- 4 days ago
PGA president Stephanie Allain, producer Datari Turner ('Luther: Never Too Much'), actor Fred Hechinger and producer Zoë Worth ('Thelma'), producer and Imagine Documentaries president Sara Bernstein ('Frida'), producer Shivani Rawat ('Love Me,' 'Winner'), and producer Stacey Reiss ('The Perfection/) joined The Hollywood Reporter's Chris Gardner for a nearly one-hour long panel about the ins and outs of the Sundance Film Festival and all things producing.
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Short filmTranscript
00:00Hello, everybody. It's wonderful to gather everyone on a kind of a great, wonderful Friday afternoon.
00:05It's brought to head into a weekend. Fabulous time together out here at Sundance again, 2024.
00:10I'm John Partilla. I'm the CEO of Screen Vision Media, and we're very, very delighted to play a
00:15small part in the partnership between Hyundai and The Hollywood Reporter as we embark in a very,
00:22very interesting discussion with the Producers Guild of America. And, you know, I don't know
00:27tons about the intricacies of this business, but what I do know is that the people that
00:31work in this business really are the ones that make it happen, that bring together the art
00:36and the craft and the sweat and the blood to produce such great works of art that we all
00:41get to enjoy that really, I think, celebrate and inspire what is so important and interesting
00:47in our culture today. So without further ado, I'd like to introduce the moderator and head
00:51of our panel, which is Chris Gardner, the senior staff writer of The Hollywood Reporter, who
00:56will do an amazing job, I know, today and drive a very, very interesting conversation for us
01:00all. Thank you.
01:06Thank you for the introduction, John, and thank you so much for being here, and thanks to Hyundai
01:10and Screen Vision Media for helping us do this. I also, like you said, we're going to drive
01:16a good panel for the nice tie-in with Hyundai. And I feel like everyone is here. We got the talent
01:22in the building, and now our job is just to produce a good panel. So we got the right people
01:26for that. I'm going to introduce today's panelists. I'm so happy that they're all here, starting
01:32with the one and only Stephanie Elaine, who is the president of the Producers Guild. And
01:36she's also here this year with a movie called Exhibiting Forgiveness, which we can't wait to
01:40dig into. Fred Hechinger, who's an actor that stars in a Sundance title called Thelma,
01:47and his producer, Zoe Wirth, also from Thelma. And they had their big premiere last night
01:53and another screening this morning. We want to talk to them about how it went. Sarah Bernstein
01:57has a movie here as well, Frida. She's also the president of Imagine Documentaries, correct?
02:03I like to tell people what they do for a living while I look at them. This is what you do.
02:09I think in Sundance, everybody needs to be told what they're doing and when. So Stacey Reese,
02:14who also had a movie here a couple years ago, not The Perfection. That was your last project.
02:20But before that, you had a movie here. I had Spaceship Earth here in 2020. And then in 2016.
02:26In 2016, I had The Eagle Huntress and Suited both here. Right. Thanks for being here. I can't
02:32wait to hear about those and especially the one in 2020, which was acquired by Neon. So we'll
02:36talk about that. Datari Turner, welcome. How are you? So happy you're here. He has a movie
02:43called Luther, Never Too Much, which is premiering here at the festival. The very first ever full-length
02:47documentary about Luther Vandross. And Shivani Rawat, who is amazing. It's amazing that you're
02:54here, that we're seeing her in one place. She has three movies here this year. So thank
02:58you so much for taking time out of your busy schedule to be here. She has a movie called
03:02Love Me, which premiered earlier this afternoon with Kristen Stewart and Steven Yeun. So I want
03:07to hear about how that went. And I also want to say thanks again to everyone who's here. I know
03:11that there's a lot of very smart people in this room, not to intimidate anyone. So I'm
03:17going to start with Stephanie, just in case there's people in this room who may not actually
03:21know what a producer does. I hate to start with such a silly question, but let's pretend
03:25that you're at the Pendry Bar and you met the president of a marketing division. They're
03:29like, I've always wanted to know exactly what does a producer do? How would you answer that?
03:34I would answer everything. What don't we do? I think the producer is the uber champion of
03:44the film. And what that means is when I have a project, no one gets in that circle unless
03:53they love the movie, they understand the movie, they can contribute 150% to the movie. And just
04:01to make sure that the circle that we create for our director to go do his or her thing
04:08or their thing is a safe space and gives them the opportunity to do their best work. So what
04:16do we do? We do, we work on the script, we work on casting, we go by the costume department,
04:22we work on the budget, we work on the locations, everything that happens on a movie, a producer
04:30touches. That's not an answer, but that's what it is, right?
04:35That's the best answer. That's the best answer. And then as PGA president, what are your duties?
04:41Susan, what are my duties? Where is she? Susan is the CEO. Okay, she's the CEO.
04:48She's the boss. She's the boss. I work for her. Donald and I are co-presidents together,
04:53but we each have the president title. And basically, we just advocate for producers. Our biggest cause
05:00right now, a lot of you guys are producers, so I'm sure you know this, but producers are the only line
05:07item on a budget that has no minimum and no health insurance. How can that be? We have no collective
05:15bargaining organization. So what the PGA does is educates and advocates for producers. And right
05:20now, we are working hard to figure out how we can make sure that when a producer is on set,
05:28that that person is covered, just like the PA is covered.
05:32That's a big job. By the way, speaking of educating and advocating, I think Stephanie has been educating
05:38me on her career, her work, her films, the industry. I think I've interviewed you my entire
05:43career. We are the same age. But I was just thinking, you know, listening to you talk and
05:49thinking just the fact that we're sitting here in Sundance and all the venues that I have interviewed
05:53you and bugged you about your work. Congratulations for coming back another year. How many Sundances
05:58have you been to?
06:00No, I was my husband. We were trying to count them. And literally, we couldn't. I'm going to have to
06:05look. But I don't know, 8, 10, something like that. All first-time directors. And as is Titus
06:14Kaffar, who directed Exhibiting Forgiveness, who is a first-time director, but a master painter,
06:21a master American painter. And the movie is by far, I think, the best thing I've ever produced
06:28in my career. And I can't wait for people to see it tomorrow. Tomorrow, 3 o'clock.
06:34That's a bold statement coming from you, looking at your enviable resume. And I actually thought
06:39of you last night. I covered opening night, the gala where Christopher Nolan and Kristen
06:43Stewart and a bunch of people with Celine Song got awards. And Christopher Nolan said something
06:46interesting about how he doesn't classify himself as an independent filmmaker. And he doesn't
06:50think that's a thing because filmmakers are so dependent on other people. And he said, poets
06:55can be independent. Painters can be independent. And I was like, Stephanie Lane has an independent
06:59movie with a painter. So speaking directly to you, as a producer, how does your job change
07:04when you're producing a film with a first-time filmmaker who may not know? I mean, he directed
07:10shorts, but this is his...
07:11He directed one short. My job is always the same. And it changes a little based on who the
07:18person is and what the task is. But it's basically the same. Just nurture, support, challenge,
07:26and get shit done. You know? That's what I do. And I love it.
07:33That's the headline, you guys. Get shit done. Let's move on to the team from Thelma, Zoe,
07:40and Fred. And Fred, I got the name right. Fred Hechinger. Did you guys see that? Hear
07:45that? First of all, congratulations. You seem so relaxed and calm considering the last 24
07:52hours that you have experienced. So let's go back.
07:55Really?
07:55Really? Yeah. Yeah, you do. Are you... Is something happening inside?
07:58I think it might be exhaustion.
08:01That happens here. So tell me about last night was the big premiere. How did it go?
08:06I think it was great. I mean, it was really fun. This was by far the biggest audience we've
08:11seen Thelma with. We've had only a few friends and family screenings so far. And it was a blast.
08:18Wouldn't you say?
08:18Yeah. I really love this festival. And it's... I think it's... You just... You dream that
08:25you can... It's kind of everything you're saying about nurturing. Like, every movie is a little
08:30bit like an orphan child. And like, the only way that it's going to come to life and have
08:36a good life is if a big group of people come together and just care about it, you know, nonstop
08:43for a long period of time. And it's very strange, always, I find, to then be able to, if you're
08:52lucky, release it and show it on a big screen with people and no longer have to be the only
08:58people caring about it. And last night, it kind of felt like other people did too. And
09:04that was an amazing feeling.
09:06That's good. And I heard this morning screening was a lot of tears and a different kind of
09:11energy, right?
09:13Yeah. I mean, we showed up to the prospector for the Q&A and we walked in. We... Josh,
09:19the writer-director, escorted in June Squibb, who's the lead titular character, Thelma, walked
09:26her in down the aisle and it was to a standing ovation, full tears. It was just a really magical
09:31moment and an electric Q&A with a lot of great questions. And it just, it was a different
09:37energy. Last night felt kind of rah-rah. And this felt, I don't know, maybe more
09:41intimate because of the smaller theater. It was just cool. It was, it was a really different
09:45vibe and super, super special.
09:48I love a matinee in general.
09:51Oh, it's an amazing... I mean, it's like you wake up early, you see a movie and then
09:55the rest of the day, you're like, I already saw a movie. Like, my day's good.
09:58That's true. That's true. And forgive me, I'm not doing my job very well because I didn't,
10:03I didn't describe the fact, like the big coup of this film is that you got the legendary
10:07June Squibb at the ripe old age of nine, is it 91?
10:1194.
10:1294. 94.
10:1494, yes.
10:15Thank you for fact-checking me. To star in this movie playing Thelma. So tell me just
10:19first, like how difficult was it to get her in this movie? I know, I also just love the
10:25story if you want to give it a long wind up because I love how this movie came together
10:28with these weekly writing sessions with you and the director over many months, right?
10:34During the pandemic? Yes. So, yes, Josh Margolin is a close friend of mine and a lot of the
10:40people sitting here, including my producing partner, Chris Kay. We have a writing workshop
10:45that meets weekly, but this kind of idea of meeting weekly and workshopping things together,
10:52a supportive group of friends, is something that I've done actually since graduating college. So
10:57I went to NYU where I ran a theater company called The Collect-In for a few years and I did a
11:03similar thing and then moved back to LA, started a Sunday night group that became a Thursday night
11:09group and now we have kind of a small, intimate version of a similar thing. And the idea behind
11:14it is to kind of keep each other accountable for writing deadlines that are kind of for yourself
11:20outside of the business, outside of what your agent wants or a job and keep encouraging each
11:27other to write and finish that draft and just do it for ourselves. And Josh brought in what was
11:32already a magnificent draft of Thelma out the gate. And Chris and I were looking to make something
11:38together. We really wanted to produce a small independent movie together. And when we read it,
11:44we were like, it should be this. And of course, it was in the middle of the pandemic. The lead actress is
11:50in her nineties. It presented some challenges, but the challenge of, uh, securing June in the role
11:58and then working with June was not one of those challenges that kind of electrified and made the
12:03process happen. She was, she was the first one in followed by Fred, um, after we started developing
12:10the script. And from there, the movie was just, yeah, off to the races. Fred, this is not a producer
12:16question. I just am so desperate to know this from you because I watched this movie and it's so great.
12:21You guys, congratulations. Um, I saw it before the festival at home. I had a grandmother much like
12:28Thelma who has since passed and seeing you, I was reminded that it doesn't ever feel like you're
12:34acting. It just feels like you live in these scenes and you live in that family and your talent is just,
12:38it sort of emanates from the screen. And, and I was reminded how it was so similar to your work in
12:44The White Lotus. And I'm just curious because that show changed your life, I assume. Uh, and now
12:50you're off to Gladiator 2 and, you know, Craven, the Hunter and doing all these big, and you're at
12:55Sundance, uh, starring in Thelma, which is a big accomplishment. So tell me how has your life changed
13:00since White, The White Lotus? Oh, thank you. That's really kind of you. Um, uh, yeah, immensely. I mean,
13:07it's, I think it's similar to, it's, it's hard, it's hard to like exactly put a grasp on, but I
13:15really think like the exciting challenge always is, is how do you, how do you make films that are
13:21truly unique and not to, uh, crash this conversation with acting, but I think that there is a connection,
13:28but at least maybe between producing and acting in that sense, which is that like, you're always
13:33looking for projects that, um, only exist, like the story only exists through that filmmaker and
13:42through that world. And I think being able to do something like White Lotus only led to being able
13:46to kind of continue to be more specific and hopefully more unique with each, with each, um,
13:52experience. And I know in getting to help produce along with this and be able to work together on
13:58this, it was, it was definitely the kind of experience on Thelma where like the, the, I believe
14:03that the process becomes the product. And so the, the feeling that you create on set, you know, we, we
14:09filmed the first week of this movie in Josh, our director's, his actual grandmother's condo, which is
14:17where he made these documentary shorts beforehand, which inspired the movie. So the first week of filming was
14:22this kind of spiritual connection to the actual location of his family and his history and his
14:28life. And I'm of the belief that that is felt in the film. And I think that's always a mark of
14:36producing because you have to decide what, what environment can we create, as you said, to nurture
14:42something. And, and, and how do you make, uh, inspired, intentional and creative choices from a
14:47logistical standpoint?
14:48Spoken like a true producer, you guys, right? A round of applause for Fred launching his producing
14:55career in the Hollywood Reporter Hyundai lounge. Uh, by the way, you know, I know that you produced
15:00a movie that went to Toronto as well with your friends. So do you, you know, sitting amongst this
15:04esteemed and accomplished group of producers, do you see yourself continuing to do this throughout
15:09your career?
15:10I love that part of it. I really do. I mean, I, I, I never, I, um, I have found that sometimes if it's the
15:18right job, um, they really connect, you know, and like your knowledge of it by acting in it mixed with
15:25your knowledge of all the prep period and getting to bring everybody together and make sure that they
15:31get what they need to do their job in the best way. And for the entire crew, I find that they
15:35really speak hand in hand a lot of time. And I would absolutely love to eventually also be able to
15:41do it more and, and, and sometimes foster films that I'm not acting in because there's so many
15:47filmmakers that, I mean, I, that's why I love this festival. It's like, um, at the end of the day,
15:52I'm just, I think we're all probably just like movie nerds, like the feeling of being in a dark room
15:57and seeing something that's alive and shocking and makes you feel in that way is like, that's what
16:03you're chasing. And I think if you remember that, that's hopefully, I think what producing is
16:07somewhat connected to. So, um, so yeah, yeah, I love, I love doing it and I would love to continue
16:12to. I think that was a nod of approval from Stephanie Lane, uh, the boss over here. Um, thank
16:18you, uh, and congratulations, you guys. And then somebody who knows a lot about what it feels like
16:22to be at Sundance where the lights go low is Stacey Reese. Um, congratulations, uh, on, on everything,
16:28your, your whole Sundance history, but let's go back to 2020, um, with, with that, the movie that sold to
16:33Neon. I mean, first of all, what did you learn from that experience? I mean, that was also, uh,
16:39before everything changed January, 2020 feels like a lifetime ago. I want to say that some of the
16:44actors I've worked with are the best producers. So I think it's such an interesting relationship. So,
16:50um, yeah, I'm always interested. One of the actors I worked with went on to direct and had a film that
16:55was here a short here last year. So I feel like none of us should be in any, we're a producer, we're an actor,
17:02we're a director, we're all creators. And I think it's a very fluid, um, process. So, um,
17:08congratulations. I just wanted to say that cause I was thinking when you were speaking,
17:11um, but back to 2020, um, but back to 2020, before times, before times, yeah, four times in 2020.
17:18Um, I mean, it's always exciting to come to the festival with a film that's, um, made independently
17:24and it's, um, and this is a marketplace. And sometimes I think we forget that cause there are lots
17:29of films that come here with distribution, but when you come here as a producer and you don't
17:33have distribution and you are sitting in the theater at your premiere and you're like,
17:38I hope people in this room are moved by this film, want to buy this film. People are going to see this
17:44film. I mean, many films come to this festival and unfortunately they don't get seen beyond the
17:49festival. So I never sort of take for granted that I'm in that room the night of the premiere
17:53and that the film's going to sell. And with Spaceship Earth, which, um, Radical Media,
18:00I produced it with Radical Media where now I'm an executive producer, but that was before I joined
18:04Radical Media and we were partners on the movie. You know, we were all in there and on the edge of
18:08our seat and thinking, you know, I hope this resonates. And Neon was a very early, and they
18:13were sort of calling us leading up to the festival, like we're interested in this film. We're like,
18:17you can see it at their premiere at Sundance. We're not showing it to you beforehand because we all
18:21know seeing a movie with an audience is, makes all the difference. Wait, let's stay on that for a
18:25second because there might be a lot of people here who, who don't know what the, why people take
18:31that strategy. Like what, why would a producer want to hold onto a movie and say, I know you're
18:36interested, but I'm going to just get into the screen and I'll give you a ticket instead of doing
18:40a big screening in LA beforehand or sending out links. What, what's the strategy? I think if you
18:46really believe in the film that you've made and like any producer really, you spend so much time
18:52and energy and late nights and sleepless nights making this film, I think we all believe in our
18:58film and your film's coming to Sundance, which once you have the Sundance, you know, seal of approval,
19:04this is the most incredible place to premiere a film. I think you sort of feel like, I'm going to
19:08take my chances and I'm going to take it to a festival and I'm going to show it in the room with
19:12people. And there are certain films that I think particularly resonate in a room, like, you know,
19:18in a room with an audience and not have buyers just watching it on links while they're also checking
19:23their phone or they're making dinner or they're, I mean, it's, you know, it's kind of drives me crazy
19:27when I think about that. So I would always personally rather someone watch it with an audience in a
19:32room, but obviously it was a strategy with our sales team too. Yeah. And Sundance is sort of famous
19:37for that lobby negotiating session, which I don't know happens quite as much anymore in the era of
19:43smartphones and eavesdroppers. It used to, right? It was like a... It's really fun. Am I here?
19:51Hustle and Flow was one of those lobby negotiations and one of those amazing Echol screenings where
19:58everybody in the room had passed and everybody in the room wanted it. And then we spent that night,
20:04we didn't do after the screening. We just went to the party and partied, you know, just to celebrate
20:09that we made the movie and we got here. Because I think sometimes you're always thinking in the
20:14future, always thinking about what's next. And sometimes it's good to just sit in a moment,
20:19you know, we're here, we're at Sundance, right? Well, I would like, if I can jump in for a second,
20:25as a former buyer, because I was at HBO for almost 20 years, I do think that that strategy is really
20:32important. Because I think what Stacey was saying just about eventizing, I mean, I think as a producer,
20:39the more you can do to make your film feel like the event at Sundance, and the more that you can do
20:46to make buyers feel like, I have to go to that screening, or I have to schlep to the cinematic
20:53house to watch something because they're not going to send me a link. I think the more the anticipation
20:58really grows for those buyers. And it's all about the buzz. And it's all about feeling like,
21:04well, someone else is going to get to it first. So I have to make sure as buyer, I'm in the room.
21:09Can I, can you open the door? I'm going to, I'm going to walk in. During those, your tenure at HBO,
21:17do you remember, or what was the most memorable acquisition dealmaking moment you had?
21:22There were so many, unfortunately, I'm trying to think. Well, it's funny, because I've been,
21:31this is probably my 22nd, 23rd Sundance. And it's always, it remains the premiere launching pad for
21:40documentaries, I think, like in the country and probably in the world. So that excitement and to
21:45have Frida here this year, such a thrill. But I think, you know, God, I think one of the first films
21:52that I was part of at HBO was a film called Born Rich, which I don't know if anyone remembers this.
21:59Ivanka Trump was in it. That's all I'm going to say. But Jamie Johnson, who was a Johnson and Johnson
22:05heir, made this film about himself and his peers. And it was probably the first time anyone was allowed
22:13inside sort of, certainly young people who grew up in, you know, some of the wealthiest families of
22:19the world. And there were lines around the block to get into the screening at Sundance.
22:26And back then, I mean, HBO was probably one of the only places that could probably buy that film.
22:32But nonetheless, it was still like, an exciting, you know, acquisition. Because you could feel that
22:40that project or that film was going to blow up and be something big. And it was for us at that point at HBO.
22:46Yeah. How does it feel to be here this year with another film and also as your role as the president
22:52of Imagine Documentaries? It's so sweet to be here as a producer with a film and also in my current role
23:00at Imagine. I think, I mean, you all know here, it takes, as producers, we're moving mountains. It takes a
23:08village to make these films. And I think being really on the ground level up from inception to,
23:16you know, production to post-production to actually premiering is probably the greatest experience you
23:23could have in this business.
23:25And you have a knack for, I know you, throughout your career, you've been involved in projects that,
23:30you know, focus a lens on a story, a person, somebody like Frida Kahlo, who has been investigated
23:39in all forms throughout the decades, but finding new ways to tell that story. So much of your work,
23:46whether it's been news stories or, anyway, this is one of those examples. But tell me why you decide
23:55to do that. And what, what, how, what new are you presenting about Frida through this, this piece?
23:59I know there's some ephemera and some never before seen material.
24:04Yeah, no, I think that's always the challenge, right? Especially with documentaries. Like,
24:08what are we going to bring to the table that's different? And I think to tackle an icon like
24:12Frida Kahlo, you know, one of the greatest artists in the world, certainly one of the most iconic artists
24:16in the world, you really do have to think about what is going to be different about this project.
24:21And I mean, really, to the credit of our fantastic director, Carla Guiteras, she always wanted to
24:29tell Frida's story in Frida's own words. And she really thought about what could we do that someone
24:37else hasn't done before. And I think this film really is a first person exploration of Frida. I
24:44think we're inside her mind, we're privy to her diaries, her letters. And you really,
24:51sort of experience her life through her own narrative. So I think that's really special.
24:58And also, I think the way that Carla and our team were able to really illustrate her life
25:04through her art, there's this exceptional animation, I think it's exceptional animation
25:09in the film that I think really brings her, you know, her artistry to life, but really,
25:17I think her probably most intimate thoughts.
25:19I can't wait to see it. And congratulations. And making it through your 22nd? That's a big
25:25deal.
25:26But when you were talking, you also provided a perfect segue to go to Datari, because thinking
25:31about, you know, he's here with Luther, the Luther Vandress Never Too Much documentary.
25:37And so much of what she said is sort of what you guys do in your film, you know, presenting
25:41the life of somebody who hasn't, you know, kind of the opposite end of the spectrum, who hasn't
25:44been investigated in that way, but is investigated through a lot of their own life and material
25:50and songs. So first of all, congratulations. I also know you're kind of getting up there.
25:54This is 11 Sundance is for you or?
25:56Yeah, I've had, yeah, this will be my 11th film in the festival.
26:00It's a big deal.
26:01I think I've been to maybe 13 or 14, because I'm one of the board members for the Black
26:08House Foundation. So we're here every pretty much every, you know, every year. But yeah,
26:13I don't want to ask you the why of putting this movie together, because that's kind of
26:19obvious, right? Everybody would want to see the Luther Vandress story told, because it hasn't
26:23been done in that way. But the question I want to ask you is how? I mean, did you work
26:27with his estate? How did you get this off the ground?
26:30Yeah, well, yeah, the story. So my partner, Jamie Foxx, we have a deal, a first look deal
26:39with Sony Pictures. And the quick version is, I was in a meeting with Tom Rothman, who's
26:47the chairman, and Sanford, the president of the studio. And they were like, we want to
26:51do music, we want to do music biopics. And Luther, growing up was my parents' favorite singer,
26:59you know, Luther and Marvin Gaye. And so I, you know, mentioned a, you know, what about
27:06doing a Luther biopic? And, and they both said, well, we should connect you with Tom McKay
27:13on the music side, because he and Colin Firth's company are working on trying to put together
27:21a Luther doc. And Jed Doherty, who's in the audience right here, who is Colin Firth's producing
27:28partner, who also used to be chairman of Sony Pictures International, and his partner, Trish,
27:34as well. Tom connected us together, I think that's, it's been years ago. So connected us,
27:42we hit it off, had some mutual friends, and both shared the passion of trying to get this
27:49doc to the finish line. And then we went through trying to budget it, and how much could we make
27:56it for? And, and then went through the process of, you know, interviewing filmmakers, and then
28:01landed upon Don Porter, who's incredible. What was the biggest challenge in putting all that
28:06together? Because I mean, with music documentaries, there is, you know, established data on how well
28:11they do, you know, where they go, which homes take them distributor-wise. So what was the biggest
28:17challenge for you and kind of getting a green light eventually?
28:20Well, I can speak for me and Jamie. You know, I've produced almost 40 narrative films, but
28:28this is, this was my first documentary. Well, actually, we have a number in, in, in production
28:35now. But when we started the process, this was, this was my first documentary film. And it's
28:42different to narrative, like you, you sort of don't know what you have, you know, like,
28:46you know, Jed, obviously, he was very close to the Luther estate, and obviously Sony controlled
28:52all of the music. But again, you know, you got to go through the archive. And as you get in
28:58the interviews, it's just, it's completely different than putting a narrative movie together,
29:03where you, you read the script, and you sort of, you know, you have a clear, sort of a clear
29:10vision of, you know, the film and how to cast it and put it together. You know, I've known
29:16Stephanie for a very long time. You know, she's obviously a legend in the business. And
29:21even when I started my career, I think you did one of my very first, you interviewed me
29:25when you were, when you were running the LA Film Festival at the beginning, sort of at
29:30the beginning of my career. But yeah, this was just a different process, you know, because
29:35it, you can look at a cut of the movie, and you're like, okay, well, this isn't it, we
29:42got to go back in and Jed, you know, like I said, there's a lot of talented, creative people
29:46and involved. But we made a special film, I'm really, really proud of. And I think people
29:52will watch the film and see things and discover things about Luther that they did not know.
29:57And is there lots of music?
29:59I mean, we were fortunate because, you know, we, we, we made it with the estate, and you
30:05know, having access to all of his music. And so the music, as you guys know, is incredible
30:10and all time, you know, just, you know, he's legendary. So, and then we were able to get
30:15a lot of tier one interviews for the film, obviously, Jamie Foxx, who was a massive Luther
30:22fan. And, you know, obviously, in addition to being an Academy Award winning actor, had
30:28a, you know, yeah, incredible music career and won multiple Grammys. And his first actual
30:35number one hit, he had Luther in the hook. It was the song he did with Kanye West, Slow
30:40Jams, where he says, Marvin Gaye, some Luther Vandross. So, so yeah, so I mean, Luther was very,
30:47um, you know, definitely like a big inspiration for him and his music career. And, uh, yeah,
30:55we, we made this movie with love. Everybody really was passionate about it. So.
30:59Shivani. Hi. Um, I feel like after your schedule, giving you, saving you until the end, it gives
31:04you some time to like, just relax. Uh, and I just am even more grateful that you are sitting
31:10here considering your schedule and today as well. Um, so to remind everybody, she has three
31:15films here, Hitman, the Richard Linklater, starring, uh, Glenn Powell, Love Me with Kristen
31:20Stewart and Steven Yeun, who, which debuted earlier today. Um, and Winner, um, which is,
31:25uh, Susanna Fogel starring Emilia Clarke. Susanna Fogel, who was here last year with Cat
31:29Person is back a year later with a, with a really remarkable story. Um, the narrative version
31:35of a, of a rip from the headlines, like high profile news story. Um, hi. I wanted to ask
31:42you, um, first of all, in my many years of going to film festivals and pouring over directories
31:50and entries and submissions and reading the hot lists and doing all the reporting, I don't
31:56think I've ever read a movie description quite like Love Me. So I'm just going to read it and
32:02then ask you how you went around, you know, pitching this movie and, and putting this together.
32:10So I don't know if everyone's read this, but, um, the Love Me stars, it stars Kristen Stewart
32:15and Steven Yeun. Long after humanity's extinction, a buoy and a satellite meet online and fall in
32:21love. Um, what does that mean? I think it, you know, it's just a very compelling love story.
32:28I'll just put it as simple as that. And what drew me to the project was we were deep in pandemic
32:34in 2020. And I got a call from a friend who's involved in the project. And she said, I want
32:39to send you this script, please read it and let me know what you think about it. It's first time
32:43directors. And when I started my company, Shivans Pictures, I promised myself I will work with first
32:49time directors. And, you know, we were like, okay, let's read this script and see what it's all about.
32:55When I read it and I gave it to my co-producer, we both called each other crying. And we're like,
33:00this is a beautiful love story. We're actually, I don't want to give out love, but we're actually,
33:04you know, rooting for a buoy and satellite to get together. And, you know, we knew Kristen was
33:10attached at that time. She had, you know, shown a keen interest in the film. And then we met Andy and
33:15Sam, you know, Zuckeros, the director, and just meeting them on zoom and that little, on that little
33:20screen, and just seeing the passion they had for this project. I couldn't say no, because we were
33:26all the, you know, the world was turning upside down, we didn't know what our next step would be.
33:30And having these zoom calls, which was so new to all of us, just talking to our directors,
33:36they were so passionate, and they had a vision. And it just makes my life as a producer easier,
33:41because I'm believing in the project. But if my directors are equally intrigued, and they intrigue me,
33:45and they're compelling, it makes it easier, it makes my job easier. And yeah, we went to Steve
33:52Young, and he was, you know, he said he wanted to work with Kristen. So it was like a win-win case for
33:58us. And yeah, we're here at Sundance now after four years. That's amazing. Congratulations. And how was
34:03today? Amazing. I'm still shaking. So the reviews are still coming in. But, you know, it's, it's, you have
34:09to see the film, it's, you know, it's got a lot of moving pieces, beautiful performances. And I think
34:15both Kristen and Steven, for that matter, have had such a, you know, the past few weeks, he's had,
34:19you know, it's, it's been great for him. And just seeing them, it's, it's beautiful, you know, and
34:25Sam and Andy, they're just such great directors. And they're so there's just visionary. And just being
34:30there, you know, sort of just being in this project all together, we just came, we just became so close,
34:36because we started, you know, production in 2021 in Vancouver. And this is, again, during pandemic,
34:43where we were like, in this stage, it's all closed, just going home from set, you know,
34:47back and forth, not, you know, really talking to anyone else. And now we're here after three years,
34:52it's just so special. We were just all emotional, definitely. Congratulations. You also did something
34:58very, did you want to say something? Yeah, congratulations. That's impressive to have three
35:03movies at the festival. One year. Congratulations to everyone, all of you, everyone. You also were being
35:10very careful. And I want to make this a producer's question, because you said something that I think
35:16a lot of people have said about this movie is like, you just have to see it. And, and the messaging
35:20around it has been, you know, has not revealed very much. And I know, because my colleagues saw it.
35:26So I know that there's some, it's mixed media in some parts. So talk to me as a producer, how closely
35:33you stay to the messaging of the movie and not giving away too much and how you're protective over
35:39what gets out there and the marketing in order to, you know, protect what you have created with the
35:44artists. No, absolutely. I think it was a collective decision. You know, when we sat,
35:48when we were throughout the filmmaking process, you know, Kristen Stewart gets recognized everywhere
35:54she goes. So it was, we had to be very careful with that. Luckily, this was during pandemic. So
35:58there weren't a lot of people. But even when we decided that we want to come to a festival,
36:02we didn't do any pre screenings before, you know, today was the first day the press watched it.
36:06And of course, we were getting a lot of calls. But again, like, you know, everyone here said that
36:10it's important when you make a film, you've, you know, done all the sweating and the late nights,
36:15you believe in it. And your directors, you just collaboratively decide, we're not,
36:19we're going to keep it a hush hush movie. And we're going to go out to a beautiful festival
36:22like Sundance and just show it to the crowd and have the critics and the, you know, everyone see it.
36:27I think it's, it's great. It's for the best of the film. So we stuck to that decision.
36:31And then talking about the decision with producing Winner, which I, which I mentioned is a story
36:35that has been out there. There was another movie that has gotten a lot of critical attention to
36:40called reality winner, starring Sydney, Sydney Sweeney. Yeah, I had an old man moment just then.
36:48And I was like, Oh, yeah, I euphoria. I so tell me about that, like, why choose to investigate a story
36:55that has or produce a film that has already existed and is out there in the ether? And what how you feel
37:01about the competition? So our film is different. I mean, it's based on reality winner. But I was,
37:07you know, brought to this project again, as a financier producer. And when I met Susanna Fogel,
37:12who's the director, I was more intrigued by, of course, reality story, but at the same time,
37:17Susanna's humor attached to the film, you know, and she we, this is not a dry political drama,
37:24it's not, it's a dramedy. And I feel like we need to show this one. It's so,
37:28it's so apt with what's going on. And especially with, you know, with what happens with reality,
37:33and everyone's going to see tomorrow. But I feel like Susanna's humor, and like the way we've seen,
37:38we've shown reality as a high school student, how she grows and what, what happens in her life later
37:43in life. So it's like literally her growing. And I think both Amelia and Susanna's like direction is
37:48just impeccable. And you have to see this film, it's not a dry political drama, it's humor, it's got the
37:54funny moments, and you'll get to see realities of vague and, you know, funny choices in the film
37:59as well. Yeah.
38:00Congratulations again, you guys, we've gotten to hear from everyone. And I could do this all day.
38:06But I because I only got through like half my questions on from each person. So but let's,
38:10let's like, let's just spice it up a little bit, shall we? And do like a little lightning round,
38:16some general producer questions, not directed at anyone in particular,
38:19unless you make some sort of motion or head nod, then I'm going to call you out. But like,
38:23just to if you're, if you, if you hear the question, you're like, I got this one,
38:28let's just jump in. Troubleshooting is your forte as producers, actors too. Can you explain one issue,
38:36scene deal point, especially disaster from the set that came up that you had to solve? And how did you do it?
38:44Stephanie, I would, I would just say this, because like Stephanie said, I think, I think producers
38:55are, I think it's four things you got to be, you got to be entrepreneur, because you got to go out
39:00and raise money, especially if you're making independent movies. If you can't raise money,
39:06even if you got great taste and, and I, you're not going to be able to be a successful producer,
39:13I don't believe. You got to be a janitor, because you spend your whole, it's a blue collar job,
39:21you know, like you're cleaning up, excuse my French shit all day long. Like you got to be a janitor,
39:27you got to be a therapist. Because, you know, like, especially working with first time filmmakers,
39:34which is, you know, been my forte, and pretty much all of the filmmakers here,
39:41and all the producers here, you got to be a therapist, you got to give people, if a filmmaker
39:46is making that first movie, they haven't done this before, right? And so, someone like Stephanie,
39:51who has seen everything is going to be, you got to be a coach, as well, you know, so you got to be
39:57those four things. I think those are the main four ingredients, I think entrepreneur, janitor,
40:03coach, and therapist. And I think, if you, if you have those things in your mind, you can tackle
40:09every problem. So here's specific, you wanted a specific instance, on Hustle & Flow. If you guys
40:18remember, there's a moment when DJ throws one of his girls out of the house, and, and, and the baby too. And,
40:26and John Singleton, my dear, dear friend, flew in a Catwoman stunt lady, so that not only she could
40:37he put her out the house, but he would like kick her down the stairs, and she go rolling. And I was
40:42like, no, this is our lead character, even though he is a certain guy, he, no, he's not going to do
40:50that. And, and, and John was saying yes, and I was saying no, and Craig was in the middle. And finally,
40:57it was the only day Craig's mother was on set. So I said, let's let Craig's mom decide.
41:04And everybody said, okay. So we went over, and we talked to her, and she was like, oh yeah, no,
41:11we're going with Steph. And we sent the stunt lady home, and what's in the movie is in the movie. So,
41:17but we had to shut production down, because we could not, we couldn't, I was just not going to let
41:23him roll camera on that. And, and it was one of those moments where you're just like, ooh, this is the
41:29real grappling with artists, and with actors, and, and, and you're out there, and the whole crew
41:36is there standing around watching you. And as a producer, you just have to have in your heart,
41:44the movie. Not relationships, not, you have to have the movie in your heart. And if you, if you know the
41:52movie is going to be in trouble, you have to do what you have to do, you know. So that's just a little
41:57incidence of my life. We love an incident from your life. And I love a producer's handbook.
42:03Does anybody else have a specific anecdote, or something that they would add to the producer's
42:08handbook of, of like, what makes, what qualities make a great producer? I feel like I'm just learning
42:14so much from this talk. I'm just taking notes. Yeah. I mean, one thing we talked about on our movie,
42:20it's actually a saying from my mom, which was keep the main thing the main thing. And that,
42:25that's what Steph, that's kind of, yeah, just translating it back into my language,
42:30what Stephanie's saying, trying to keep the main thing the main thing, because there's so much noise.
42:35And you do have to deal with the noise, you have to deal with something that's happening.
42:39But then at the end of the day, you, this is the job, and the movie needs to happen,
42:45and the movie needs to be the vision. And that's, that's number one.
42:51And I would just say you have to protect the creative. And I think, you know, working closely
42:56with a lot of directors, I also like to work with first time directors. But you have to,
43:02you know, kind of like shield them, you're a little bit of like a superhero shield for, you know,
43:07and you want to keep that creative bubble creative. And you don't want things about like,
43:12this person didn't show up to work today, or this person has COVID, or we don't have money in our bank
43:17account to pay our crew, or whatever that is, you don't want to tell the director, they need to like
43:22keep their vision, their vision. And I think sometimes it's hard when you're handling all of
43:26that, to not to the person you're often closest to on the set, be like, you're not going to believe
43:32what I'm dealing with right now. Or you're not going to believe that this person didn't show up
43:36to work today, you know, but you just, you kind of want to protect it as long as you can.
43:41You guys, this has been so wonderful. Because it's a group discussion, we're going to end with one
43:45more question. And we're going to hear from everyone. Because and maybe it's a little cheesy,
43:50but I always like these kind of questions, because they feel like, you know, the nuts and bolts of
43:54what you do hasn't changed. But what a producer's job has changed in the current landscape,
43:58whether it's, you know, streaming, or whether it's COVID, all the things that you have to do
44:02change from time to time. So it's going to be personal. If you could go back and give yourself
44:08some advice when you're starting out at the beginning of your career, what would you say
44:12to that younger person? We're going to start with Shivani and go this way. Sorry to put you on the spot.
44:19I think believe in your projects, but don't get too emotional. You know, that's one thing I'll tell
44:26myself, you know, when you get too emotionally attached to your project, sometimes you can make
44:31decisions, which, you know, you would later in life regret, but believe in them, but don't get too
44:37emotional. You know, always have a middle line, you know, a balance. Thank you.
44:44Kid, relax. It's all, it's all going to work out. You know, you can, and, and, and, you know,
44:52you don't have to hit home runs to go to the Hall of Fame. You can go to the Hall of Fame getting base hits.
44:56You, you know, so. That's great. And just called Jamie Foxx with the plane.
45:00Uh, Stacy? Um, I always like this expression, leap in a net will appear. I feel like it took me a
45:09while to take risks and I would have taken risks earlier.
45:12I think, I'm not sure my answer, but I think my answer has something to do with trusting your gut for
45:23both good and bad. Like, if you think something's not necessarily going to be great, but there's some
45:31weird, oblique reason that you think it's strategic to do, those aren't really the best choices,
45:38that actually the belief in the project itself, keeping the main thing the main thing, and seeing
45:43something through, is what I would tell myself maybe 10 years ago to, yeah, stay, keep that the
45:51North Star and try not to, try not to get, uh, gamified. Try not to be so externally minded.
45:59Fred? Um, that there is no answer in a textbook somewhere. That the, the human answer is, um,
46:09the one that is most helpful and most specific. And so, to be very, very present to the needs and
46:18desires and life of each specific project. That's great. I love this guy.
46:27Um, I would have told myself, um, to trust that I was creative. You know, I, I, I was a young mother
46:38and I spent a lot of time nurturing and, and that sort of rolled over into my directors and, and I never
46:45really sort of sat and thought, well, I was a closet writer for years. I was a closet writer. I finally,
46:52I don't know, maybe, I don't even know how long ago it was, maybe when I was 50. So 15 years ago,
46:59I, I told my agent, like, I'm a writer. And I gave him my script and it was actually Charles King,
47:06I think. And, um, and, uh, and he said, it was great. And then I started having these meetings
47:11and I was like, oh, I am a writer. And they got into the writer's guild because I was writing.
47:16It was so amazing. And, and I still write, I have a book coming out this year called who's in charge.
47:22I am. And, um, and, um, and, and so I would just say, do everything you want to do, you know,
47:31don't be scared. That's what I would say. And I would just say probably don't sweat the small stuff
47:39because I think we probably, I, maybe all of us probably have some of the greatest jobs
47:46in the world and how lucky are we that we get to be, you know, living, existing in this creative world
47:52and premiering films at Sundance. So just to remind myself that. That's beautiful. And how lucky am I,
48:00I'm going to take, I'm going to steal that. How lucky am I that you guys all came in today to
48:04join us on this panel. Thank you so much. Uh, thank you, Chris. Thank you. You're so great.
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