Studios on the Brink: Mergers, Bankruptcy and Industry Upheaval
Plus: New Short Film Grant; Is Public Media Dead; all the SXSW Winners
Happy Thursday, friends.
As Village Roadshow throws open the bidding doors post-bankruptcy and even Reese Witherspoon’s Hello Sunshine faces an uncertain future, Hollywood is proving once again - change is the only constant.
But while the industry reshuffles, the real story is the inspiring work YOU’RE creating. As our friend (and Portrait member) Brian Newman puts it, it’s time to start drawing a new map. He’ll be taking the stage at CPH:DOX to chart out the evolving landscape and the new creative forms shaping our future.
So as the big players pivot and restructure, let’s focus on what’s next, and the stories only you can tell.
Let’s dive in.
Roll of Honor
Premieres, Awards, and More. Say hi to featured Portrait members on the Portrait app.
What to Watch This Weekend
Dreams, Delights and Destinies
Snow White. “It’s a visual feast with show-stopping new musical numbers and, of course, dozens of enchanting animated animals” (Variety). Qingling Zhang, Concept Artist; Isabelle Cook, Crowd Costumes. In Theaters Friday.
O’Dessa. “It’s an intoxicating pastiche of color and sound, joy and pain” (Mashable). Matt Sullivan, Music Supervisor; Jason Binnick, Composer; Martin Lipmann, Visual Effects Supervisor; Ivica Slivaric, Sound Mixer; Ivana Lončar, Makeup and Hair Artist; Stephan Vos, Prosthetics Designer; Marija Vrdoljak, Makeup Artist. Hulu.
Dark Minds and Psychological Terrors
The Rule of Jenny Pen. “It’s one of the creepiest, smartest horror films so far this year (AV Club). Chris Lyons, Special Effects; Lee Herrick, Dialogue/ADR Supervisor. In Theaters.
Magazine Dreams. “A brutal study of physical extremity and psychological meltdown built around an entirely astonishing lead performance from Jonathan Majors” (LA Times). Luke Rodgers, EP; Sincere Gilles, Personal Hairstylist to Jonathan Majors. In Theaters Friday.
McVeigh. “The time is more than right for a movie like McVeigh, which records how its subject’s descent into terrorism was propelled by the ideas of the new right-wing zealotry” (Variety). Stacey Davis, Milan Chakraborty, EPs; Jeffrey Seemann, UPM; Naomi Wolff Lachter, Costume Designer; Dagmawi Abebe, Editor; Fiona Domenica, Cast; Abigail Esmena, Casting Director; Mario Fierro, Assistant Editor; Nathan Ruyle, Supervising Sound Editor. In Theaters Friday.
Happy Face. “Strikes an impressive blow against our culture's habitual glorification of serial killers” (Collider). Eric Lyons, Script; Beverley Huynh, Costume Designer. Paramount+.
Strangers, Secrets and Second Chances
The Residence. “A gently comic genre piece; essentially a country house murder mystery with West Wing bells on” (The Guardian). Roger Nygard, Editor;
Lyn Paolo, Costume Designer. Netflix.
Bob Trevino Likes It. “Like its heroine, the comedy can be bright and bouncy and frequently funny. But also like her, it’s secretly a tearjerker, and never more effectively than when it’s at its very sweetest” (THR). Tracie Laymon, Director, Writer; Felipe Dieppa, Edgar Rosa, Producers; John Rosario, DP; Sydney Marquez, Production Designer; Anisha Acharya, Editor; Natasha Frank, Score Producer; Tina Carbone, Associate Producer; Abigail Esmena, Actor; Ross Shenker, Associate Casting Director. In Theaters Friday.
What We’re Reading
How Portrait member Inbal Weinberg’s production design gives characters meaning.
The movies we’ve loved since 2000. See who made the list.
Amanda Peet hadn’t starred in a movie for a decade. This film brought her back. Congrats to the Fantasy Life team: Christopher Bear, Music; Katie Fleming, Production Designer; Emily McCann Lesser, Producer; Samantha Rattner, Costume Designer.
Trump killed Voice of America. The voice of documentary filmmakers and public media may be next.
Deaf Movie Database wants to ‘broaden the horizons of communication’.
‘We must now lead’ warns TV Academy Governor Eric Shamlin at AI Summit.
On the Festival & Awards Circuit
SXSW Winners announced. See the 69 Portrait members on winning films.
CPH:Dox kicked off yesterday. See the people attending in the app.
BFI: Flare: London LGBTIQ+ Film Festival kicked off yesterday. See the 148 members with films in the app.
The Acquisitions Beat
Sony Pictures Classics acquires Oh, Hi! Starring Logan Lerman And Molly Gordon. Evan Moore, Sabina Friedman-Seitz, EPs; Julie Robinson, April Lasky, Production Designer, Script Supervisor; Marcello Dubaz, Sound Designer; Kyra Boselli, Art Director; Sean O'Connor, Associate Producer; Gwen Capistran, Still Photographer.
Oscilloscope acquires Luca Guadagnino feature Diciannove. Francesco Melzi d’Eril, Producer; Lennard Ortmann, Line Producer: London.
Together Films acquires CPH:DOX-bound Lowland Kids. William Crouse, Lauren Malka Avinoam, Producers; Laura Tomaselli, Editor; Sarah Mosses, Together Films.
Cartuna X Dweck takes North American rights for Sundance & SXSW thriller Dead Lover. Lexi Tannenholtz, Rhianon Jones, Tristan Scott-Behrends, EPs; Courtney Mitchell, Costume Designer; Ben Petrie, Yona Strauss, Producers; Leah Doz, Cast.
Hillary Clinton-produced Ukraine doc The Cranes Call gets release on Gathr. Martin Kayser-Landwehr, Iain Kitching, Editors; Scott Glosserman, CEO, Gathr.
Inaugural Henry Awards for public interest documentary; winner to receive $100,000. Congrats to the 51 Portrait members on nominated film teams.
Window of Opportunity 🔎
See more funding, deadlines, and jobs in the Portrait app
We are excited to share the launch of the Vimeo Short Film Grant, presented by Nikon | RED, a new initiative that will fund the productions of five artistically driven narrative and documentary short films. Judges include David Lowery, Charlotte Wells, Sean Wang, Savanah Leaf, and Adam Bricker, ASC. Submissions close on April 18.
Closing Soon: March Deadlines
Have an opportunity to share? Post it on the app or fill out our form.
Telly Awards (3/28 deadline)
Inevitable Foundation Accelerate Fellowship (3/31 deadline)
Roy W Dean Spring Grant (3/31 deadline + waivers)
Humanitas New Voices Fellowship (3/31 deadline)
First Flights Short Film Fund (3/31 deadline)
Select Jobs/Gigs Roundup
Have a job to share? Share it on the app or fill out our form.
London Bureau Chief, Paramount.
Rolling Stone: Video Producer/Editor, Penske Media Corp.
VP, Lifetime Programming, A+E Global Media.
Head of Audio & Video, Politico.
Director, Acquisitions Lifetime & LMN, A+E Networks.
Director of Operations, Xbox Film/TV, Microsoft.
Assistant Director, Entertainment Professions, Loyola Marymount University.
Business Development Director, Moonbug Entertainment.
VP, Growth Strategy, Warner Bros. Discovery.
End Credits: Portrait Post of the Week
Until next week, friends. See you on the Portrait app.
Portrait is an invite-only network and professional platform for creative careers. Apply to join or nominate a friend.