The World Cup gets commercial breaks
Plus: Fox’s creator bet, Letterboxd’s co-op push, AI micro-dramas, and a new DGA deal.
Happy Thursday, friends.
Thanks to everyone who joined Portrait, Theorem Media, and GreenSlate for our live Angle on Producers podcast with filmmakers Bob Odenkirk and David Cross.
And congratulations to all of our 2026 Tribeca filmmakers. We loved celebrating your work on Sunday in style.
As Tribeca comes to a close, let’s dive into what else is heating up in June.
Roll of Honor
Premieres, awards, and more. See Portrait members behind this week’s work here.
What to Watch This Weekend
Splashy Spectaculars
Disclosure Day. “Spielberg’s story isn’t conspiratorial. It’s a spectacular tale about what we see, what we hear, and how both can change what we believe and how we treat each other. By the final frame of this beautiful, immersive film, you realize it’s a plea” (Washington Post).
The Furious. “One of the best fight movies of the 21st century. It’s a spectacular, run-and-gun, beat ‘em up, martial arts extravaganza” (TheWrap).
Action films with ulterior motives
Stop! That! Train! “The heart of this action-comedy that’s really a high-concept girlfriend movie is Ginger Minj and Jujubee, their characterizations in perfect sync, their rapport endearing and their triumph-of-the-underdog arc something worth rooting for” (THR).
Kraken. "[An] underwater beastie shows discerning moral judgment when picking off victims in this fun Norwegian action film” (Guardian).
Deeply human docs
The Gas Station Attendant. “In the lovingly crafted, personal essay-style documentary that pays tribute to her father, [Director and Portrait member Karla Murthy] succinctly and thoughtfully opines on the size that places and spaces hold in our hearts” (AWFJ).
Promised Sky. “Cumulatively powerful, Sehiri’s authentic look into the lives of Ivorian women in Tunisia is deeply human” (Variety).
What We’re Reading: Business Model Reinvention Edition
How radical collaboration is the path to independent infrastructure for film. A manifesto from Portrait members Emily Best and Christie Marchese.
AI microdramas are changing the production math. The scariest part of vertical video’s AI boom is not the slop; it is the unit economics that make even cheap live-action look expensive in comparison.
Fox’s Creator Studios doesn’t care where you watch. Studios and streamers have mixed success grafting YouTube stars onto their platforms. Fox is trying something new: investing in I.P. across the internet, regardless of where it plays.
The DGA signs four-year deal. Once the WGA agreed to a four-year term, that set a pattern for the SAG-AFTRA and the DGA negotiations.
The World Cup found commercial breaks. In-game ads and skyrocketing ticket prices show how soaring rights fees are reshaping live sports.
Letterboxd goes co-op? A group of filmmakers and fans wants to buy the cinephile platform before the next owner turns taste into yield optimization.
On the Circuit: Summer Festivals
See a fest missing in the app that you’d like added? Send a note to support@onportrait.com. More festivals and industry lists in the Portrait app.
See who’s attending Tribeca - June 3 - 14
See who’s attending Raindance - June 17 - 26
See who’s attending Nantucket - June 17 - 22
See who’s attending Karlovy Vary - July 3 - 11
See who’s attending Indy Shorts - July 21 - 26
Window of Opportunity 🔎
Closing Soon: Summer Deadlines
Have an opportunity to share? Post it on the app or fill out our form.
Tribeca Through Her Lens (6/21 deadline)
Film Independent Fast Track Extended Deadline (6/22 deadline)
Final Draft Big Break Screenwriting Contest (6/29 extended deadline)
Tubi x Black List Horror Initiative (6/30 deadline)
Queer Art Illuminations Grant (7/2 deadline)
AMPAS Nicholl Fellowships in Screenwriting (7/6 deadline)
Sundance Doc Fund (7/15 deadline)
Project Involve 2027 (7/27 extended deadline)
New Orleans South Pitch (7/31 deadline)
Select Jobs/Gigs Roundup
Have a job to share? Share it on the app or fill out our form.
Executive Producer, YouTube, Dragonfruit
Director of Photography, MrBeast
Brand Partnerships Executive, CAA Creators
Vice President of Operations, Los Angeles Times
Director, Brand Partnerships, NowThis
Development Executive, Scripted, Originals, Streaming, Nordics, HBO Max
Chief Executive Officer (CEO) & Startup Operator, Snarky Elephant
End Credits: Portrait Post of the Week
Until next week. See you on Portrait.