Lucas Shaw's 5 reasons to be optimistic about the entertainment business

Plus: Portrait hosts Gotham Week Project Market; Mark Duplass tells us how to make our own TV show - and get Netflix to buy it.

News and Doc Emmy Awards, The Official Gotham Project Market Private Group, and more daily insights from Portia… all the Portrait app this week.

Happy Thursday, friends, and congrats to last night’s News and Doc Emmy winners, including our members at ABC, CNN and NatGeo. Say hello to all winning and nominated teams here on Portrait.

The Emmys are over, but fall is in full swing.

• Gotham Week kicks off Monday. As The Gotham’s official partner, Portrait’s hosting the Project Market’s official private group on the app. If you're part of the Market, join the group now for access to all attendees and resources shared with your peers. Can’t find your personal invite? Email sarah@onportait.com.

• Thanks to everyone for the Portia love! We’re thrilled you’re enjoying Portia, our in-app guide to daily news and insights. Haven’t checked out Portia yet? See her post today.

Let’s dive in to your work this week.

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Roll of Honor

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

What to Watch This Weekend

“The Oscar for Best Animated Feature is The Wild Robot’s to lose.” (Observer).

Grand artistic visions

• The Wild Robot. “A deeply moving, beautifully crafted example of what an animated movie can be when the medium is treated with reverence” (Observer). Kris Bowers, Music; Justin Weg, Shir Baron, Animators; Christian Olan-Geddes, VFX Artist. In Theaters.

• Megalopolis. Francis Ford Coppola “has tried to put everything he knows or thinks into one climactic work. And whether or not it all fits, it’s exhilarating to watch him try” (Slate). Christopher Rutledge, VFX: Wild Capture; Craig MacLellan, Sound Effects Editor; Jennifer Wang, Art Dept. Coordinator; Ruth Araujo, Costume PA; Caroline Bloom, Actor. In Theaters.

All Happy Families, with Becky Ann Baker and How I Met Your Mother’s Josh Radnor.

All happy families are…. complicated.

• All Happy Families. “The actors, especially [Becky Ann] Baker, bring layers to the characters that hold our interest, earn our affection, and make us reconsider Tolstoy—there is more than one way to be a happy family” (RogerEbert.com). Rhianon Jones, Tristan Scott-Behrends, Liz Cardenas, Producers; Alex Thompson, Editor; James Choi, Associate Producer; Liz Cardenas, David Pasquesi, Cast; Delaney Pressler, Props Assist; Mary Kay Cook, Special Thanks. In Theaters.

• Bogotá Story. “Esteban Pedraza’s short film examines the strain a young woman endures when she has to choose between her dreams and her family (The New Yorker). Esteban Pedraza, Writer, Director. Streaming on The New Yorker.

Patrice, “a rare nonfiction film that can truly be described as a ‘documentary rom-com,’ comes to streaming following its TIFF premiere (Deadline).

Bold biopics and documentary portraits

• Lee. Kate Winslet injects Ellen Kuras’ biopic “with an energy that ushers an enigmatic figure to the foreground” (THR). Olivia Grant, Casting Director; Sebastian Vaskio, ADR Mixer; Máté Ternyik, Consulting Colorist; Wes Hicks, Score Editor. In Theaters.

• A Very Royal Scandal. “[Michael] Sheen’s remarkable performance dominates… as he captures a prince angry and disbelieving at his collapsing status” (BBC). Jateen Patel, Digital Colourist; Sophie Aiken, Casting Assistant. Prime Video.

• Patrice: The Movie. “That embodiment of brilliant sunshine radiates [Director] Ted Passon’s portrait of Patrice, her daily experience with disabilities, and her deep love for her partner Garry” (POV). Ted Passon, Director; Ephraim Kirkwood, Editor; Jim LeBrecht, Poh Si Teng, Ruth Ann Harnisch, EPs; Hulu Sunday.

Captivating thrillers and genre benders

• Killer Heat. With Joseph Gordon-Levitt and Shailene Woodley, the film is “quite the captivating mystery thriller” (ScreenRant). Nefeli Rapti, Script Supervisor Patrick Redmond, Still Photographer. Prime Video.

• The Universal Theory. “Metaphysical thriller that delivers pastiche so meticulous it becomes its own source of supremely cinematic pleasure” (Variety). Heino Deckert, Producer. In Theaters.

• Out There: Crimes of the Paranormal. “Two genres mesh together in a uniquely grounded way for [a] chilling new show” (TV Insider). Dolly Li, Director “Ghosts of Chinatown”; Ronan Killeen, Cinematographer; Dennis Haggerty, Sound Mixer. Hulu.

“And yet the doom and gloom can’t obscure that people have never spent more time or money on entertainment… Worldwide, the amount of time people spend staring at screens is at an all-time high, as are revenues for almost every sector of the entertainment business.” Industry analyst Lucas Shaw for Bloomberg

What We’re Reading

• Lucas Shaw for Bloomberg: Five reasons to be optimistic about the entertainment business

• Variety: Leaning into genre, big stars for dramas, and shooting abroad: what American execs believe will help make industry sustainable.

• Mark Duplass: He used the independent film model to make ‘Penelope’ on Netflix. Can that work for others? Penelope: Celia Beasley, Editor; Meghan Mowery, Producer.

New York Film Festival kicks off Friday, with a range of Portrait member films including Nickel Boys and The Shrouds (Observer).

On the Industry Circuit

• Vancouver Film Festival and New York Film Festival kick off today and tomorrow. Click through to connect with the film teams and see industry attendees.

• Sideshow + Janus Films acquire The Shrouds. Christopher Donaldson, Editor.

• Sean ‘Diddy’ Combs docuseries in the works at ID following his charges. Mary Robertson, Founder & President, Maxine Productions.

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Window of Opportunity 🔍

Check out more grants, deadlines, and jobs in the side menu of the Portrait app.

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Closing Soon: Fall Deadlines

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

• Voices with Impact Grant (9/26 deadline)

• Working Films Impact Kickstart (9/26 deadline)

• Lynn Shelton Grant (9/27 deadline)

• BEND BIPOC Women Grant (9/27 deadline)

• JFI Filmmakers in Residence (9/27 deadline)

• Cannes Film Festival Residence (9/30 deadline)

• Black Public Media Open Call (9/30 deadline)

• The Athena List (9/30 deadline)

• Breaking Through The Lens Action Grant (10/1 deadline + discount)

• SFFILM Film House Residency (10/4 deadline + discount)

• Kartemquin Diverse Voices In Docs (10/6 deadline)

• SIMA Awards (10/10 deadline)

• QueerFrames Screenwriting Lab (10/11 deadline)

• Telly Awards Call for Entry (Entries Open 10/15)

• Toronto Arts Council Program (10/15 deadline)

• Indeed Rising Voices (10/27 deadline)

Select Jobs/Gigs Roundup

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

• Freelance Vice President, Physical Production, FOX Entertainment.

• Vice President, Casting - Unscripted Production, Telemundo.

• Vice President, Production, CBS Media Ventures.

• Vice President - Streaming Product, AMC Networks Inc.

• Tisch Special Programs, Associate Arts Professor, Media Producing, New York University.

• VP, Social & Editorial Operations, Hello Sunshine.

• Assistant Professor of Screenwriting, Emerson College.

• Director, New Jersey Motion Picture & Television Commission, NJEDA.

• Producer, CNN Digital Video Programming, CNN.

• Graphics Supervisor, Anheuser-Busch.

• Podcast Producer/Editor, Outwords.

• DP and Location Sound Mixer, Stockholm, Sweden.

• Producer for a new comedy/drama feature film. Send links and resume to: terry@terencedonnellan.com or DM him on the app!

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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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