"Why does it take so f***ing long to make a movie?"
Olivia Wilde asks the big questions. Plus: AI and Hollywood become dance partners and Flaco the Owl hits the big screen.
Happy Thursday, friends.
One of the quiet privileges of this community is the seat it gives us: watching a film make the long, unlikely trip from idea to opening night, and hearing how the filmmakers actually got there. With The Invite opening wide this week, we went back to what Olivia Wilde told us about that slog at our Sundance event with Shot Deck, GreenSlate, and Theorem Media in January. Two clips:
The Invite isn’t the only film reaching audiences this week. Let’s get into it.
Roll of Honor
Premieres, awards, and more. See Portrait members behind this week’s work here.
What to Watch This Weekend
Uproarious, exceptional rides
The Invite. “An uproarious, deeply felt and impeccably crafted chamber piece that not only serves as [Olivia] Wilde’s best directorial work to date, but solidifies her as a major talent both in front of and behind the camera” (TheWrap).
The Get Out. “Russell Crowe is enjoyably ridiculous as an Albanian nightclub owner in comic neo-noir pastiche” (THR).
Parents and Children, Joy and Grief
Romeria. “What were our parents like before we were born? What was it like for them to be people just like us? It is at the centre of this distinctive, intelligent, sympathetic drama” (The Guardian).
CAMP. “[Avalon Fast] She has made a very unusual teen witch film that feels at first like it could be a modern variation on something like The Craft… It becomes something more like The Virgin Suicides, using amorphous elements like grief and mourning as storytelling tools instead of easy answers” (RogerEbert.com).
Documentary Subjects Breaking Cages and Ceilings
State of Firsts. “Following Sarah McBride’s historic run in 2024 to become the first transgender member of Congress, [the film] takes a deliberate and delicate approach, much like McBride herself” (AWFJ.org).
And don’t miss… Wild Inside. Penny Lane’s latest feature doc about the Eurasian Eagle-Owl named Flaco who escaped from the Central Park Zoo will have its world premiere on July 29 in New York’s Central Park.
What We’re Reading: The Platform Wants a Producer Credit
A24 lets Google Deepmind into the workflow. The indie brand built on taste is partnering with Google Deepmind to shape filmmaking tools… which is either creator-controlled AI or Silicon Valley finally figuring out where the cool kids live.
Hollywood’s AI side hustle. Film and TV workers are training AI models between jobs. The future keeps arriving dressed as a budget constraint.
Sony buys another kind of theater. The Cosm stake turns “event cinema” into venue strategy: sports, fandom, studio IP, and an LED dome where every seat is premium.
Netflix gives prestige a window. Cannes acquisition La Bola Negra is getting 28 days in theaters.
The indie collapse lands on the crew. The Northanger Abbey lawsuit is a reminder that financing uncertainty often translates into unpaid freelancers.
CTV comes for the performance budget. Roku’s new ad pitch is not just about TV dollars. It wants the money Google and Meta trained marketers to spend automatically.
Window of Opportunity 🔎
Closing Soon: Summer Deadlines
Have an opportunity to share? Post it on the app or fill out our form.
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
Senior Producer, MS NOW, The Weekend: Primetime
Director, Marketing & Partnerships, The Paley Center for Media
Senior Manager, Creator Partnerships, A+E Global Media
Senior Editor, Editorial Video, Los Angeles Times
Head of Creative, Athleta
Senior Social Media Content Producer (Fashion & Wellness), mint arrow
SVP, Strategic Partnerships & Growth, FOX Creator Studios
End Credits: Portrait Post of the Week
Until next week, friends. See you on Portrait.