2025 is Here: The Awards Horse Race vs. The Industry's Existential Questions

Awards analysis amid wildfire delays; big predictions for 2025; new "Non-Fiction Hot List" launches

Life is what happens when you’re busy making other plans… and the 100th newsletter is what happens some time in the fourth quarter when you’re busy writing the next newsletter.

Happy Thursday, friends, and wishing safety to those navigating the wildfires in LA.

Welcome to the first Portrait newsletter of 2025. I want to take a moment to thank you for your readership and participation in the larger Portrait community, whether you’re just sitting down with us for the first time or you’ve read all 106 posts to date.

2024 was big for us. We grew our Portrait membership almost 5X to 12k members. Along the way, we’ve expanded our in-app tools, maintained a 60% open rate of this newsletter, and hosted over 2,000 industry pros at our events.

As we kick off the new year, we’d ask you to share the love. Forward today’s newsletter to a friend who’d enjoy a weekly snapshot of this topsy-turvey industry… and all that 2025 may hold.

Let’s dive in.

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Roll of Honor

Premieres, Awards, and More. Say hi to featured Portrait members on the Portrait app.

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What to Watch This Weekend

Amid news of displaced pets and wildlife from the LA fires, the premiere of Every Little Thing, a film about an LA woman who has dedicated her life to rehabilitating humming birds, feels especially timely. “A densely layered meditation on love, resilience and letting go” (The Guardian).

Dynamo Profiles

• Every Little Thing. “Hummingbird documentary shimmers with the best of humanity” (The Guardian). Sally Aitken, Director; Bettina Dalton, Producer; Nathan Barlow, Dan Freene, DP’s; Geoff Zanelli, Caitlin Yeo, Composers; Tania Nehme, Editor. In Theaters Friday.

• Diane Warren: Relentless. “By the end, I felt as if I’d known her my whole life and would fight anyone who talked bad about her, even if what they were saying was 100% accurate.” (RogerEbert.com). Michele Farinola, Producer; Matthew Cherchio, Justin Lacob, EP; Dava Whisenant, EP, Editor; Kat Nguyen, Co-Producer; Jeffrey Elmont, Editor; Yemane Deneke, Asst. Editor; Lesley Barber, Composer; Jenna Rosher, DP; Bryan Donnell, Addl. Cinematography. In Theaters Friday.

Dark, Off-Kilter Visions

Gerard Butler and O’Shea Jackson return for Den of Thieves 2: Pantera.

• Den of Thieves 2: Pantera. “Faster, funnier, and bigger than the original” (IndieWire). Sean Mulligan, Music Supervisor; Seth Hauer, Production Executive. In Theaters Friday.

• Birdeater. “A strong addition to a recent wave of independent Australian horror-thrillers” (The Australian). Jack Clark, Co-Director, EP, Screenwriter; Jim Weir, Co-Director, EP, Story; Alison Fowler, Casting; Stephanie Troost, Producer. In Theaters Friday.

Golden Globes Winners and Oscar Contenders

“‘Flow’s Shock Golden Globe Win Is a Long Overdue Triumph for Indie Animation” (Variety).

• Flow. “Suspenseful and pensive and painful in a way few films strive for, and fewer still achieve” (The Wrap). Léo Silly-Pélissier, Animation Director; Thomas Caudron, Animator. VOD.

• Black Box Diaries. “In its devastation and familiarity, Ito’s debut feature finds company among works that realize the power of survivor testimony” (THR). Shiori Ito, Director, Writer, Producer, Camera Operator; Ema Ryan Yamazaki, Editor, Co-producer; Mark degli Antoni, Composer; Jamie Quantrill, Addl. Photography; Fumiro Sato, Colorist; Yuta Okamura, Co-Producer, Camera; Hanna Aqvilin, Producer, Camera. Paramount+.

• Hard Truths. “Marianne Jean-Baptiste gives a performance for the ages” in Mike Leigh’s “excoriatingly funny new film” (New Yorker). Lee Herrick, Supervising Sound Editor. In Theaters Friday.

Time to look at the state of play ... “Two key guilds — SAG-AFTRA and the Director Guild — announced nominees and this timing could definitely have an impact on the Academy Awards” (Deadline).

What We’re Reading: Awards Redux

• Awards analysis: A mixed bag for Wicked as A Complete Unknown soars.

• 25 Surefire, 100 Percent Probable Hollywood Predictions for 2025

• Doc filmmakers just started a “Non-Fiction Hotlist” in the spirit of “The Black List.” (From Portrait member Kathleen Lingo’s new Substack! Use this Portrait discount code to subscribe)

• Oscar nominations pushed, voting extended due to L.A. fires.

• How to help those affected by fires across L.A.

… And On the Awards Circuit

‘Tis the season of big announcements, including:

• Golden Globe Award winners. See Portrait members behind winning films in the app.

• BAFTA Award Longlists. See Portrait members behind selected films in the app.

• NAACP Award Nominations. See Portrait members behind nominated films in the app.

• DGA Award Nominations announced. Congratulations to nominated members Emily Kassie for Sugarcane and Ibrahim Nash’at for Hollywoodgate.

• National Board of Review Awards. See Portrait members behind winning films.

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Window of Opportunity 🔎

See more funding, deadlines, and jobs in the Portrait app

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Closing Soon: January Deadlines

Have an opportunity to share? Post it on the app or fill out our form.

• Amplify x New Voice Awards (1/9 deadline)

• Woodstock Filmmaker Residency (1/10 nomination deadline)

• PBS Accelerator Fellowship (1/12 deadline)

• Black Film Space Short Film Grant (1/16 deadline)

• LEF Moving Image Fund (1/17 deadline)

• Disability Belongs Entertainment Lab (1/19 deadline)

• Almanack Episodic Lab (1/20 nomination deadline)

• Diane Weyermann Fellowship (1/21 deadline)

• Stowe Feature Campus (1/27 deadline + discount)

• MacDowell Fellowship (2/10 deadline)

• Austin Screenplay Competition (3/25 early deadline + discount)

Select Jobs/Gigs Roundup

Have a job to share? Share it on the app or fill out our form.

From the Portrait members at SideXSide — see their post in the app!

• Associate Creative Director, SideXSide Studios.

• APAC – Based Contract Producer, SideXSide Studios.

• Europe Based Contract Producer, SideXSide Studios.

• Upper Midwest-Based Contract Producer, SideXSide Studios.

And also this week…

• Senior Producer, Creative & Content, Los Angeles Lakers.

• Senior Editor Combat Sports, Disney.

• Creative Executive, Film & TV, The New York Times.

• VP, Video, BuzzFeed.

• Art Director, H&L Partners.

• Freelance: Animator - New York, Framestore.

• Adjunct Faculty - Film, Cinema, & TV, Columbia College.

• Line Producer, Digital Production, Nickelodeon, Paramount.

• AM Editor, Weekends, Warner Bros. Discovery.

• Videographer, Acquisition.com.

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End Credits: Portrait Post of the Week

Until next week, friends. See you on the Portrait app.

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