United Fronts, Divided Fronts: Welcome to February
Unions Unite for Contract Talks; Sundance Sales; NAACP Nominees; Funding + Jobs for February
Happy Thursday, friends, and welcome to February. As the month kicks off:
Teamsters & IATSE Link Arms For March Contract Talks With Studios
The Media Is Melting Down, and Neither Billionaires Nor Journalists Can Seem to Stop It
It feels apropos that the films and shows out this weekend are about epic confrontations (and not just Capote vs. The Swans). Let’s dive in.
Roll of Honor
Say hello to featured Portrait members on the app.
What to Watch This Weekend: Confrontations
Asshole v. Self: Shortcomings. Shortcomings is a “wickedly funny, absorbing character study… [that] finds cutting new dimensions in the miserabilism of an unabashed asshole” (RogerEbert.com). Howard Cohen, Eric d'Arbeloff, Producers; Nona Catusanu, Michael Burke, Camera Operators; Billy Hobson, Colorist; Kevin Peters, Sound Effects Editor; Ian Cymore, Mixer / Editor; Rochelle Brown, Account Executive. Netflix.
Teacher v. Student: Miller’s Girl. Following Jenna Ortega and Martin Freeman in an imploded student/teacher affair, the film is ”both impressively erudite and unrelentingly self-aware” (Variety). Shout out to DP Daniel Brothers’ “handsome and well-shot” cinematography! In theaters.
Community v. Developer: Razing Liberty Square. The new documentary examines how a Black Miami neighborhood became “ground zero for climate gentrification” (The Guardian). Corinna Sager, Producer; Hector David Rosales, DP; Toby Shimin, Supervising Editor; Flavia de Souza, Susanne Schiebler, Editors; Caresse Haaser, Graphic Designer. PBS.
Edie Falco v. Cheese: PETA’s Super Bowl Ad. “The Sopranos star and longtime animal activist is starring in an intense new Super Bowl ad” (Entertainment Weekly). Julia Liu, DP.
In the News & On the Circuit
Chicken & Egg Announces 2024 Awards Recipients. Congrats to Portrait members Beth Aala, Nailah Jefferson and Violet Du Feng.
Nominations Announced for the 55th NAACP Image Awards. Congratulations to the 36 films and 110 Portrait members nominated! Say hello to nominees in the Portrait app.
Young Woman And The Sea Looking at Unprecedented Theatrical Release. “In an arguable first for a Disney+ movie, Disney is contemplating a theatrical release… after the picture scored in the high 90s.” Tormod Ringnes, Supervising Sound Editor.
The 40-Year-Old Version DP Eric Branco To Make Directorial Debut. Congrats to Portrait member Eric Branco on his upcoming Silent Partner.
On the Acquisitions Beat: Sundance Sales
After a slow start, Sundance wrapped with plenty of sales, including docs and genre films. Check out the full rundown — and say congrats to Portrait teams on the deals below. Click through on the app to see our feature on each film team.
Netflix: It’s What’s Inside ($17 million); Daughters; Skywalkers: A Love Story; Ibelin. Pre-festival sales: Power; Hit Man.
Warner Bros. Discovery: Super/Man: The Christopher Reeve Story ($15 million)
Focus Features: Didi. Pre-festival: The American Society of Magical Negroes.
Magnolia: Thelma.
Searchlight Pictures: A Real Pain ($10 million). Pre-festival: Suncoast.
IFC Films: Ghostlight.
Sony Pictures Classics: Kneecap.
A24 (all pre-festival): A Different Man, I Saw the TV Glow, Love Lies Bleeding.
Neon (all pre-festival): Handling the Undead, Seeking Mavis Beacon, Stress Positions.
Other Films That Came to the Festival With Distribution
Frida (Amazon Studios), Girls State (Apple), God Save Texas (Hometown Prison, La Frontera, The Price of Oil) (HBO), How to Have Sex (Mubi), Lolla: The Story of Lollapalooza (Paramount+), Out of My Mind (Disney+).
Window of Opportunity
aka The Discover Tab 🔍
Check out the Discover Tab on Portrait for grants, programs, festivals, and jobs.
Closing Soon: Programs + Grants
Have an opportunity to share? Post it on the app or fill out our form.
Jordan Peele’s production company Monkeypaw is teaming up with Universal and TIFF to launch “No Drama,” a fellowship program that will select six filmmakers to create their own short.
Film Independent Imaginar TV Incubator for Fearless Latinx Creators (2/2 deadline)
2024 Nature Connection Pitch at Mountainfilm Festival (applications open 1/12, deadline 2/5)
WEG Feature Film Lab (2/5 deadline)
Sandbox Fund (2/5 deadline)
Primetime Empower Fund (2/5 deadline)
AT&T Untold Stories | Tribeca (2/6 deadline)
Climate Story Fund (2/7 deadline)
Sundance Ignite Fellowship (2/7 deadline)
iTVS Open Call (2/9 deadline)
MacDowell Fellowship (2/10 deadline)
HerArts Film Lab (2/10 deadline)
Sony Future Filmmakers (2/15 deadline)
Princess Grace Awards (2/15 deadline)
Proof of Concept - Advancing Women Filmmakers (2/16 deadline)
Visions Sud Est (2/23 deadline)
Telly Awards (2/23 deadline)
Film Independent Episodic Lab (2/26 deadline)
Chicken&Egg Research and Development Grant (3/4 deadline)
The To Be Commissioned Initiative (3/15 deadline)
Michael Collier Memorial Fellowship in Screenwriting (3/15 deadline)
SagIndie Film Music Connect (rolling deadline)
Elevate Collective (rolling deadline)
Ford Foundation JustFilms Grants (rolling deadline)
Awesome Foundation Grants (rolling deadline)
Perspective Fund (rolling deadline)
Jobs/Gigs Roundup
Have a job to share? Share it on the app or fill out our form.
Dennis Scheyer: “One of PopCult’s rightsholder partners is looking for a research assistant for a few days in mid-February.” See post for more details.
Maziar Ghaderi: “ISO: Mid/Senior Level Story Editor for short-to-feature project entitled, “DABAIT!” See post for more details.
Vice President, Executive Producer, Skydance Media.
Vice President, Executive Editor- National Geographic, Disney Entertainment Television.
Media Director, Hartbeat.
Content Producer, SpaceX.
Head of Feature Film Marketing, Sony Pictures.
Video Producer, Part-Time, Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences.
Part-Time Video Editor, Cox powered by Atrium.
Manager, Post Production Administration, The Walt Disney Studios.
Lecturer in Screenwriting, Oberlin College & Conservatory.
In-Venue Producer, UCF Athletics.
Motion Graphic Designer - WANF, Gray Television.
Director of Photography, Girl Rising Productions.
Director of Photography, Delish, Hearst.
Director of Photography, Weigel Broadcasting Co.
Video Editor, Lifestyle - TODAY Digital, The TODAY Show.
TV & Online Producer, Full Frame, CGTN America.
Producer, Social Media (FX), FX Networks.
Executive Producer, E.A. Production.
End Credits: Portrait Post of the Week
Until next week, friends. See you on the app.
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