A crackdown on unearned film credits

Plus: New award opportunities; new films from directors at the top of their game; a packed fall industry circuit keeps rolling

Oct 17, 2024

Happy Thursday, friends. Like a freshly raked pile of leaves, the fall schedule keeps growing for our Portrait community and official partners:

Today: We kick off in New Orleans as NOFF’s official networking app. Say hi to everyone in Louisiana…. and check out all the industry attendee lists, festival group chats, and film teams at fests across the country below.
This week: Our official partners at the Telly Awards just opened up entries for the 46th season. New and expanded categories include Film & Shorts, CTV Ads, and Brand Partnerships. Enter before Friday, Dec. 13th. And look out for our Facebook Live with the Telly Awards next week!

Now… Let’s dive into everything else you’ve been up to this week.

Roll of Honor

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

What to Watch This Weekend

Anora (TIFF) — “*Anora* is boundlessly alive with a quality we’ve seen continually in the movies of Sean Baker, among the most humanist filmmakers working today. There is joy next to sadness. There is comedy inside a tragedy.” *RogerEbert.com.*

Hopelessly Seeking Human Connection

Anora. “[Director Sean] Baker’s multifaceted love for his characters proves infectious and sustaining, as does his belief that acts of unexpected kindness can redeem even the darkest nights of the soul.” (New Yorker). Alex Coco, Producer; Luna Miranda, Actor; Laura D'Augello, Accountant. In Theaters Friday.
High Tide. “A haunting lead performance from Marco Pigossi… an affecting portrait of untethered gay men seeking meaningful connections” (THR). Marco Calvani, Director, Producer, Screenwriter; Feifei Ling, UPM; Oscar Ignacio Jiménez, DP; Anisha Acharya, Editor; Edgar Rosa, Line Producer; Alecia Orsini, Production Coordinator. In Theaters Friday.

“A standout turn from the Moonlight star [André Holland, here with Andra Day] helps to ignite a powerful story of an artist forced to reconnect with his abusive father.” *The Guardian*.

Wrestling with the concept - and reality - of family

Exhibiting Forgiveness. “An emotionally wrenching drama set to resonate with those who have also had to confront the complicated equation of radical forgiveness” (Guardian). Rachel Halilej, Co-producer; Olivia Peebles, Production Designer; Bamike Ogunrinu, Addl. Makeup Artist; Eric Tumolo, Set Decorator. In Theaters Friday.
Allswell in New York. “Humor and pathos blend seamlessly, so that even life’s small moments are at least a little bit riveting” (TheWrap). Andre Kelman, Re-recording Mixer, Supervising Sound Editor; Zachary Booth, Foley Artist; TV Alexander, Production Designer; Elizabeth Canavan, Cast; Avantika Nimbalker, Production Sound Mixer. In Theaters.

Rumours Movie Reveals Official Trailer and Poster — “Cate Blanchett… in a laugh-out-loud political satire. Canadian trio Guy Maddin, Evan Johnson and Galen Johnson take aim at the Group of Seven in this wicked takedown of global leaders.” *Variety.*

Playing with Genre

Rumours. “The ineffectiveness of rhetorical politics and symbolic diplomacy is kookily but ruthlessly skewered… a wildly entertaining shaggy-dog satire.“ (Variety). Fred Benenson, George Rush, EP; Sebastian Vaskio, ADR Mixer. In Theaters Friday.
Bookworm. A “love letter to ’80s kid cinema laced with a distinctly quirky, Kiwi dryness” (Slant). Laura Tunstall, Producer; Karl Sölve Steven, Composer. In Theaters Friday.

And on the innovative partnerships front….

Check out Untapped on Netflix, directed by Portrait member Josh Kahn, EP’ed by LeBron James and Maverick Carter, and co-produced with Workday. The doc delves into skills-based hiring and the future of the labor force. With Jamie Dimon, Mary Barra, Mark Cuban, and others to help tell the story.

Donald De Line and Stephanie Allain — In June, PGA president Stephanie Allain proclaimed producer credits bestowed as a perk had gotten “completely out of control.” *Variety.*

What We’re Reading

On the Packed Fall Festival Circuit

Click through to see industry attendee lists and teams behind the films on the Portrait app:

New Orleans Film Festival and Newport Beach kick off today.
Woodstock, San Diego & Chicago kicked off this week.
Montclair, Hot Springs & Proof kick off Friday.
Heartland & BFI still going strong! Don’t forget to save contacts before the festivals end on the Portrait app.

“Sugarcane” — Portrait member film *Sugarcane* leads the ninth annual Critics Choice Documentary Awards nominations with eight nominations, including best documentary feature.

Awards and Acquisitions This Week

Critics Choice Documentary Awards: Nominations announced this week! Check out nominated Portrait members in the app.
Sundance Institute: 2nd cohort of Building Bridges Fellowship announced. See selected Portrait members in the app.
Hamptons Film Festival Awards. See winning Portrait members in the app.
Rolling Stone acquires All Things Metal. Motoki Otsuka, Director; Lucy Sexton, Producer; Beth Aala, Justin Lacob, EP; Marc Vives, Adam Thomas, Editor; Zach Ingrasci, Chris Temple, Contributing Producer; Erik Choquette, Colorist; Ryan Rude, Addl. Camera; Taylor Wildenhaus, Daniel Lombroso, Hai-Li Kong, Special Thanks.
Rolling Stone acquires Wings of Dust. Giorgio Ghiotto, Director, Editor; Gene Gallerano, Producer; Doug Blush, EP.