Award-winning feature documentary “Mom & Dad’s Nipple Factory” has inked a deal with Sonder Entertainment for a national theatrical tour beginning in October to coincide with National Breast Cancer Awareness Month. “Mom & Dad’s Nipple Factory,” a Jubilee Production, will screen in theaters nationwide and into next year ahead of its digital release in February.
Directed by Emmy-winning filmmaker Justin Johnson, the feature documentary tells the story of Johnson’s parents’ resilience in the face of a breast cancer diagnosis and unilateral mastectomy — which unexpectedly leads them to launch a novel homespun prosthetic nipple business. They hide this endeavor from their five children, church and small community.
“Mom and Dad’s journey, filled with love, humor, and ingenuity amidst adversity, has blossomed into a project that has already touched thousands of hearts in our festival run. I’m excited to partner with Sonder Entertainment to share this poignant yet humorous film with audiences nationwide,...
Directed by Emmy-winning filmmaker Justin Johnson, the feature documentary tells the story of Johnson’s parents’ resilience in the face of a breast cancer diagnosis and unilateral mastectomy — which unexpectedly leads them to launch a novel homespun prosthetic nipple business. They hide this endeavor from their five children, church and small community.
“Mom and Dad’s journey, filled with love, humor, and ingenuity amidst adversity, has blossomed into a project that has already touched thousands of hearts in our festival run. I’m excited to partner with Sonder Entertainment to share this poignant yet humorous film with audiences nationwide,...
- 10/5/2023
- by Jazz Tangcay, Jaden Thompson and Caroline Brew
- Variety Film + TV
Sony Pictures Classics has acquired North American rights to Stage 6 Films, Participant and Symbolic Exchange’s We Grown Now, which had its world premiere in the Centerpiece and Next Wave Selects section at this year’s TIFF. The movie’s writer, director, producer Minhal Baig received TIFF’s Changemaker Award which explores issues relevant to young people and is focused on themes of social change and youth empowerment.
In 1992 Chicago, as Michael Jordan solidifies himself as a champion, a story of two young legends in their own right begins. As wide-eyed and imaginative best friends Malik and Eric traverse the city, looking to escape the mundaneness of school and the hardships of growing up in public housing, their unbreakable bond is challenged when tragedy shakes their community just as they are learning to fly.
The film stars Blake Cameron James, Gian Knight Ramirez, S. Epatha Merkerson, Avery Holliday and Ora Jones,...
In 1992 Chicago, as Michael Jordan solidifies himself as a champion, a story of two young legends in their own right begins. As wide-eyed and imaginative best friends Malik and Eric traverse the city, looking to escape the mundaneness of school and the hardships of growing up in public housing, their unbreakable bond is challenged when tragedy shakes their community just as they are learning to fly.
The film stars Blake Cameron James, Gian Knight Ramirez, S. Epatha Merkerson, Avery Holliday and Ora Jones,...
- 10/4/2023
- by Anthony D'Alessandro
- Deadline Film + TV
Sony Pictures Releasing International will release film internationally.
Sony Pictures Classics will release Minhal Baig’s TIFF premiere We Grown Now from Stage 6 Films, Participant, and Symbolic Exchange in North America.
‘We Grown Now’: Toronto Review
Baig received TIFF’s Changemaker Award for the coming of age drama, which stars Blake Cameron James, Gian Knight Ramirez, S. Epatha Merkerson, Avery Holliday and Ora Jones, with Lil Rel Howery and Jurnee Smollett.
We Grown Now marks the filmmaker’s follow-up to her 2019 debut Hala and screened in TIFF Centrepiece and Next Wave Selects.
Set in 1992 Chicago as Michael Jordan solidifies himself as a champion,...
Sony Pictures Classics will release Minhal Baig’s TIFF premiere We Grown Now from Stage 6 Films, Participant, and Symbolic Exchange in North America.
‘We Grown Now’: Toronto Review
Baig received TIFF’s Changemaker Award for the coming of age drama, which stars Blake Cameron James, Gian Knight Ramirez, S. Epatha Merkerson, Avery Holliday and Ora Jones, with Lil Rel Howery and Jurnee Smollett.
We Grown Now marks the filmmaker’s follow-up to her 2019 debut Hala and screened in TIFF Centrepiece and Next Wave Selects.
Set in 1992 Chicago as Michael Jordan solidifies himself as a champion,...
- 10/4/2023
- by Jeremy Kay
- ScreenDaily
Sony Pictures will release Minhal Baig’s movie “We Grown Now” after the director, writer, and producer snagged the Changemaker Award at the Toronto International Film Festival this year. Baig says, “I could not be more delighted to have found a home for ‘We Grown Now’ with Sony Pictures Classics. ‘We Grown Now’ is a film that captures the tender moments of childhood resilience and the power of human connection in the face of adversity.”
“Sony Pictures Classics and Participant recognize the significance of our story’s themes of community and the importance of bringing such a film to theaters. We are beyond grateful that they have recognized this film as part of their incredible canon,” she concluded.
Set against the backdrop of Michael Jordan’s incredible 1992 season with the Chicago Bulls, “We Grown Now” follows two best friends, Malik and Eric, as they explore the city they also call...
“Sony Pictures Classics and Participant recognize the significance of our story’s themes of community and the importance of bringing such a film to theaters. We are beyond grateful that they have recognized this film as part of their incredible canon,” she concluded.
Set against the backdrop of Michael Jordan’s incredible 1992 season with the Chicago Bulls, “We Grown Now” follows two best friends, Malik and Eric, as they explore the city they also call...
- 10/4/2023
- by Stephanie Kaloi
- The Wrap
Sony Pictures Releasing International will release film internationally.
Sony Pictures Classics has acquired North American rights to Stage 6 Films, Participant, and Symbolic Exchange’s TIFF premiere We Grown Now directed by Minhal Baig.
‘We Grown Now’: Toronto Review
Baig received TIFF’s Changemaker Award for the coming of age drama, which stars Blake Cameron James, Gian Knight Ramirez, S. Epatha Merkerson, Avery Holliday and Ora Jones, with Lil Rel Howery and Jurnee Smollett.
We Grown Now marks the filmmaker’s follow-up to her 2019 debut Hala and screened in TIFF Centrepiece and Next Wave Selects.
Set in 1992 Chicago as Michael Jordan...
Sony Pictures Classics has acquired North American rights to Stage 6 Films, Participant, and Symbolic Exchange’s TIFF premiere We Grown Now directed by Minhal Baig.
‘We Grown Now’: Toronto Review
Baig received TIFF’s Changemaker Award for the coming of age drama, which stars Blake Cameron James, Gian Knight Ramirez, S. Epatha Merkerson, Avery Holliday and Ora Jones, with Lil Rel Howery and Jurnee Smollett.
We Grown Now marks the filmmaker’s follow-up to her 2019 debut Hala and screened in TIFF Centrepiece and Next Wave Selects.
Set in 1992 Chicago as Michael Jordan...
- 10/4/2023
- by Jeremy Kay
- ScreenDaily
Sony Pictures Classics has nabbed the North American rights to Minhal Baig’s We Grown Now, which stars and is executive produced by Jurnee Smollett.
Baig, whose debut film Hala premiered at Sundance in 2019, brought We Grown Now to Toronto for a world debut. Domestically, Sony Pictures Classics will release the film in partnership with Stage 6 Films, while Sony Pictures Releasing International will handle the international rollout.
“I could not be more delighted to have found a home for We Grown Now with Sony Pictures Classics. We Grown Now is a film that captures the tender moments of childhood resilience and the power of human connection in the face of adversity,” said Baig in a statement.
The coming-of-age story follows Malik and Eric, best friends played by newcomers Blake Cameron James and Gian Knight Ramirez, as they face changes to their community in Chicago’s misunderstood Cabrini-Green housing complex. S. Epatha Merkerson,...
Baig, whose debut film Hala premiered at Sundance in 2019, brought We Grown Now to Toronto for a world debut. Domestically, Sony Pictures Classics will release the film in partnership with Stage 6 Films, while Sony Pictures Releasing International will handle the international rollout.
“I could not be more delighted to have found a home for We Grown Now with Sony Pictures Classics. We Grown Now is a film that captures the tender moments of childhood resilience and the power of human connection in the face of adversity,” said Baig in a statement.
The coming-of-age story follows Malik and Eric, best friends played by newcomers Blake Cameron James and Gian Knight Ramirez, as they face changes to their community in Chicago’s misunderstood Cabrini-Green housing complex. S. Epatha Merkerson,...
- 10/4/2023
- by Etan Vlessing
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Netflix’s Teresa Moneo, Mubi’s Bobby Allen, Cinetic Media’s John Sloss, and Jeb Brody, President of Production at Amblin Partners, are among the names set for CAA Media Finance and the San Sebastian Film Festival’s second annual Creative Investors’ Conference.
The conference will take place September 26-28 and include a series of panels and discussions. Roeg Sutherland, Benjamin Kramer, and Sarah Schweitzman from CAA Media Finance will participate in the conference and moderate alongside journalist and San Seb advisor Wendy Mitchell.
Organized in collaboration with CAA Media Finance, other high-profile execs set to attend include Vincent Maraval, President of Goodfellas; Mariano César, SVP of Content Ge Content Latin America at HBO Max; Sarah Colvin, Director of Acquisitions at Neon; Liesl Copland, Executive Vice president, Content and Platform Strategy at Participant Media; Phil Hunt, CEO of Head Gear Films and Co-managing Director of Bankside Films; Fionnuala Jamison, Managing...
The conference will take place September 26-28 and include a series of panels and discussions. Roeg Sutherland, Benjamin Kramer, and Sarah Schweitzman from CAA Media Finance will participate in the conference and moderate alongside journalist and San Seb advisor Wendy Mitchell.
Organized in collaboration with CAA Media Finance, other high-profile execs set to attend include Vincent Maraval, President of Goodfellas; Mariano César, SVP of Content Ge Content Latin America at HBO Max; Sarah Colvin, Director of Acquisitions at Neon; Liesl Copland, Executive Vice president, Content and Platform Strategy at Participant Media; Phil Hunt, CEO of Head Gear Films and Co-managing Director of Bankside Films; Fionnuala Jamison, Managing...
- 9/5/2023
- by Zac Ntim
- Deadline Film + TV
While the lineup of Cannes Film Market’s newly launched initiative Cannes Investors Circle has remained under wraps, Variety has learned about four of the nine projects which were pitched during the invitation-only event.
The initiative was created by the film market’s new executive director Guillaume Esmiol to connect VIP private investors with select filmmakers and producers boasting a stellar track records. Curated by experts such as Medici’s Tamara Tatishvili, Arte Cinema’s Rémi Burah and financier Serge Hayat, the nine projects are budgeted between €2 million and €12 million. Among these are “Dracula: The Second Coming” directed by Radu Jude; “Rivo Alto,” directed by Clément Cogitore (“The Wakhan Front”) and produced by Jean-Christophe Reymond at Kazak Productions (“Titane”); “The Girl” directed by Marina Ziolkowski (“But You Look So Good”) and produced by Philippe Gompel (“Cherry”) at Manny Films; and “The Birthday Party” directed by Miguel Angel Jimenez (“Chaika”) and...
The initiative was created by the film market’s new executive director Guillaume Esmiol to connect VIP private investors with select filmmakers and producers boasting a stellar track records. Curated by experts such as Medici’s Tamara Tatishvili, Arte Cinema’s Rémi Burah and financier Serge Hayat, the nine projects are budgeted between €2 million and €12 million. Among these are “Dracula: The Second Coming” directed by Radu Jude; “Rivo Alto,” directed by Clément Cogitore (“The Wakhan Front”) and produced by Jean-Christophe Reymond at Kazak Productions (“Titane”); “The Girl” directed by Marina Ziolkowski (“But You Look So Good”) and produced by Philippe Gompel (“Cherry”) at Manny Films; and “The Birthday Party” directed by Miguel Angel Jimenez (“Chaika”) and...
- 5/22/2023
- by Elsa Keslassy
- Variety Film + TV
Panellists cite slowdown in streamer investment and difficulties in attracting audiences to cinemas.
The Cannes Marche’s inaugural Investors Circle saw international producers and financiers debate the future of independent theatrical film at a time when streamers are curtailing investment in production.
Club Zero and Triangle Of Sadness producer, Mike Goodridge of Good Chaos, formerly CEO of UK sales agent Protagonist Pictures, said that streamers are retrenching.
“That massive wave of money that came into the business, in the late teens [pre-2020], it’s massively slowed down… we all know the troubles they are going through on a corporate, subscription level.
The Cannes Marche’s inaugural Investors Circle saw international producers and financiers debate the future of independent theatrical film at a time when streamers are curtailing investment in production.
Club Zero and Triangle Of Sadness producer, Mike Goodridge of Good Chaos, formerly CEO of UK sales agent Protagonist Pictures, said that streamers are retrenching.
“That massive wave of money that came into the business, in the late teens [pre-2020], it’s massively slowed down… we all know the troubles they are going through on a corporate, subscription level.
- 5/22/2023
- by Mona Tabbara
- ScreenDaily
Market
The Cannes Film Market has launched Cannes Investors Circle, which will commence with a keynote introduction by Liesl Copland, Participant’s executive VP, content and platform strategy, who will offer her perspective on the modern media landscape. The initiative will also feature a panel discussion titled Navigating Film Finance in a Changing World that aims to offer insights on global financing and market trends in 2023 and beyond. The panelists will include Elisa Alvares, finance expert at Jacaranda Consultants; Rikke Ennis, CEO of REinvent Studios; Emilie Georges, co-founder and CEO of Paradise City; Mike Goodridge, U.K. producer at Good Chaos who is also presenting Jessica Hausner’s “Club Zero” in the festival’s official competition; with film festival consultant Wendy Mitchell moderating.
The event will also include an invitation-only session where VIP private investors will listen to pitches of nine new global film projects at the investment stage. The...
The Cannes Film Market has launched Cannes Investors Circle, which will commence with a keynote introduction by Liesl Copland, Participant’s executive VP, content and platform strategy, who will offer her perspective on the modern media landscape. The initiative will also feature a panel discussion titled Navigating Film Finance in a Changing World that aims to offer insights on global financing and market trends in 2023 and beyond. The panelists will include Elisa Alvares, finance expert at Jacaranda Consultants; Rikke Ennis, CEO of REinvent Studios; Emilie Georges, co-founder and CEO of Paradise City; Mike Goodridge, U.K. producer at Good Chaos who is also presenting Jessica Hausner’s “Club Zero” in the festival’s official competition; with film festival consultant Wendy Mitchell moderating.
The event will also include an invitation-only session where VIP private investors will listen to pitches of nine new global film projects at the investment stage. The...
- 5/9/2023
- by Naman Ramachandran
- Variety Film + TV
Exclusive: The Cannes Film Festival’s Marché du Film has unveiled a new exclusive event, bannered the Cannes Investors Circle, aimed at connecting high-caliber, global feature film projects with private investors.
Unfolding May 21 at the market’s new Plage de Palmes beachfront venue, the afternoon event will present nine in-development projects with international potential to a select group of no-more than 50 private investors.
Details of the projects are under wraps, but the market has revealed they are budgeted at up to $13 million (12 million euros) and involve producers and directors who have previously won the Cannes Palme d’Or or Berlin’s Golden Bear.
Participant Executive Vice President, Content and Platform Strategy Liesl Copland, will kick off the meeting with a keynote fireside conversation, offering her unique perspective on the modern media landscape, which will be open to all market badge-holders.
The entertainment industry veteran took up her newly-created role at...
Unfolding May 21 at the market’s new Plage de Palmes beachfront venue, the afternoon event will present nine in-development projects with international potential to a select group of no-more than 50 private investors.
Details of the projects are under wraps, but the market has revealed they are budgeted at up to $13 million (12 million euros) and involve producers and directors who have previously won the Cannes Palme d’Or or Berlin’s Golden Bear.
Participant Executive Vice President, Content and Platform Strategy Liesl Copland, will kick off the meeting with a keynote fireside conversation, offering her unique perspective on the modern media landscape, which will be open to all market badge-holders.
The entertainment industry veteran took up her newly-created role at...
- 5/9/2023
- by Melanie Goodfellow
- Deadline Film + TV
Industry veteran joined what was known as Endeavor Content in 2017.
Kevin Iwashina has resigned from Fifth Season as head of documentary, Screen has confirmed.
The former agent’s departure comes as he issued an internal statement on Wednesday obtained by Screen in which he acknowledged that he had on occasion spoken to colleagues using language which ”can range from creating discomfort to being received as aggressive”.
The statement continued, ”I have worked diligently on this issue during my years at this company, with professional help, but have not yet been able to attain a satisfactory result for anyone involved, including,...
Kevin Iwashina has resigned from Fifth Season as head of documentary, Screen has confirmed.
The former agent’s departure comes as he issued an internal statement on Wednesday obtained by Screen in which he acknowledged that he had on occasion spoken to colleagues using language which ”can range from creating discomfort to being received as aggressive”.
The statement continued, ”I have worked diligently on this issue during my years at this company, with professional help, but have not yet been able to attain a satisfactory result for anyone involved, including,...
- 4/19/2023
- by Jeremy Kay
- ScreenDaily
Exclusive: Kevin Iwashina has resigned his post as head of documentaries at Fifth Season, the producer/financier that was formerly known as Endeavor Content but renamed after Endeavor divested from the company with Cj taking over. It is run by Graham Taylor and Chris Rice.
Iwashina is a veteran in the documentary marketplace, formerly as an agent at CAA and WME. Deadline hears his exit was because of his bracing treatment of underlings and other colleagues at the company. Iwashina just released an internal statement Deadline got hold of, which underscores that.
Iwashina has brokered deals on many docus. The former agent co-founded Preferred Content in 2010 and then landed at Endeavor Content when it launched in 2017. He ran the documentary department with Liesl Copland and took over when she left for Participant in 2021.
Here is the just released statement:
I have always been committed to my work and this company...
Iwashina is a veteran in the documentary marketplace, formerly as an agent at CAA and WME. Deadline hears his exit was because of his bracing treatment of underlings and other colleagues at the company. Iwashina just released an internal statement Deadline got hold of, which underscores that.
Iwashina has brokered deals on many docus. The former agent co-founded Preferred Content in 2010 and then landed at Endeavor Content when it launched in 2017. He ran the documentary department with Liesl Copland and took over when she left for Participant in 2021.
Here is the just released statement:
I have always been committed to my work and this company...
- 4/19/2023
- by Mike Fleming Jr
- Deadline Film + TV
Magnolia Pictures announced on Wednesday that it has acquired the North American distribution rights to Participant’s documentary “A Compassionate Spy” and will release it later this year.
Directed by two-time Oscar nominee Steve James (“Hoop Dreams”), “A Compassionate Spy” tells the story of Ted Hall, who at the age of 18 was the youngest physicist to work on the Manhattan Project with Robert Oppenheimer. Fearful that an American monopoly on something as devastating as a nuclear bomb could lead to catastrophe, Hall shared key secrets on the bomb’s development to Soviet spies, significantly shaping the course of the Cold War in the decades to come.
“A Compassionate Spy” is also a love story, retelling Hall’s lifelong relationship with his wife Joan, with whom he raised a family while under the shadow of FBI surveillance. The documentary tells Hall’s story through Joan’s perspective, as she kept many...
Directed by two-time Oscar nominee Steve James (“Hoop Dreams”), “A Compassionate Spy” tells the story of Ted Hall, who at the age of 18 was the youngest physicist to work on the Manhattan Project with Robert Oppenheimer. Fearful that an American monopoly on something as devastating as a nuclear bomb could lead to catastrophe, Hall shared key secrets on the bomb’s development to Soviet spies, significantly shaping the course of the Cold War in the decades to come.
“A Compassionate Spy” is also a love story, retelling Hall’s lifelong relationship with his wife Joan, with whom he raised a family while under the shadow of FBI surveillance. The documentary tells Hall’s story through Joan’s perspective, as she kept many...
- 2/16/2023
- by Jeremy Fuster
- The Wrap
Acquisition
Magnolia Pictures has acquired North American rights from Participant to “A Compassionate Spy,” the new documentary from Steve James. The film, which world premiered at the Venice Film Festival ahead of its North American launch at Telluride, is a real-life spy story about Manhattan Project physicist Ted Hall, who provided nuclear secrets to the Soviet Union, told through the perspective of his wife Joan, who protected his secret for decades. Magnolia will release the film in theaters later this year.
“A Compassionate Spy” is presented by Participant and is a Mitten Media and Kartemquin Films production produced by Mark Mitten p.g.a., Dave Lindorff, and Steve James. Executive producers are Jeff Skoll, Diane Weyermann, Tim Horsburgh and Gordon Quinn.
The deal was negotiated by Magnolia executive VP Dori Begley and senior VP of acquisitions John Von Thaden; Participant’s Liesl Copland, executive VP content strategy and sales, Adam Macy,...
Magnolia Pictures has acquired North American rights from Participant to “A Compassionate Spy,” the new documentary from Steve James. The film, which world premiered at the Venice Film Festival ahead of its North American launch at Telluride, is a real-life spy story about Manhattan Project physicist Ted Hall, who provided nuclear secrets to the Soviet Union, told through the perspective of his wife Joan, who protected his secret for decades. Magnolia will release the film in theaters later this year.
“A Compassionate Spy” is presented by Participant and is a Mitten Media and Kartemquin Films production produced by Mark Mitten p.g.a., Dave Lindorff, and Steve James. Executive producers are Jeff Skoll, Diane Weyermann, Tim Horsburgh and Gordon Quinn.
The deal was negotiated by Magnolia executive VP Dori Begley and senior VP of acquisitions John Von Thaden; Participant’s Liesl Copland, executive VP content strategy and sales, Adam Macy,...
- 2/16/2023
- by Naman Ramachandran and Patrick Frater
- Variety Film + TV
Magnolia Pictures has picked up North American rights to A Compassionate Spy, the new documentary from Oscar-nominated director Steve James (Hoop Dreams, Life Itself) from Participant.
The film, which premiered at the Venice Film Festival last year, follows the real-life spy story of Manhattan Project physicist Ted Hall, who infamously provided nuclear secrets to the Soviet Union. The story is told through the perspective of his loving wife Joan, who protected his secret for decades.
Recruited in 1944 as an 18-year-old Harvard undergraduate to help Robert Oppenheimer and his team create a bomb, Hall was the youngest physicist on the Manhattan Project, but didn’t share his colleagues’ excitement after the successful detonation of the world’s first atomic bomb. Concerned that the new weapon would give the U.S. a post-war monopoly on global power and could lead to nuclear catastrophe, Hall began passing key information about the bomb’s construction to the Soviet Union,...
The film, which premiered at the Venice Film Festival last year, follows the real-life spy story of Manhattan Project physicist Ted Hall, who infamously provided nuclear secrets to the Soviet Union. The story is told through the perspective of his loving wife Joan, who protected his secret for decades.
Recruited in 1944 as an 18-year-old Harvard undergraduate to help Robert Oppenheimer and his team create a bomb, Hall was the youngest physicist on the Manhattan Project, but didn’t share his colleagues’ excitement after the successful detonation of the world’s first atomic bomb. Concerned that the new weapon would give the U.S. a post-war monopoly on global power and could lead to nuclear catastrophe, Hall began passing key information about the bomb’s construction to the Soviet Union,...
- 2/16/2023
- by Scott Roxborough
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Autlook Filmsales handles international sales at EFM on story of nuclear physicist Ted Hall.
Magnolia Pictures has picked up North American rights from Participant to A Compassionate Spy, Steve James’s documentary about the controversial American nuclear physicist Ted Hall who passed secrets to the Soviet Union.
At age 18 Harvard graduate Hall became the youngest recruit to the Manhattan Project in the early 1940s. After the United States detonated its first nuclear bomb he became concerned his country had a potentially catastrophic monopoly on the technology and provided confidential information to the Soviets.
The film is told from the perspective of Joan,...
Magnolia Pictures has picked up North American rights from Participant to A Compassionate Spy, Steve James’s documentary about the controversial American nuclear physicist Ted Hall who passed secrets to the Soviet Union.
At age 18 Harvard graduate Hall became the youngest recruit to the Manhattan Project in the early 1940s. After the United States detonated its first nuclear bomb he became concerned his country had a potentially catastrophic monopoly on the technology and provided confidential information to the Soviets.
The film is told from the perspective of Joan,...
- 2/16/2023
- by Jeremy Kay
- ScreenDaily
Exclusive: Greenwich Entertainment has acquired domestic theatrical rights to Participant’s civil rights documentary Lowndes County and the Road to Black Power.
Greenwich plans a December 2 release of the film directed by Sam Pollard and Geeta Gandbhir, which earlier this week earned a Critics Choice Documentary Awards nomination as Best Historical Documentary. As Deadline previously reported, Peacock acquired U.S. streaming rights to the film in June.
Vienna-based Autlook Filmsales will handle international film sales for the title at IDFA (International Documentary Film Festival Amsterdam) next month and upcoming markets and festivals. Lowndes County premiered at the Tribeca Film Festival in June and screened last month at the Camden International Film Festival in Maine.
Lowndes County, Alabama
“The passing of the Voting Rights Act of 1965 represented not the culmination of the Civil Rights Movement, but the beginning of a new, crucial chapter,” a description of the film notes. “Nowhere was...
Greenwich plans a December 2 release of the film directed by Sam Pollard and Geeta Gandbhir, which earlier this week earned a Critics Choice Documentary Awards nomination as Best Historical Documentary. As Deadline previously reported, Peacock acquired U.S. streaming rights to the film in June.
Vienna-based Autlook Filmsales will handle international film sales for the title at IDFA (International Documentary Film Festival Amsterdam) next month and upcoming markets and festivals. Lowndes County premiered at the Tribeca Film Festival in June and screened last month at the Camden International Film Festival in Maine.
Lowndes County, Alabama
“The passing of the Voting Rights Act of 1965 represented not the culmination of the Civil Rights Movement, but the beginning of a new, crucial chapter,” a description of the film notes. “Nowhere was...
- 10/21/2022
- by Matthew Carey
- Deadline Film + TV
Laura Poitras’ “All the Beauty and the Bloodshed” has been acquired for U.S. television and streaming by HBO Documentary Films, where it will debut on both HBO and HBO Max.
Neon snapped up theatrical rights on Aug. 18 prior to the documentary’s world premiere at Venice Film Festival.
From producer Participant and “Citizenfour” director Poitras, “All the Beauty and the Bloodshed” chronicles the career of photographer Nan Goldin, as well as her struggles with opioid addiction and ensuing fight to hold the Sackler family accountable for the opioid epidemic. Goldin narrates the documentary, which also covers her childhood and activist beginnings with the AIDS crisis in 1980s New York.
HBO is also the home of Poitras’ Oscar-winning Edward Snowden doc “Citizenfour.”
Also Read:
Laura Poitras’ Opioid Crisis Doc ‘All the Beauty and the Bloodshed’ Acquired by Neon
“Nan’s art has inspired so many artists’ and filmmakers’ work, including mine,...
Neon snapped up theatrical rights on Aug. 18 prior to the documentary’s world premiere at Venice Film Festival.
From producer Participant and “Citizenfour” director Poitras, “All the Beauty and the Bloodshed” chronicles the career of photographer Nan Goldin, as well as her struggles with opioid addiction and ensuing fight to hold the Sackler family accountable for the opioid epidemic. Goldin narrates the documentary, which also covers her childhood and activist beginnings with the AIDS crisis in 1980s New York.
HBO is also the home of Poitras’ Oscar-winning Edward Snowden doc “Citizenfour.”
Also Read:
Laura Poitras’ Opioid Crisis Doc ‘All the Beauty and the Bloodshed’ Acquired by Neon
“Nan’s art has inspired so many artists’ and filmmakers’ work, including mine,...
- 9/8/2022
- by Harper Lambert
- The Wrap
Participant Media has promoted three executives to senior vice president.
Elizabeth Haggard has been elevated to senior VP of narrative film; Nicole Starr has been appointed to the newly created position of senior VP of content representation and impact; and Rob Williams has been named senior VP of global sales.
Haggard will continue to report to executive VPs of narrative film Anikah McLaren and Robert Kessel. As senior VP of narrative film, she will have greater oversight of the day-to-day development and production of the company’s film slate.
Starr will report to CEO David Linde. In her newly formed role, Starr will engage throughout the content development process for Participant’s narrative, documentary and episodic content.
Williams will report to Liesl Copland, the executive VP of content strategy and sales. He will continue to spearhead daily operations of Participant’s global sales, working with partners and buyers across all stages of a project,...
Elizabeth Haggard has been elevated to senior VP of narrative film; Nicole Starr has been appointed to the newly created position of senior VP of content representation and impact; and Rob Williams has been named senior VP of global sales.
Haggard will continue to report to executive VPs of narrative film Anikah McLaren and Robert Kessel. As senior VP of narrative film, she will have greater oversight of the day-to-day development and production of the company’s film slate.
Starr will report to CEO David Linde. In her newly formed role, Starr will engage throughout the content development process for Participant’s narrative, documentary and episodic content.
Williams will report to Liesl Copland, the executive VP of content strategy and sales. He will continue to spearhead daily operations of Participant’s global sales, working with partners and buyers across all stages of a project,...
- 9/7/2022
- by Rebecca Rubin
- Variety Film + TV
Click here to read the full article.
Given the direction of the world in recent years, it’s perhaps no surprise that Participant — Jeff Skoll’s socially conscious production powerhouse — has been as prolific as ever. But its output isn’t all about shining a torch on today’s most pressing concerns, as Academy Awards winners such as Roma, Green Book and Spotlight attest.
That said, the studio comes to Venice with two somewhat topical documentary features. In All The Beauty and the Bloodshed, Laura Poitras (an Oscar winner for her Participant film CitizenFour) follows artist and activist Nan Goldin in a deeply personal battle as she fights to hold the Sackler family to account for the opioid crisis.
Meanwhile, A Compassionate Spy from Hoop Dreams director Steve James (also behind Participant’s first TV series, America to Me) tells the story of Ted Hall, who as a physicist on...
Given the direction of the world in recent years, it’s perhaps no surprise that Participant — Jeff Skoll’s socially conscious production powerhouse — has been as prolific as ever. But its output isn’t all about shining a torch on today’s most pressing concerns, as Academy Awards winners such as Roma, Green Book and Spotlight attest.
That said, the studio comes to Venice with two somewhat topical documentary features. In All The Beauty and the Bloodshed, Laura Poitras (an Oscar winner for her Participant film CitizenFour) follows artist and activist Nan Goldin in a deeply personal battle as she fights to hold the Sackler family to account for the opioid crisis.
Meanwhile, A Compassionate Spy from Hoop Dreams director Steve James (also behind Participant’s first TV series, America to Me) tells the story of Ted Hall, who as a physicist on...
- 9/1/2022
- by Alex Ritman
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Click here to read the full article.
Neon has landed North American distribution rights to the latest by powerhouse documentarian Laura Poitras.
The company will release All the Beauty and the Bloodshed in theaters in North America this fall, with an ancillary and digital release after. All the Beauty and the Bloodshed centers on photographer and activist Nan Goldin, whose work has shed light on the HIV/AIDS epidemic and recently challenged the Sackler family, who founded and owned the Oxycontin manufacturer Purdue Pharma. Poitras’ film contains “rare footage” of Goldin’s activism against the Sackler family, as well as footage from Goldin’s slideshows and photography and interviews, Neon announced Thursday.
The company did not specify a theatrical release date, but said it would overlap with the Moderna Museet’s retrospective of Goldin’s work, “This Will Not End Well,” which opens Oct. 29 at the Stockholm museum.
All the Beauty and the Bloodshed,...
Neon has landed North American distribution rights to the latest by powerhouse documentarian Laura Poitras.
The company will release All the Beauty and the Bloodshed in theaters in North America this fall, with an ancillary and digital release after. All the Beauty and the Bloodshed centers on photographer and activist Nan Goldin, whose work has shed light on the HIV/AIDS epidemic and recently challenged the Sackler family, who founded and owned the Oxycontin manufacturer Purdue Pharma. Poitras’ film contains “rare footage” of Goldin’s activism against the Sackler family, as well as footage from Goldin’s slideshows and photography and interviews, Neon announced Thursday.
The company did not specify a theatrical release date, but said it would overlap with the Moderna Museet’s retrospective of Goldin’s work, “This Will Not End Well,” which opens Oct. 29 at the Stockholm museum.
All the Beauty and the Bloodshed,...
- 8/18/2022
- by Katie Kilkenny
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Participant film will also play TIFF, NYFF.
Neon has acquired North American rights to Laura Poitras’s documentary All The Beauty And The Bloodshed ahead of its Venice world premiere.
The company will distribute the Participant film theatrically in North America in autumn followed by ancillary and digital release. The transaction marks the latest acquisition of a Poitras film by Neon founder Tom Quinn after Citizenfour and The Year Of The Everlasting Storm, on which Poitras was one of the directors.
All the Beauty and the Bloodshed follows photographer and activist Nan Goldin as she fights to hold the Sackler...
Neon has acquired North American rights to Laura Poitras’s documentary All The Beauty And The Bloodshed ahead of its Venice world premiere.
The company will distribute the Participant film theatrically in North America in autumn followed by ancillary and digital release. The transaction marks the latest acquisition of a Poitras film by Neon founder Tom Quinn after Citizenfour and The Year Of The Everlasting Storm, on which Poitras was one of the directors.
All the Beauty and the Bloodshed follows photographer and activist Nan Goldin as she fights to hold the Sackler...
- 8/18/2022
- by Jeremy Kay
- ScreenDaily
Neon has acquired rights to the Participant Laura Poitras docu All the Beauty and the Bloodshed, which will hit theaters this fall followed by an ancillary and digital release.
The pic, which is receiving its world premiere at Venice, is the Centerpiece selection at the 60th New York Film Festival and also is playing TIFF, reps Neon’s third collaboration with Oscar-winning Poitras. Neon founder/CEO Tom Quinn released Poitras’ Academy Award-winning Citizenfour, which also was produced by Participant.
All the Beauty and the Bloodshed follows internationally renowned artist and activist Nan Goldin, told through her slideshows, intimate interviews, groundbreaking photography and rare footage of her fight to hold the Sackler family accountable for the opioid crisis. The film interweaves Goldin’s past and present, the deeply personal and urgently political, from Pain.’s actions at renowned art institutions to Goldin’s photography of her friends and peers through her...
The pic, which is receiving its world premiere at Venice, is the Centerpiece selection at the 60th New York Film Festival and also is playing TIFF, reps Neon’s third collaboration with Oscar-winning Poitras. Neon founder/CEO Tom Quinn released Poitras’ Academy Award-winning Citizenfour, which also was produced by Participant.
All the Beauty and the Bloodshed follows internationally renowned artist and activist Nan Goldin, told through her slideshows, intimate interviews, groundbreaking photography and rare footage of her fight to hold the Sackler family accountable for the opioid crisis. The film interweaves Goldin’s past and present, the deeply personal and urgently political, from Pain.’s actions at renowned art institutions to Goldin’s photography of her friends and peers through her...
- 8/18/2022
- by Anthony D'Alessandro
- Deadline Film + TV
“All the Beauty and the Bloodshed,” Laura Poitras’s new documentary about artist and activist Nan Goldin, has sold to Neon.
The indie studio acquired the film before it was scheduled to make its world premiere at the Venice Film Festival. It has also landed prominent spots at the Toronto Film Festival and the New York Film Festival, where it will get the centerpiece slot. That kind of endorsement for a film which had yet to land a distribution deal is a sign of both Poitras’s prominence in the documentary community, as well as the movie’s awards potential.
Neon said it will release “All the Beauty and the Bloodshed” in North American theaters this fall, to be followed by ancillary and digital release. It marks Neon’s third collaboration with Poitras and her fourth with the company’s founder and CEO Tom Quinn. It was Quinn who previously released her Academy Award-winner,...
The indie studio acquired the film before it was scheduled to make its world premiere at the Venice Film Festival. It has also landed prominent spots at the Toronto Film Festival and the New York Film Festival, where it will get the centerpiece slot. That kind of endorsement for a film which had yet to land a distribution deal is a sign of both Poitras’s prominence in the documentary community, as well as the movie’s awards potential.
Neon said it will release “All the Beauty and the Bloodshed” in North American theaters this fall, to be followed by ancillary and digital release. It marks Neon’s third collaboration with Poitras and her fourth with the company’s founder and CEO Tom Quinn. It was Quinn who previously released her Academy Award-winner,...
- 8/18/2022
- by Brent Lang
- Variety Film + TV
Neon announced on Thursday that it has acquired the rights to the Laura Poitras documentary “All the Beauty and the Bloodshed,” which will premiere at the Venice Film Festival next month.
The Participant-produced documentary follows artist and activist Nan Goldin told through the slideshows, intimate interviews, photography and rare footage of her fight to hold Purdue Pharma’s Sackler family accountable for the opioid overdose crisis. It will premiere in competition for the Golden Lion at Venice as a rare nonfiction contender and also screen at the Toronto International Film Festival and as the Centerpiece presentation at the New York Film Festival.
“Nan’s art and vision has inspired my work for years, and has influenced generations of filmmakers,” Poitras said. “When we began working together, it was essential to us that the film see a theatrical release. There are no better partners than Neon and Participant and I am...
The Participant-produced documentary follows artist and activist Nan Goldin told through the slideshows, intimate interviews, photography and rare footage of her fight to hold Purdue Pharma’s Sackler family accountable for the opioid overdose crisis. It will premiere in competition for the Golden Lion at Venice as a rare nonfiction contender and also screen at the Toronto International Film Festival and as the Centerpiece presentation at the New York Film Festival.
“Nan’s art and vision has inspired my work for years, and has influenced generations of filmmakers,” Poitras said. “When we began working together, it was essential to us that the film see a theatrical release. There are no better partners than Neon and Participant and I am...
- 8/18/2022
- by Jeremy Fuster
- The Wrap
More than 40 of the group are women and 50 come from outside the US.
The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences has invited 397 artists and executives, half of them from outside the US, to join its ranks.
Among the 30 actors invited are recent Oscar winners Troy Kotsur, from Coda, and Ariana DeBose, from West Side Story, along with Caitríona Balfe, Jessie Buckley, Jamie Dornan, Amir Jadidi, Kajol, Vincent Lindon, Hidetoshi Nishijima and Renate Reinsve.
Twenty-one directors were invited, including Pawo Choyning Dorji (Lunana: A Yak in the Classroom), Reinaldo Marcus Green (King Richard), Ryusuke Hamaguchi (Drive My Car), Sian Harries...
The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences has invited 397 artists and executives, half of them from outside the US, to join its ranks.
Among the 30 actors invited are recent Oscar winners Troy Kotsur, from Coda, and Ariana DeBose, from West Side Story, along with Caitríona Balfe, Jessie Buckley, Jamie Dornan, Amir Jadidi, Kajol, Vincent Lindon, Hidetoshi Nishijima and Renate Reinsve.
Twenty-one directors were invited, including Pawo Choyning Dorji (Lunana: A Yak in the Classroom), Reinaldo Marcus Green (King Richard), Ryusuke Hamaguchi (Drive My Car), Sian Harries...
- 6/28/2022
- by John Hazelton
- ScreenDaily
Netflix takes Sundance doc ‘Descendant’, Warner Bros/HBO Max, Showtime, Mubi also in action (update)
Festival runs through January 30.
Updated January 29: Netflix has acquired worldwide rights to Participant’s Sundance documentary Descendant on Friday (28), which Barack and Michelle Obama’s Higher Ground will present alongside the streamer.
Showtime Documentary Films moved on Ramin Bahrani’s Sundance Premieres entry 2nd Chance and on Saturday Warner Bros and HBO Max took worldwide rights to Dakota Johnson drama Am I Ok? and Mubi picked up Free Choi Soo Lee.
Margaret Brown’s Descendant premiered in U.S. Documentary Competition and follows members of Africatown, a small community in Alabama, as they share their personal stories and community...
Updated January 29: Netflix has acquired worldwide rights to Participant’s Sundance documentary Descendant on Friday (28), which Barack and Michelle Obama’s Higher Ground will present alongside the streamer.
Showtime Documentary Films moved on Ramin Bahrani’s Sundance Premieres entry 2nd Chance and on Saturday Warner Bros and HBO Max took worldwide rights to Dakota Johnson drama Am I Ok? and Mubi picked up Free Choi Soo Lee.
Margaret Brown’s Descendant premiered in U.S. Documentary Competition and follows members of Africatown, a small community in Alabama, as they share their personal stories and community...
- 1/29/2022
- by Jeremy Kay
- ScreenDaily
“Descendant,” the Participant feature documentary and Sundance Award winner about the legacy of slavery, has been acquired for worldwide rights by Netflix, the company announced on Friday. Higher Ground, President Barack Obama and Michelle Obama’s production company, will present the film, alongside Netflix.
“I have been humbled and honored to spend four years with the residents of Africatown as they seek justice and reconciliation for what happened in 1860, and what is still happening today,” Brown said in a statement. “I am excited that through Netflix and Higher Ground’s global reach, audiences around the world will learn this powerful history.”
“Descendant” follows members of Africatown, a small community in Alabama, as they share their personal stories and community history as descendants of the Clotilda, the last known slave ship to illegally transport human beings as cargo from Africa to America. The ship’s existence, a centuries-old open secret, is...
“I have been humbled and honored to spend four years with the residents of Africatown as they seek justice and reconciliation for what happened in 1860, and what is still happening today,” Brown said in a statement. “I am excited that through Netflix and Higher Ground’s global reach, audiences around the world will learn this powerful history.”
“Descendant” follows members of Africatown, a small community in Alabama, as they share their personal stories and community history as descendants of the Clotilda, the last known slave ship to illegally transport human beings as cargo from Africa to America. The ship’s existence, a centuries-old open secret, is...
- 1/29/2022
- by Umberto Gonzalez
- The Wrap
Netflix has acquired worldwide rights to the Sundance award-winning documentary “Descendant,” by filmmaker Margaret Brown. Higher Ground, President Barack Obama and Michelle Obama’s production company, will present the Participant feature alongside Netflix later this year.
The film follows members of Africatown, a small community in Alabama, as they share their personal stories and community history as descendants of the Clotilda, the last known ship carrying enslaved Africans to the United States. The ship arrived in America 40 years after African slave trading became a capital offense. It was promptly burned and its existence denied, but “after a century shrouded in secrecy and speculation, descendants of the Clotilda’s survivors are reclaiming their story” in the film.
“I have been humbled and honored to spend four years with the residents of Africatown as they seek justice and reconciliation for what happened in 1860, and what is still happening today,” Brown said in a statement announcing the acquisition.
The film follows members of Africatown, a small community in Alabama, as they share their personal stories and community history as descendants of the Clotilda, the last known ship carrying enslaved Africans to the United States. The ship arrived in America 40 years after African slave trading became a capital offense. It was promptly burned and its existence denied, but “after a century shrouded in secrecy and speculation, descendants of the Clotilda’s survivors are reclaiming their story” in the film.
“I have been humbled and honored to spend four years with the residents of Africatown as they seek justice and reconciliation for what happened in 1860, and what is still happening today,” Brown said in a statement announcing the acquisition.
- 1/29/2022
- by Angelique Jackson
- Variety Film + TV
Two deals on Friday follow Focus’ worldwide buy on Brian And Charles, IFC/Shudder acquisition of Resurrection.
Netflix has acquired worldwide rights to Participant’s Sundance documentary Descendant which Barack and Michelle Obama’s Higher Ground will present alongside the streamer.
Margaret Brown’s film premiered in U.S. Documentary Competition and follows members of Africatown, a small community in Alabama, as they share their personal stories and community history as descendants of the Clotilda, the last known slave ship to illegally transport human beings as cargo from Africa to America.
The ship’s existence, a centuries-old open secret, is...
Netflix has acquired worldwide rights to Participant’s Sundance documentary Descendant which Barack and Michelle Obama’s Higher Ground will present alongside the streamer.
Margaret Brown’s film premiered in U.S. Documentary Competition and follows members of Africatown, a small community in Alabama, as they share their personal stories and community history as descendants of the Clotilda, the last known slave ship to illegally transport human beings as cargo from Africa to America.
The ship’s existence, a centuries-old open secret, is...
- 1/29/2022
- by Jeremy Kay
- ScreenDaily
Two deals on Friday follow Focus’ worldwide buy on Brian And Charles, IFC/Shudder acquisition of Resurrection.
Netflix has acquired worldwide rights to Participant’s Sundance documentary Descendant which Barack and Michelle Obama’s Higher Ground will present alongside the streamer.
Margaret Brown’s film premiered in U.S. Documentary Competition and follows members of Africatown, a small community in Alabama, as they share their personal stories and community history as descendants of the Clotilda, the last known slave ship to illegally transport human beings as cargo from Africa to America.
The ship’s existence, a centuries-old open secret, is...
Netflix has acquired worldwide rights to Participant’s Sundance documentary Descendant which Barack and Michelle Obama’s Higher Ground will present alongside the streamer.
Margaret Brown’s film premiered in U.S. Documentary Competition and follows members of Africatown, a small community in Alabama, as they share their personal stories and community history as descendants of the Clotilda, the last known slave ship to illegally transport human beings as cargo from Africa to America.
The ship’s existence, a centuries-old open secret, is...
- 1/29/2022
- by Jeremy Kay
- ScreenDaily
After almost two years of movie theaters being partially or completely closed, streaming services are poised to have their biggest moment yet. The 2022 Sundance film festival is one of the first major festivals where a steadily-growing number of services can test their muscle, and their money, not just against standard bearers of distribution but against tradition distribution methods themselves.
“Everyone has gotten incredibly used to the idea of watching movies that are first-run on streaming without any kind of stigma,” Picturestart founder and CEO Erik Feig says. “Now it’s all about different forms of distribution as they ultimately make sense for the audience, because the consumer’s going to dictate how and when they want to watch something.”
Brian Beckmann, CFO of Arclight Films, says programming at Sundance has always been tailored for the specificity that streaming services provide for their subscribers.
“Sundance has become much more of a...
“Everyone has gotten incredibly used to the idea of watching movies that are first-run on streaming without any kind of stigma,” Picturestart founder and CEO Erik Feig says. “Now it’s all about different forms of distribution as they ultimately make sense for the audience, because the consumer’s going to dictate how and when they want to watch something.”
Brian Beckmann, CFO of Arclight Films, says programming at Sundance has always been tailored for the specificity that streaming services provide for their subscribers.
“Sundance has become much more of a...
- 1/20/2022
- by Todd Gilchrist
- Variety Film + TV
The aisles of the Lowes Hotel will again be empty of film executives this year but the good and the great of the indie film industry will still be packing into the virtual AFM.
The five-day line-up of speakers and sessions featured for AFM 2021, which runs Nov. 1 – 5, includes top veterans of the independent business, among them XYZ partner Nick Spicer, Participant exec Liesl Copland, Millennium Film President Jeffrey Greenstein and Elevated Film Sales boss Cassian Elwes.
In total, the 2021 AFM will feature some 150 speakers in keynotes and panels covering everything from pitching projects to the ...
The five-day line-up of speakers and sessions featured for AFM 2021, which runs Nov. 1 – 5, includes top veterans of the independent business, among them XYZ partner Nick Spicer, Participant exec Liesl Copland, Millennium Film President Jeffrey Greenstein and Elevated Film Sales boss Cassian Elwes.
In total, the 2021 AFM will feature some 150 speakers in keynotes and panels covering everything from pitching projects to the ...
- 11/1/2021
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
The aisles of the Lowes Hotel will again be empty of film executives this year but the good and the great of the indie film industry will still be packing into the virtual AFM.
The five-day line-up of speakers and sessions featured for AFM 2021, which runs Nov. 1 – 5, includes top veterans of the independent business, among them XYZ partner Nick Spicer, Participant exec Liesl Copland, Millennium Film President Jeffrey Greenstein and Elevated Film Sales boss Cassian Elwes.
In total, the 2021 AFM will feature some 150 speakers in keynotes and panels covering everything from pitching projects to the ...
The five-day line-up of speakers and sessions featured for AFM 2021, which runs Nov. 1 – 5, includes top veterans of the independent business, among them XYZ partner Nick Spicer, Participant exec Liesl Copland, Millennium Film President Jeffrey Greenstein and Elevated Film Sales boss Cassian Elwes.
In total, the 2021 AFM will feature some 150 speakers in keynotes and panels covering everything from pitching projects to the ...
- 11/1/2021
- The Hollywood Reporter - Film + TV
Participant has tapped Endeavor Content veteran Liesl Copland to step into the newly established role of executive vice president of content and platform strategy, where she will be tasked with designing and implementing how the company’s film and TV slate fits into the global distribution infrastructure.
Copland will oversee all sales and guide the company’s strategic options for all properties, working cross-functionally with exec VPs of narrative film Anikah McLaren and Robert Kessel, and senior VP of global television Miura Kite.
“Participant is an incredible company both in the content it creates and the broader service it provides to the global society as a whole,” said Copland. “I have been fortunate throughout my career to be able to identify new business models and opportunities for content development and distribution and this new role affords me a broad foundation on which to continue to innovate around compelling and important content.
Copland will oversee all sales and guide the company’s strategic options for all properties, working cross-functionally with exec VPs of narrative film Anikah McLaren and Robert Kessel, and senior VP of global television Miura Kite.
“Participant is an incredible company both in the content it creates and the broader service it provides to the global society as a whole,” said Copland. “I have been fortunate throughout my career to be able to identify new business models and opportunities for content development and distribution and this new role affords me a broad foundation on which to continue to innovate around compelling and important content.
- 2/16/2021
- by Elaine Low
- Variety Film + TV
Former Endeavor Content Partner and EVP Liesl Copland is joining Participant in the newly created role of EVP Content and Platform Strategy.
Copland will start at Participant on March 15.
Copland, a 25-year entertainment industry veteran in the specialty space, led Endeavor’s Non-Scripted Advisory practice, overseeing feature documentaries and premium non-fiction series and providing strategic advice to the studio’s growing production partners.
Copland will design and implement how Participant’s slate of film and television content is best placed in the global distribution infrastructure. Working closely with the company’s content teams throughout development and production, she will advise on and target the optimal strategic options for all properties, including overseeing all sales. Copland will be working cross-functionally with the senior leadership team, including EVPs of Narrative Film, Anikah McLaren and Robert Kessel, and SVP of Global Television, Miura Kite.
“Liesl brings a unique set of skills and experience...
Copland will start at Participant on March 15.
Copland, a 25-year entertainment industry veteran in the specialty space, led Endeavor’s Non-Scripted Advisory practice, overseeing feature documentaries and premium non-fiction series and providing strategic advice to the studio’s growing production partners.
Copland will design and implement how Participant’s slate of film and television content is best placed in the global distribution infrastructure. Working closely with the company’s content teams throughout development and production, she will advise on and target the optimal strategic options for all properties, including overseeing all sales. Copland will be working cross-functionally with the senior leadership team, including EVPs of Narrative Film, Anikah McLaren and Robert Kessel, and SVP of Global Television, Miura Kite.
“Liesl brings a unique set of skills and experience...
- 2/16/2021
- by Anthony D'Alessandro
- Deadline Film + TV
Executive served 12 years at Endeavor Content
In a coup for Participant the company has brought on Liesl Copland from Endeavor Content in the new role of EVP content and platform strategy.
Copland will devise and implement global distribution strategy for Participant’s film and television slate and will oversee sales. She starts on March 15.
The executive will work closely with the senior leadership team including EVP’s of narrative film, Anikah McLaren and Robert Kessel, and SVP of global television, Miura Kite.
Copland was a partner at Endeavor Content and most recently served as EVP in charge of the non-scripted advisory practice.
In a coup for Participant the company has brought on Liesl Copland from Endeavor Content in the new role of EVP content and platform strategy.
Copland will devise and implement global distribution strategy for Participant’s film and television slate and will oversee sales. She starts on March 15.
The executive will work closely with the senior leadership team including EVP’s of narrative film, Anikah McLaren and Robert Kessel, and SVP of global television, Miura Kite.
Copland was a partner at Endeavor Content and most recently served as EVP in charge of the non-scripted advisory practice.
- 2/16/2021
- by Jeremy Kay
- ScreenDaily
Live Nation Productions is developing its first television-series project “From Cradle to Stage.” The docuseries, being developed with Endeavor Content, is based on the book written by Virginia Hanlon Grohl, mother of Foo Fighters founder Dave Grohl.
In her book, Hanlon Grohl spoke with mothers of other famous musicians to compare stories, including Dr. Dre’s mother Verna Griffin, Janis Winehouse, Marianne Stipe, and Donna Haim. The series will employ excerpts from years of interviews with the mothers of global superstars including Pharrell, Adam Levine, Tom Morello and more as well as Hanlon Grohl’s own family photographs and stories.
“At Live Nation Productions, we are proud to help artist’s share their stories in the most authentic way possible, “said Live Nation Productions President of Production, Film & Television, Heather Parry. “Virginia’s book aligns perfectly with that vision, highlighting an array of incredibly strong women, sharing true and unique...
In her book, Hanlon Grohl spoke with mothers of other famous musicians to compare stories, including Dr. Dre’s mother Verna Griffin, Janis Winehouse, Marianne Stipe, and Donna Haim. The series will employ excerpts from years of interviews with the mothers of global superstars including Pharrell, Adam Levine, Tom Morello and more as well as Hanlon Grohl’s own family photographs and stories.
“At Live Nation Productions, we are proud to help artist’s share their stories in the most authentic way possible, “said Live Nation Productions President of Production, Film & Television, Heather Parry. “Virginia’s book aligns perfectly with that vision, highlighting an array of incredibly strong women, sharing true and unique...
- 6/6/2018
- by Daniel Holloway
- Variety Film + TV
Robbie stars as a bank robber on the run not only from the local police and the FBI — but a 15-year-old hellbent on catching her and collecting the bounty on her head to save his family’s farm. Sierra/Affinity is handling international sales on the project, for which Robbie also serves as producer “Book Club” Wme’s formidable indie team, lead by Graham Taylor and Liesl Copland, will take this romp to the Marche: Candice Bergen, Diane Keaton and Jane Fonda have complicated but rich lives that get thrown into chaos when the women chose “50 Shades of Grey” as their.
- 5/17/2017
- by Matt Donnelly
- The Wrap
The Whitewater Roundtable strives to facilitate community-building within the independent film industry. Through a series of face-to-face, lunch-time discussions addressing the art and craft of filmmaking, industry professionals share the freshest information on a wide spectrum of topics.
Their most recent panel featured a lively discussion on the art and commerce of short films, presented in conjunction with the Hollyshorts Film Festival. Other Roundtables, featured in The Hollywood Reporter , The Huffington Post , The Wrap and Film Closings , have addressed: how to successfully market indie films in the post-print media era, the interplay of image and music, piracy and its effect on independent films, the rise of Transmedia, the impact casting continues to have on foreign pre-sales and domestic deals, and much more. Check out highlights from the State of Independent Film roundtable on Ondi Timoner's a Total Disruption.
The Whitewater Roundtable is moderated by a professional member of the press, previously Jeremy Kay of Screen International and our very own Dana Harris of Indiewire, and guests are encouraged to participate in the discussions that follow a lunch hosted by Rick Rosenthal and the team at Whitewater Films.
A special 5th Year Anniversary Whitewater Film Roundtable titled "#Tbt - Whitewater Films Roundtable - 5 Years Later How has Independent Film Changed," featuring the original panelists from the very first Whitewater Films Roundtable will take place on April 30, 2015 from 1- 3pm in the courtyard at Whitewater Films, 2013 Beloit Avenue, Los Angeles, CA 90025.
You can RSVP to rsvp@whitewaterfilms.com
Previous panelists have included:
Lynette Howell / Silverwood Films Liesl Copland / Wme Nadine DeBarros / Voltage Pictures Austin Wintory / Composer Anne Goursaud / Editor iZLER / Composer Jordan Passman / scoreAscore Jay Fernandez / Hollywood Reporter (moderator) Sharon Waxman / The Wrap (moderator) Jeremy Kay / Screen International (moderator) Sara Vizcarrondo / Boxoffice Magazine (moderator) Dana Harris / Indiewire (Moderator) Nancy Collet / Cinema Collet Eric d'Aberloff / Roadside Attractions Naomi Despres / Producer Tom Clary / Scoundrel FX Michael Cioni / Lightiron Digital David Cole / LaserPacific Sylvia Desrochers / Big Time PR Harris Done / Writer, director, cameraman Jacob Aaron Estes / Filmmaker And many more.....
Their most recent panel featured a lively discussion on the art and commerce of short films, presented in conjunction with the Hollyshorts Film Festival. Other Roundtables, featured in The Hollywood Reporter , The Huffington Post , The Wrap and Film Closings , have addressed: how to successfully market indie films in the post-print media era, the interplay of image and music, piracy and its effect on independent films, the rise of Transmedia, the impact casting continues to have on foreign pre-sales and domestic deals, and much more. Check out highlights from the State of Independent Film roundtable on Ondi Timoner's a Total Disruption.
The Whitewater Roundtable is moderated by a professional member of the press, previously Jeremy Kay of Screen International and our very own Dana Harris of Indiewire, and guests are encouraged to participate in the discussions that follow a lunch hosted by Rick Rosenthal and the team at Whitewater Films.
A special 5th Year Anniversary Whitewater Film Roundtable titled "#Tbt - Whitewater Films Roundtable - 5 Years Later How has Independent Film Changed," featuring the original panelists from the very first Whitewater Films Roundtable will take place on April 30, 2015 from 1- 3pm in the courtyard at Whitewater Films, 2013 Beloit Avenue, Los Angeles, CA 90025.
You can RSVP to rsvp@whitewaterfilms.com
Previous panelists have included:
Lynette Howell / Silverwood Films Liesl Copland / Wme Nadine DeBarros / Voltage Pictures Austin Wintory / Composer Anne Goursaud / Editor iZLER / Composer Jordan Passman / scoreAscore Jay Fernandez / Hollywood Reporter (moderator) Sharon Waxman / The Wrap (moderator) Jeremy Kay / Screen International (moderator) Sara Vizcarrondo / Boxoffice Magazine (moderator) Dana Harris / Indiewire (Moderator) Nancy Collet / Cinema Collet Eric d'Aberloff / Roadside Attractions Naomi Despres / Producer Tom Clary / Scoundrel FX Michael Cioni / Lightiron Digital David Cole / LaserPacific Sylvia Desrochers / Big Time PR Harris Done / Writer, director, cameraman Jacob Aaron Estes / Filmmaker And many more.....
- 4/22/2015
- by Sydney Levine
- Sydney's Buzz
The New York-based distributor has acquired Us theatrical and museum rights to Doug Aitken’s Sundance premiere.
Submarine Deluxe will release Station To Station theatrically in late summer and through its new museum distribution label, Submarine 360.
In the words of Aitken the film “takes a journey across the modern creative landscape through a diverse range of perspectives and voices.”
The film features Jackson Browne, Patti Smith, Ed Ruscha, Beck and Giorgio Moroder among others. Chris Totushek produced with Alex Waite, while Aitken served as executive producer with Arts & Sciences.
Station To Station recently sold to Films We Like label in Canada, NonStop Entertainment in Scandinavia, Madman Entertainment in Australia and New Zealand, Nfp Submarine Doks in Germany and Austria and Feltrinelli in Italy.
“We are excited and honoured to work with Doug on finding an innovative way to distribute his unique and visually stunning film,” said David Koh and Dan Braun of Submarine Deluxe.
“He has curated...
Submarine Deluxe will release Station To Station theatrically in late summer and through its new museum distribution label, Submarine 360.
In the words of Aitken the film “takes a journey across the modern creative landscape through a diverse range of perspectives and voices.”
The film features Jackson Browne, Patti Smith, Ed Ruscha, Beck and Giorgio Moroder among others. Chris Totushek produced with Alex Waite, while Aitken served as executive producer with Arts & Sciences.
Station To Station recently sold to Films We Like label in Canada, NonStop Entertainment in Scandinavia, Madman Entertainment in Australia and New Zealand, Nfp Submarine Doks in Germany and Austria and Feltrinelli in Italy.
“We are excited and honoured to work with Doug on finding an innovative way to distribute his unique and visually stunning film,” said David Koh and Dan Braun of Submarine Deluxe.
“He has curated...
- 3/6/2015
- by jeremykay67@gmail.com (Jeremy Kay)
- ScreenDaily
The New York-based distributor has acquired Us theatrical and museum rights to Doug Aitken’s Sundance premiere.
Submarine Deluxe will release Station To Station theatrically in late summer and through its new museum distribution label, Submarine 360.
In the words of Aitken the film “takes a journey across the modern creative landscape through a diverse range of perspectives and voices.”
The film features Jackson Browne, Patti Smith, Ed Ruscha, Beck and Giorgio Moroder among others. Chris Totushek produced with Alex Waite, while Aitken served as executive producer with Arts & Sciences.
Station To Station recently sold to Films We Like label in Canada, NonStop Entertainment in Scandinavia, Madman Entertainment in Australia and New Zealand, Nfp Submarine Doks in Germany and Austria and Feltrinelli in Italy.
“We are excited and honoured to work with Doug on finding an innovative way to distribute his unique and visually stunning film,” said David Koh and Dan Braun of Submarine Deluxe.
“He has curated...
Submarine Deluxe will release Station To Station theatrically in late summer and through its new museum distribution label, Submarine 360.
In the words of Aitken the film “takes a journey across the modern creative landscape through a diverse range of perspectives and voices.”
The film features Jackson Browne, Patti Smith, Ed Ruscha, Beck and Giorgio Moroder among others. Chris Totushek produced with Alex Waite, while Aitken served as executive producer with Arts & Sciences.
Station To Station recently sold to Films We Like label in Canada, NonStop Entertainment in Scandinavia, Madman Entertainment in Australia and New Zealand, Nfp Submarine Doks in Germany and Austria and Feltrinelli in Italy.
“We are excited and honoured to work with Doug on finding an innovative way to distribute his unique and visually stunning film,” said David Koh and Dan Braun of Submarine Deluxe.
“He has curated...
- 3/6/2015
- by jeremykay67@gmail.com (Jeremy Kay)
- ScreenDaily
The former co-ceo of Focus Features Andrew Karpen has announced his New York-based distributor backed by 5-Hour Energy founder by Manoj Bhargava.
Bleecker Street will hit Toronto scouting for content and has closed an output deal with Shivani Rawat’s ShivHans Pictures, whose slate includes Trumbo directed by Jay Roach starring Bryan Cranston, Helen Mirren, Diane Lane and Elle Fanning.
Karpen aims to release three to five films in 2015 and will expand in the years ahead.
“I’m looking forward to bringing the work of great filmmakers into the marketplace and I couldn’t be more excited to be launching this new company in New York City,” said Karpen, who will serve as CEO.
“Bleecker Street will be well positioned to distribute films on a platform or national basis, whatever best suits each title.”
The ShivHans Pictures titles include Viggo Mortensen drama Captain Fantastic directed by Matt Ross, as well as Danny Collins directed by Dan Fogelman starring...
Bleecker Street will hit Toronto scouting for content and has closed an output deal with Shivani Rawat’s ShivHans Pictures, whose slate includes Trumbo directed by Jay Roach starring Bryan Cranston, Helen Mirren, Diane Lane and Elle Fanning.
Karpen aims to release three to five films in 2015 and will expand in the years ahead.
“I’m looking forward to bringing the work of great filmmakers into the marketplace and I couldn’t be more excited to be launching this new company in New York City,” said Karpen, who will serve as CEO.
“Bleecker Street will be well positioned to distribute films on a platform or national basis, whatever best suits each title.”
The ShivHans Pictures titles include Viggo Mortensen drama Captain Fantastic directed by Matt Ross, as well as Danny Collins directed by Dan Fogelman starring...
- 8/13/2014
- by jeremykay67@gmail.com (Jeremy Kay)
- ScreenDaily
The former co-ceo of Focus Features has announced his New York-based distributor backed by 5-hour Energy founder by Manoj Bhargava.
Bleecker Street will hit Toronto scouting for content and has closed an output deal with Shivani Rawat’s ShivHans Pictures, whose slate includes Trumbo directed by Jay Roach starring Bryan Cranston, Helen Mirren, Diane Lane and Elle Fanning.
Karpen aims to release three to five films in 2015 and will expand in the years ahead.
“I’m looking forward to bringing the work of great filmmakers into the marketplace and I couldn’t be more excited to be launching this new company in New York City,” said Karpen, who will serve as CEO.
“Bleecker Street will be well positioned to distribute films on a platform or national basis, whatever best suits each title.”
The ShivHans Pictures titles include Viggo Mortensen drama Captain Fantastic directed by Matt Ross, as well as Danny Collins directed by Dan Fogelman starring Al Pacino...
Bleecker Street will hit Toronto scouting for content and has closed an output deal with Shivani Rawat’s ShivHans Pictures, whose slate includes Trumbo directed by Jay Roach starring Bryan Cranston, Helen Mirren, Diane Lane and Elle Fanning.
Karpen aims to release three to five films in 2015 and will expand in the years ahead.
“I’m looking forward to bringing the work of great filmmakers into the marketplace and I couldn’t be more excited to be launching this new company in New York City,” said Karpen, who will serve as CEO.
“Bleecker Street will be well positioned to distribute films on a platform or national basis, whatever best suits each title.”
The ShivHans Pictures titles include Viggo Mortensen drama Captain Fantastic directed by Matt Ross, as well as Danny Collins directed by Dan Fogelman starring Al Pacino...
- 8/13/2014
- by jeremykay67@gmail.com (Jeremy Kay)
- ScreenDaily
Breaking: A new major independent film distributor has emerged, just in time for Toronto. Andrew Karpen, the longtime co-ceo of Focus Features, has unveiled Bleecker Street, a New York-based distribution company that has backing from 5-Hour Energy founder Manoj Bhargava.
Karpen has long been a well regarded part of the independent film strata, but he left Focus last March. That was the final piece of a restructuring by Universal Pictures that began in October with the exit of CEO James Schamus, and saw the closing of the Focus Gotham office when the pieces of Peter Schlessel’s FilmDistrict were combined with Focus. Schlessel took the reins of that company and kept some key Focus executives like Jeb Brody, who has been running point on the label’s biggest film Fifty Shades Of Grey. Schlessel wanted to keep Karpen, but after initially running FilmDistrict with key execs Bob and Jeanne Berney on the opposite coast,...
Karpen has long been a well regarded part of the independent film strata, but he left Focus last March. That was the final piece of a restructuring by Universal Pictures that began in October with the exit of CEO James Schamus, and saw the closing of the Focus Gotham office when the pieces of Peter Schlessel’s FilmDistrict were combined with Focus. Schlessel took the reins of that company and kept some key Focus executives like Jeb Brody, who has been running point on the label’s biggest film Fifty Shades Of Grey. Schlessel wanted to keep Karpen, but after initially running FilmDistrict with key execs Bob and Jeanne Berney on the opposite coast,...
- 8/13/2014
- by Mike Fleming Jr
- Deadline
Update, 3:16 Pm: Magnolia Pictures has confirmed news that Deadline broke yesterday: It has acquired North American rights to Frank, starring Michael Fassbender. Read the full release below the original story. Previous Exclusive, Thursday Am: Magnolia is zeroing in on a low seven-figure domestic deal for Frank, the Lenny Abrahamson-directed film about a band that is led by an eclectic genius lead singer who, everywhere he goes, wears an oversized head, even on stage. Now, this has been one of the most intriguing titles, given that the actor playing him is Michael Fassbender, the hunky Irishman who was just Oscar-nominated for his role in 12 Years A Slave. The film also stars Maggie Gyllenhaal, Scoot McNairy and Domhnall Gleeson and the vantage point is a fledgling musician who joins the band. The film is repped by Wme Global, and while the deal flow has been a bit on the slow side,...
- 1/24/2014
- by MIKE FLEMING JR
- Deadline
Breaking: Wme has minted 20 new partners into the agency fold, and those include the tireless Sundance dealmakers working under Wme Global Finance & Distribution chief Graham Taylor. Mark Ankner, Liesl Copland and Alexis Garcia all have made partner. On the talent side, Esther Chang, Brandon Liebman, Doug Lucterhand, Boomer Malkin, and Brent Morley got partner stripes. On the motion picture lit side, Sarah Self is a new partner. In Scripted TV, Zach Druker, Lisa Harrison and Theresa Kang have made partner; from the Music Department, Michele Bernstein, David Levy, Rob Markus, and Joel Zimmerman made partner; from Commercials, Jeff Googel and Will Ward are now partners; Andy McNicol from Books is partner and so is Keith Friedenberg from Administration. This comes after the agency saw two longtime partners exit, with Brian Swardstrom moving to UTA and Christopher Donnelly becoming a manager at Lbi.
- 1/17/2014
- by MIKE FLEMING JR
- Deadline TV
Breaking: Wme has minted 20 new partners into the agency fold, and those include the tireless Sundance dealmakers working under Wme Global Finance & Distribution chief Graham Taylor. Mark Ankner, Liesl Copland and Alexis Garcia all have made partner. On the talent side, Esther Chang, Brandon Liebman, Doug Lucterhand, Boomer Malkin, and Brent Morley got partner stripes. On the motion picture lit side, Sarah Self is a new partner. In Scripted TV, Zach Druker, Lisa Harrison and Theresa Kang have made partner; from the Music Department, Michele Bernstein, David Levy, Rob Markus, and Joel Zimmerman made partner; from Commercials, Jeff Googel and Will Ward are now partners; Andy McNicol from Books is partner and so is Keith Friedenberg from Administration. This comes after the agency saw two longtime partners exit, with Brian Swardstrom moving to UTA and Christopher Donnelly becoming a manager at Lbi.
- 1/17/2014
- by MIKE FLEMING JR
- Deadline
10 Top Indies in the iTunes Store This Week: 'The Kings of Summer' and 'The Bling Ring' Top the List
Each week, we report theatrical box office numbers -- and now that viewers are increasingly watching films on digital platforms, we'd like to report those numbers as well. Unfortunately, as Liesl Copland eloquently pointed out recently during a presentation at the Toronto International Film Festival, digital numbers are not yet available no matter how badly we want to see them. The iTunes store ranks the top movie rentals and movie purchases, but they don't deliver any specific numbers on how many people have rented or purchased these films. Each Monday we will present you with the most up-to-date list of Top 10 (Indie) Movies in iTunes (this list combines by rentals and purchases). Going forward, we hope to be able to provide you with even more information about how indie films are faring on various platforms. The top 10 indies in iTunes are listed below (number represents North American gross, where applicable...
- 9/30/2013
- by Paula Bernstein
- Indiewire
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