7. We journalists were all in one hotel where we were given space and time to bond. Travel writers mixed with trade writers: from Film Journal David Noh, whose article is worth sharing here, my colleagues Peter Rainer from NPR and Christian Science Monitor, Anne Thompson from Thompson on Hollywood on Indiewire, Godfrey Cheshire of RogerEbert.com and many others met and mixed. Also Ira Deutchman of Colombia University Film School and Emerging Pictures and Robin Brock of Creative Coalition were there with time to share dinners.
The filmmakers, in another hotel, mixed by day and at the communal lunches and parties. I will write more on them in an upcoming blog! After all, filmmakers are the backbone of our industry. Without them, we have nothing!
The agents, mostly from CAA, were placed in another hotel, luxurious and far away. As someone said, Cabos is like Cannes, only in November. If so, perhaps they were at the Eden Roc in Cap d’Antibes. (Actually they were at Hacienda Beach Club & Residences) CAA has always been an honored part of this festival. I have heard that that is because someone with lots of money from Mexico invests it in cinema through CAA and even started the festival. That is, however, pure conjecture. Under the guidance of CAA agent, Micah Green, people can be assured that the directions he sees and the decisions he makes about investing private individuals' capital into filmed entertainment is priceless. I could think of no one I would trust more --in this untrustworthy business we are in-- than Micah.
At least two other agents – Bec Smith and Rena Ronson from UTA -- were also there. Rena and Micah were on the Film Financing Panel moderated by Variety’s expert in all things Iberoamerican and my idol, John Hopewell. Other participants on the Film Finance Panel were Jonathan King, Evp of Production at Jeff Skoll’s Participant Media whose partnership with Canana formed Participant PanAmerican production fund. “No” by Pablo Lorrain was their first investment. Pp also financed "El Ardor" which played in Cannes and “Cesar Chavez”, directed by Diego Luna. Also on the panel were Mark Musselman of Canada’s 10X2yinc, the exec producer of “Eastern Promises” and most recently of “Remember” by Atom Egoyan which was also produced by Robert Lantos and son, also in Los Cabos. It went into production in 2014 and is tipped for Cannes. Other panelists included Raul Del Alto of Mexico’s Ag Studios (Itaca Films Mexico, Itaca Films USA, Itaca Films Colombia and Itaca Filkms Brazil, and Rena Ronson of UTA who, like Micah Green of CAA focuses on global film finance, distribution and marketing strategies for Independents and co-financed features and is fluent in Spanish because of her long time experience with Latin America.
At one point I looked up and found the European fund chiefs there as well, Laufey Gudjonsdottir from Iceland (where Interstellar was filmed), Katriel Schory from Israel Film Fund and Edith Sepp-Dallas from the Estonian Film Institute. They were there for Bpx. Best Practice Exchange is an initiative that brings together the leaders of film funding agencies from across the world to take part in high-level-workshops – one or two each year – designed to promote new standards of excellence in the provision of public funding for the support of film production, development and distribution. The aim of Bpx is to ensure that policies and procedures adopted by film funding agencies will act together, positively and proactively, to stimulate and sustain practices of international coproduction and cofinancing worldwide.
Triggered by the situation in which filmmaking outside the main production centers of Hollywood and Bollywood now finds itself, Bpx was created by Simon Perry, president of Ace (Ateliers du Cinéma Européen), in collaboration with Katriel Schory, executive director of the Israel Film Fund. It held its first workshop in February 2013 in Israel, and two further workshops in Toronto (September 2013) and Berlin (February 2014) and this was the third! Bravo!
Among the Mexican, Canadian and U.S. films that showed, the winners were as follow:
Mexico First
Mexico First winning film was ¨Llevate mis amores” ("All of Me") by Arturo Gonzalez. The film narrates the story of the generosity of the women of Las Patronas who feed the immigrants who ride La Bestia. The director was awarded a cash Prize of Usd $15,000. This film made me cry. I thought of it again when reading the L.A. Times article about the murder of Adrian Rodriguez and his assistant, Mexican good Samaritans who dedicated their scarce resources to feeding Central American migrants passing by on La Bestia, which is what the women in this movie do. And one of the women was at the festival too.
Los Cabos Competition
The Los Cabos Competition winner was “Güeros” by Alonso Ruizpalacios, also a winner at the Berlinale, Jerusalem Film Festival, Tribeca, Toronto and San Sebastian. Being sold internationally by Mundial, the joint venture of Canana (again!) and Im Global, the film has sold to Kino Lorber for U.S., Cannibal for Mexico, Dreams Hill for Italy, Noori for So. Korea and Maison Motion for Taiwan … "Güeros" is the undeniable triumph of a nouveau director who dares to pay homage the French New Wave on a wild detective hunt through Mexico City. In light of the 43 murdered students, this film, about students on strike, strikes a chord within the watcher. The film´s producer won a Usd $15,000 cash prize.
Work In Progress Mexico
The second Work in Progress Mexico prize was awarded to "Los Herederos," by Jorge Hernandez, a film that describes adolescent effervescence and idleness through a group of friends who spend their vacations adrenaline-seeking through parties, sex and alcohol. The winner received a Usd $10,000 cash prize.
Mexico-usa-canada Co-production Forum
The winner of the first Mexico- USA- Canada Co-production Forum was also announced: "Afronauts" by Frances Bodomo, based on the real life story of the Academia Nacional de Ciencias, Investigación Espacial e Investigación Astronómica of Zambia. Writer- Director Frances Bodomo received a Usd $8,000 cash prize. It also received funding from the Alfred P. Sloan Foundation.
Mexico First: Fox +
In its second year running the México Primero: Fox+ chose one of the films that participated to have its distribution rights pre-bought for the Latin American and Caribbean (Except Brazil) markets. The México Primero: Fox+ prize consists of Usd $40,000 and was awarded to Isaac Ezban´s "El Incidente" ("The Incident"), two M.C. Escher-maze-like parallel stories about characters trapped in illogical endless spaces: two brothers and a detective locked on an infinite staircase, and a family locked on an infinite road… for a very long time. The international sales agent, Shoreline, will be showing the film at Ventana Sur December 3rd at 17:00 at Cinemark 3.
Work In Progress Mexico Fox +
In its second year running as well, Work in Progress México Fox+ selected a participating film to have its distribution rights pre-bought for the Latin American and Caribbean (Except Brazil) markets. The Usd $30,000 prize was awarded to Katina Medina Mora’s "Sabras que hacer conmigo" aka "En Contraluz", produced by Gerardo Gatica and Alberto Muffelmann.
Work In Progress Mexico Chemistry
This Third edition of the Festival also witnessed the first Work In Progress México –Chemistry award. Chemistry post-production studios granted the winner, Jorge Hernandez’s "Los Herederos", $45,000 Usd in color correction services.
Mexico – USA – Canada Splendor Omnia Mantarraya Co-production Forum
On its first year running, the Coproduction Forum Mexico- USA- Canada Splendor Omnia – MANTArraya will be granting a $30,000 Usd equivalent prize worth 40 hours of color correction, 40 hours of sound mixing, as well as a paid stay in Tepoztlan Morelos, site of their studios, to the winner "Afronauts" by Francez Bodomo (U.S.).
The key phrase to understanding Cabo is "Seeing what the neighbors do" as the festival and market connects Canada, U,S, and Mexico in showing of films and exploring coproduction. And the mixing of filmmakers and journalists from all three Americas was exciting in the possibilities it offered to everyone.
As for the hard-core business done there:
Mark Kassen will be directing "Criminal Empire for Dummies" written by Cliff Dorman. Kassen will also be producing the film along with James Gibb of Cutting Edge Group and Greg Hajdarowicz of Gremi Films. The deal took place at the exclusive resort Hacienda Beach Club & Residences and was reported by Variety.
Actor and producer Luis Gerardo Mendez ("Nosotros Los Nobles") signed a representation agreement with Paradigm. Reported by Variety. So I guess Paradigm also sent agents to Los Cabos.
Pat Saperstein of Variety also attended Los Cabos and scooped a story, that “Wolverine Hotel” from director Patricia Chica who was participating in the Coproduction Forum, is closing in on production with a "recent financing commitment from Jean-Guy Després, who will serve as exec producer. The edgy crime thriller is produced by Canada-based Byron Martin. Looking to cast a Latino actor as co-star, Chica met with rising Mexican thesp Luis Gerardo Mendez ('We Are the Nobles') during Afm though he has not yet been attached. 'A Latino star opens up a market', said Martin."
Celebrated producer Monica Lozano announced the launch of Alebrije Distribución. She has had her hand in 23 productions since her first film, "Amores Perros". "Instructions Not Included" the Us$ 5.5 million film that grossed Us$ 100 million worldwide was also her production. With this Pan-American initiative, the company will acquire distribution rights for the Latin and North American markets. Reported by Variety again!! You would think John was the only real reporter there. Pinske should be proud of him! Most of us got no scoops, but then, I guess we have to prove ourselves worthy - which I am not because at heart, I am not a reporter hunting for news, but rather a gatherer of information and a writer.
Speaking of Monica Lozano, the Germany-based international sales agent, Media Luna, acquired world rights to Internet Junkie, directed by Alexander Katzowicz and produced by Monica Lozano. Variety reports on this again!
"Yamaha 300", a participating project of the 1st Mexico – USA- Canada Coproduction Forum, produced by Valerium Arts (Mayra Espinosa y Jorge Michel Grau, producer and writer-director of the horror hit "Somos lo que hay" respectively, and Grau, the writer of the remake "We Are What We Are") and Uncorked Productions (Andrew Corkin, the producer of the horror film "What We Were"), will be one of the first projects to receive the development stage and postproduction support offered by The Good Film Fund, an initiative of Media Darling (Amy Darling) and The Chatanooga Film Festival. See Variety.
New York producer Dodgeville Films ("To Be Takei") will be joining Varios Lobos in Mexico to produce "Ya no estoy aquí", Fernando Frias’s second film, which was also a winner during Gabriel Figueroa Film Fund second edition. This film in the Coproduction Forum was reported on in Variety.
"Siete Horas" ("Seven Hours"), one of the winning projects of the second Gabriel Figueroa Film Fund edition, which will be directed by Chema Rodriguez and produced by Francisco Vargas, the renowned director of the film "El violin", made an alliance with the Spanish production companies Sin un Duro and Noodles Prods to co-produce the project. (Variety)
CineTren closed deals to handle Latin American distribution for Spring, a Justin Benson and Aaron Moorhead film, whose Latin American Premiere was held at Los Cabos International Film Festival. Negotiations between Nate Bolotin and Marie Katz fromLos Angeles-based Xyz and Manuel Garcia from CineTren, took place at the Hotel Grand Solmar. Next time, I'll have to visit all the hotels!! See Variety article.
BH5 Group, which participates in the executive production of "Remember" by Atom Egoyan, will be working with Alonso Ruizpalacios, director of Güeros, in his second movie: Museo, a project that participated in the Ist Mexico- USA- Canada Co-production Forum. Even though Variety wrote about this, my blog on the three year old conglomerate of companies, BH5, was more complete:
BH5 Group Makes a Splash with Three Impressive Films at Los Cabos Int'l Film Fest
BH5, a conglomerate of five formerly independent production companies all run by various friends from the same film school, will be working the international markets much more. Besides the Toronto hit, Jodorowsky's "Dance of Reality", they are working with larger companies like Pathe now. Their work in progress, "You Will Know What To Do With Me" ("Sabras que hacer conmigo" aka "En Contraluz") which just won the The Usd $30,000 prize of Fox+, is seeking an international sales agent.
"Entrevero" by Max Zunino, also winner of the Gabriel Figueroa Film Fund second edition, was selected in the development project category by Ibermedia. See Variety.
And though Colombian Ciro Guerra, whose "The Wind Journeys" was produced by our German friends Roman Paul and Gerhard Meixner at Razor Film Production and by Burning Blue's prolific Diana Bustamente -- who is now also heading the Carthagena Film Festival -- showed in 2009 Cannes Un Certain Regard and was sold by Paris’ Elle Driver to 19 countries including Film Movement for U.S., announced to Variety's John Hopewell that his next film, "Embrace of the Serpent" will star U.S. actor Brionne Davis (“Savaged”) and Belgium’s Jan Bijvoet, the lead in Cannes Competition entry “Borgman” a really creepy dark comedy, he did not discuss his next project "Taganga" in the Coproduction Forum. "Taganga" is about a fisherman from a small village by the Colombian coast where many foreign-owned scuba diving centers have been established. A new law requiring local fisherman to change the motors of their boats forces him to earn quick money, so he chooses to dynamite to fish. The owner of the largest scuba diving center opposes this use of explosives. When the fisherman receives a death threat if he continues the dynamiting of fish, he assumes the center's owner is behind the threat. In order to prove it, he begins a series of fateful actions.
Finally, while it seems like Variety wrote all the news, I have one item which no one has reported on. Reese Witherspoon stated at her press conference in Los Cabos, where her film "Wild" premiered in a red carpet gala, that she is talking to Eugenio Derbez ("Instructions Not Included") to make a movie with him. I heard her say it and later spoke of this to Ben Odell (my next blog on Los Cabos features him). Ben (now partners with Eugenio at 3Pas Studios) said, Actually that would be a great idea but they had not spoken about it. However, they are both represented by CAA, so it would seem like a natural and really exciting pairing. After all, aren't "Legally Blond" and "Beverly Hills Chihuahua" the same film? She is certainly on a role as a producer with "Wild" and David Fincher's "Gone Girl" as he is with his U.S. career. The studios are all courting her now, she said. More to come on this...
- 12/1/2014
- by Sydney Levine
- Sydney's Buzz
The distributor has acquired all North American rights from Myriad Pictures to the crime drama starring Jim Sturgess and Isabel Lucas. Separately, Kino Lorber has acquired The Wanted 18 and Starz will release Every Secret Thing.
Electric Slide (pictured) premiered at Tribeca earlier in the year and tells of a broke 1980’s Los Angeles furniture store owner who embarks on a string of bank robberies with his lover.
Tristan Patterson directed from his own screenplay based on an article by Timothy Ford.
Rounding out the key cast are Chloe Sevigny, Patricia Arquette, Christopher Lambert and Vinessa Shaw.
Media House Capital and Myriad Pictures co-financed the film and Myriad handles world sales.
Myriad chief Kirk D’Amico produced with Hans Ritter and Killer Films’ Christine Vachon. Philip von Alvensleben served as executive producer alongside Lorenzo di Bonaventura, Ford, Brad Simpson, Media House Capital’s Aaron Gilbert and Pat Murray, Jacob Pechenik of Venture Forth, Eric Eisner and [link...
Electric Slide (pictured) premiered at Tribeca earlier in the year and tells of a broke 1980’s Los Angeles furniture store owner who embarks on a string of bank robberies with his lover.
Tristan Patterson directed from his own screenplay based on an article by Timothy Ford.
Rounding out the key cast are Chloe Sevigny, Patricia Arquette, Christopher Lambert and Vinessa Shaw.
Media House Capital and Myriad Pictures co-financed the film and Myriad handles world sales.
Myriad chief Kirk D’Amico produced with Hans Ritter and Killer Films’ Christine Vachon. Philip von Alvensleben served as executive producer alongside Lorenzo di Bonaventura, Ford, Brad Simpson, Media House Capital’s Aaron Gilbert and Pat Murray, Jacob Pechenik of Venture Forth, Eric Eisner and [link...
- 10/13/2014
- by jeremykay67@gmail.com (Jeremy Kay)
- ScreenDaily
Screen International has teamed with BFI London Film Festival and British Council to present the UK Stars of Tomorrow – one of several industry events unveiled today.
The first Screen International UK Stars of Tomorrow at Lff dinner is to be held on Oct 14 during the BFI London Film Festival (Oct 8-19).
The event will bring together a selection of this year’s Stars of Tomorrow, including Aimee Ffion-Edwards and Phoebe Walller-Bridge, with casting directors, packaging agents, festival programmers, producers and financiers.
It will be preceded by a masterclass led by Us casting agent Deborah Aquila, whose credits include The Shawshank Redemption and TV series Dexter and The Shield.
The event is supported by British Council and Casting Society of America (Csa), and will be held in association with We Are UK Film.
The dinner is by invitation only and is not an open event.
Lff industry events
The 58th edition of the festival has restructured its industry...
The first Screen International UK Stars of Tomorrow at Lff dinner is to be held on Oct 14 during the BFI London Film Festival (Oct 8-19).
The event will bring together a selection of this year’s Stars of Tomorrow, including Aimee Ffion-Edwards and Phoebe Walller-Bridge, with casting directors, packaging agents, festival programmers, producers and financiers.
It will be preceded by a masterclass led by Us casting agent Deborah Aquila, whose credits include The Shawshank Redemption and TV series Dexter and The Shield.
The event is supported by British Council and Casting Society of America (Csa), and will be held in association with We Are UK Film.
The dinner is by invitation only and is not an open event.
Lff industry events
The 58th edition of the festival has restructured its industry...
- 10/1/2014
- by michael.rosser@screendaily.com (Michael Rosser)
- ScreenDaily
Screen International has teamed with BFI London Film Festival and British Council to present the UK Stars of Tomorrow – one of several industry events unveiled today.
The first Screen International UK Stars of Tomorrow at Lff dinner is to be held on Oct 14 during the BFI London Film Festival (Oct 8-19).
The event will bring together a selection of this year’s Stars of Tomorrow, including Aimee Ffion-Edwards and Phoebe Walller-Bridge, with casting directors, packaging agents, festival programmers, producers and financiers.
It will be preceded by a masterclass led by Us casting agent Deborah Aquila, whose credits include The Shawshank Redemption and TV series Dexter and The Shield.
The event is supported by British Council and Casting Society of America (Csa), and will be held in association with We Are UK Film.
The dinner is by invitation only and is not an open event.
Lff industry events
The 58th edition of the festival has restructured its industry...
The first Screen International UK Stars of Tomorrow at Lff dinner is to be held on Oct 14 during the BFI London Film Festival (Oct 8-19).
The event will bring together a selection of this year’s Stars of Tomorrow, including Aimee Ffion-Edwards and Phoebe Walller-Bridge, with casting directors, packaging agents, festival programmers, producers and financiers.
It will be preceded by a masterclass led by Us casting agent Deborah Aquila, whose credits include The Shawshank Redemption and TV series Dexter and The Shield.
The event is supported by British Council and Casting Society of America (Csa), and will be held in association with We Are UK Film.
The dinner is by invitation only and is not an open event.
Lff industry events
The 58th edition of the festival has restructured its industry...
- 10/1/2014
- by michael.rosser@screendaily.com (Michael Rosser)
- ScreenDaily
Drafthouse Films has sprung for Amira & Sam, an indie dramedy romance starring Martin Starr (Silicon Valley, Freaks and Geeks) and newcomer Dina Shihabi as an Army vet and an illegal Iraqi immigrant whose love is put to the test when she’s faced with deportation. Writer-director Sean Mullin helmed the pic, which is executive produced by The Spectacular Now‘s James Ponsoldt and also stars The Vampire Diaries’ Paul Wesley, Laith Nakli, and David Rasche. Drafthouse has slated a cross-platform limited theatrical, VOD, digital, and home video release for early 2015.
The Austin-based distributor snapped up Amira & Sam following its premiere at the Seattle International Film Festival earlier this year. It’s scheduled to screen at the Drafthouse’s upcoming femme-centric Forever Fest this Fall. The Five By Eight Productions picture is produced by Terry Leonard from Strongman and Erich Lochner and Matt Miller from Vanishing Angle. Meg Montagnino-Jarrett and Peter...
The Austin-based distributor snapped up Amira & Sam following its premiere at the Seattle International Film Festival earlier this year. It’s scheduled to screen at the Drafthouse’s upcoming femme-centric Forever Fest this Fall. The Five By Eight Productions picture is produced by Terry Leonard from Strongman and Erich Lochner and Matt Miller from Vanishing Angle. Meg Montagnino-Jarrett and Peter...
- 8/28/2014
- by Jen Yamato
- Deadline
The festival is laying on a packed programme of film industry events this year, headlined by the Jerusalem Pitch Point meeting.
The meeting revolves around a central pitching event on July 14, open to both industry professionals, film students and the public, aimed at connecting Israeli filmmakers with international partners on their upcoming projects.
Participants this year include celebrated experimental director Nina Menkes, established filmmakers Nir Bergman and Dina Zvi Riklis and up and coming director Eitan Gafny, whose Lebanon-set zombie picture debut Cannon Fodder has sold well internationally.
For the first time, the event will also screen a selection of Israeli works-in-progress to selected industry professionals, including Madame Yankelova’s Fine Literature Club, the feature debut of Guilhad Emilio Schenker, whose 2010 short Lavan screened in more than 70 festivals and won numerous prizes.
The projects will compete for a trio of prizes meted out by France’s National Cinema Centre, Franco-German broadcaster...
The meeting revolves around a central pitching event on July 14, open to both industry professionals, film students and the public, aimed at connecting Israeli filmmakers with international partners on their upcoming projects.
Participants this year include celebrated experimental director Nina Menkes, established filmmakers Nir Bergman and Dina Zvi Riklis and up and coming director Eitan Gafny, whose Lebanon-set zombie picture debut Cannon Fodder has sold well internationally.
For the first time, the event will also screen a selection of Israeli works-in-progress to selected industry professionals, including Madame Yankelova’s Fine Literature Club, the feature debut of Guilhad Emilio Schenker, whose 2010 short Lavan screened in more than 70 festivals and won numerous prizes.
The projects will compete for a trio of prizes meted out by France’s National Cinema Centre, Franco-German broadcaster...
- 7/10/2014
- ScreenDaily
Over the next five years Australian producers will find it even harder to secure theatrical releases for their films around the world but films will be capable of reaching even more eyeballs via myriad digital platforms. That was the consensus view among the experts at the panel entitled My film is great, so why is no one interested?: Positioning your film for the marketplace, at the Screen Forever conference on Wednesday. Bec Smith, an agent at UTA Independent Film Group in Los Angeles, predicted theatrical deals for Australian films will be .more elusive. and a lot of content will migrate to digital platforms. Craig Emanuel, a partner at La-based entertainment law firm Loeb & Loeb, opined that in five years theatrical releases for independent films worldwide will be the exception rather than the rule. But he told the assembled producers that that if that happens it would not necessarily be...
- 11/20/2013
- by Don Groves
- IF.com.au
Breaking: UTA has named Yale Chasin to be an agent in the UTA Independent Film Group. Chasin is a veteran international sales and distribution executive who joins the agency from Relativity. Chasin will focus on film finance strategies for domestic and international productions. He joins a department that recently expanded with the promotions of Hailey Wierengo to agent and Mikey Schwartz Wright to coordinator. Rena Ronson and Rich Klubeck continue to co-head the division which includes agents David Flynn and Bec Smith. “Yale brings a wealth of experience in international sales and distribution that makes him a great addition as we expand our global reach,” said UTA Independent Film Group co-head Rena Ronson. Chasin joined Relativity in July, 2012 as vice president, International Sales & Distribution, where he helped structure Relativity’s international output deals and handled foreign sales in all open territories outside the U.S. Chasin also oversaw all international distribution of Relativity productions.
- 8/6/2013
- by MIKE FLEMING JR
- Deadline
The international sales and distribution executive has left Relativity Media for UTA Independent Film Group.
At his new employer Chasin will focus on film finance strategies for Us and international productions.
The expanding department recently promoted Hailey Wierengo to agent and Mikey Schwartz Wright to coordinator.
Rena Ronson and Rich Klubeck continue to co-head the division and collaborate closely with colleagues Dave Flynn and Bec Smith.
Chasin had been vice-president of international sales and distribution at Relativity since July 2012 where he structured output deals, handled international sales and oversaw international distribution on Relativity productions.
Prior to Relativity Chasin served as vice-president of international distribution at the Weinstein Company in New York, working on The Artist, The Kings Speech and The Reader, among others.
At his new employer Chasin will focus on film finance strategies for Us and international productions.
The expanding department recently promoted Hailey Wierengo to agent and Mikey Schwartz Wright to coordinator.
Rena Ronson and Rich Klubeck continue to co-head the division and collaborate closely with colleagues Dave Flynn and Bec Smith.
Chasin had been vice-president of international sales and distribution at Relativity since July 2012 where he structured output deals, handled international sales and oversaw international distribution on Relativity productions.
Prior to Relativity Chasin served as vice-president of international distribution at the Weinstein Company in New York, working on The Artist, The Kings Speech and The Reader, among others.
- 8/6/2013
- by jeremykay67@gmail.com (Jeremy Kay)
- ScreenDaily
Freelance journalist Don Groves is a Deadline contributor based in Sydney There’s a record number of Aussie actors and directors toiling in Hollywood — and more on deck. One of the reasons: Us and Oz agents are networking more closely than ever. Often, untried talent is being nabbed on tips from agents Down Under. After she appeared in the Australian TV soap Home and Away, UTA signed Abbie Cornish’s 17-year-old sister Isabelle on the recommendation of her Sydney rep, United Management’s Natasha Harrison. Wme nabbed Ben O’Toole and UTA secured Ross Langley after each had graduated from Oz drama schools. “There is definite heat on Australia right now because so many films recently have had a strong, distinctive voice,” UTA literary agent Bec Smith, an Aussie who moved to Los Angeles in 2007, tells Deadline. Those films include Animal Kingdom, Snowtown, Red Dog, Sleeping Beauty and Wish You Were Here,...
- 6/15/2012
- by THE DEADLINE TEAM
- Deadline TV
The Palm Springs ShortFest has announced that highly-acclaimed writer/director Gus Van Sant will be presented with the ShortFest Spirit of Short Film Award as part of a special Directing Master Class presentation celebrating his work in film. A selection of his short films will be shown on Saturday, June 23rd at 2:30 p.m. with a discussion headed by Festival Director Darryl Macdonald. Van Sant, who earned Oscar nominations for "Good Will Hunting" and "Milk," was previously honored at the Palm Springs International Film Festival in 2009 when he received the Sonny Bono Visionary Award.
I personally salute the Palm Springs ShortFest. It is such a grassroots effort that honor the diversity and talent of many striving filmmakers. And most of the films shown move on to win Oscars such as "Freeheld" which won Best Documentary Short in 2008.
The Palm Springs ShortFest happens on June 19th to the 25th. For more details,...
I personally salute the Palm Springs ShortFest. It is such a grassroots effort that honor the diversity and talent of many striving filmmakers. And most of the films shown move on to win Oscars such as "Freeheld" which won Best Documentary Short in 2008.
The Palm Springs ShortFest happens on June 19th to the 25th. For more details,...
- 6/13/2012
- by Manny
- Manny the Movie Guy
Australian hit Animal Kingdom, which just opened in limited stateside release to stellar reviews, is that rare movie that surprises you with the discovery of an exciting new writer-director. David Michod's crime drama won the Grand Jury Prize for dramatic world cinema at Sundance last January, where Sony Pictures Classics scooped it up. One performance is emerging from the film's ensemble as a potential awards contender: Jacki Weaver's powerful matriarch. Michod wrote the first Animal Kingdom draft over a decade ago, soon after graduating from film school in Melbourne. Then-journalist (now agent) Bec Smith gave him a job editing Inside Film back in his home town, Sydney, to pay the bills. In the meantime, he wrote other scripts (including fellow Sundance entry Hesher) and directed the ...
- 8/15/2010
- Thompson on Hollywood
First-time feature director David Michôd tamed the beasts that inhabit his Animal Kingdom; a Melbourne crime thriller that is the Australian success story of 2010. Miguel Gonzalez reports from Melbourne.
I/E Gus’S Car – Day
J looks down the street. It’s empty. Gus puts the car in drive and moves off. J cranes
around to look out the back window, down the street. Then –
Crack. The car is clipped hard from the front. It spins wildly, then comes to a rest. Through the window J can see Pope behind the wheel of Darren’s car, undoing his seat belt. Pope’s car is jammed between Gus’s car and another parked in the street. Pope can’t open any doors – he’s trapped inside.
J clambers into the backseat, past Gus who is dazed, blood trickling down his forehead. J stumbles out the backdoor into the street. He looks back.
I/E Gus’S Car – Day
J looks down the street. It’s empty. Gus puts the car in drive and moves off. J cranes
around to look out the back window, down the street. Then –
Crack. The car is clipped hard from the front. It spins wildly, then comes to a rest. Through the window J can see Pope behind the wheel of Darren’s car, undoing his seat belt. Pope’s car is jammed between Gus’s car and another parked in the street. Pope can’t open any doors – he’s trapped inside.
J clambers into the backseat, past Gus who is dazed, blood trickling down his forehead. J stumbles out the backdoor into the street. He looks back.
- 6/1/2010
- by Miguel Gonzalez
- Encore Magazine
Sony Pictures Classics has acquired U.S. and Latin American rights to David Michod's debut feature "Animal Kingdom," which world premiered at the Sundance Film Festival last month.
Written and directed by Michod, "Kingdom" follows a 17-year-old boy who is thrust into the Melbourne underworld after the death of his mother. The crime drama, which stars Guy Pearce, Ben Mendelsohn, Joel Edgerton and Luke Ford, was handed the world cinema dramatic award at Sundance.
"There is nothing more exciting than the birth of a major filmmaker," said Spc's Michael Barker and Tom Bernard. "David Michod is about as major as they come. Just when you think you have seen every conceivable angle on the gangster movie along comes a movie like 'Animal Kingdom' that is so fresh it feels like a reinvention of the genre."
Spc had several titles in this year's festival program -- Rodrigo Garcia's "Mother and Child,...
Written and directed by Michod, "Kingdom" follows a 17-year-old boy who is thrust into the Melbourne underworld after the death of his mother. The crime drama, which stars Guy Pearce, Ben Mendelsohn, Joel Edgerton and Luke Ford, was handed the world cinema dramatic award at Sundance.
"There is nothing more exciting than the birth of a major filmmaker," said Spc's Michael Barker and Tom Bernard. "David Michod is about as major as they come. Just when you think you have seen every conceivable angle on the gangster movie along comes a movie like 'Animal Kingdom' that is so fresh it feels like a reinvention of the genre."
Spc had several titles in this year's festival program -- Rodrigo Garcia's "Mother and Child,...
- 2/18/2010
- by By Jay A. Fernandez
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Sony Pictures Classics has picked up both Us and Latin American rights to "Animal Kingdom," an Australian drama and winner of the world cinema jury prize at Sundance this year. David Michôd helms and writes the film produced by Liz Watts with Porchlight Films, and executive produced by Bec Smith and Vincent Sheehan. Mihod's first feature film "Animal Kingdom" is set in the Melbourne underworld and focuses on survival and revenge. In starring roles are Ben Mendelsohn, Joel Edgerton, Guy Pearce, Luke Ford, Jacki Weaver, Sullivan Stapleton and James Frecheville.
- 2/18/2010
- Upcoming-Movies.com
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