From ‘Billie Holiday’ to ‘Many Saints of Newark’ Variety’s Producers Class of 2021 Are on the Cutting Edge

“La Civil”

With “La Civil,” the first feature from his new production company, Menuetto, headed for the Un Certain Regard section of Cannes, Belgian Flemish producer Everaert finds his many risks paying off. The film marks the fiction debut of Romanian-Belgian documentary maker Teodora Ana Mihai (“Waiting for August”) and follows a Mexican mother searching for her daughter kidnapped by members of a drug cartel.

Antwerp-based Everaert, who has a background in economics, finance and technology, moved into the film business as the CFO of the Flanders Audiovisual Fund (VAF) in 2004. “I knew Teodora from my time at the VAF,” he says. “I was convinced of her talent and I knew that she was looking for a producer.” He jokes that VAF also served as his private film school through his close collaboration with then-CEO Pierre Drouot, producer of Jaco Van Dormael’s “Toto le Héros.”

In 2013, Everaert launched his career as general manager of the Flemish outfit Menuet. With the retirement of owner Dirk Impens, Everaert opted to launch his own company. He says, “It’s clear from the name that Menuetto wants to continue the legacy of Menuet: the same expertise, network and types of films.”

He is looking for author-driven projects with the potential to reach a broad audience and aims to do roughly one feature film and one long documentary per year, along with some smaller projects, minority productions and service production. Next up is the drama “The Eight Mountains” from Felix van Groeningen and Charlotte Vandermeersch, which just began shooting. For Everaert, the best part of producing is “helping a story come to life, working with an author who has something to tell and accompanying him/her in the complex process of telling it right.”

– Alissa Simon

“The United States vs. Billie Holiday”

At just 26 and 28, New Slate Ventures’ Allen and Fudge have already shown that they possess an eye for great stories, the deep pockets to tell them and more than enough industry savviness to get them seen. After selling “The 40-Year-Old Version” to Netflix for seven figures at Sundance 2020, the duo shepherded “The United States vs. Billie Holiday” to a Golden Globe win and Oscar nomination for Andra Day en route to its digital release on Hulu in February. “Neither of us is burdened with the pretense of how the business has to work,” says Allen, a former agent at WME who oversees New Slate’s film and TV development. “I think that gives us a strategic advantage in terms of how we look at projects and how we want to market them and how we want to sell them.”

After starting at 20th Century Fox back in 2014, Fudge moved into private equity work before setting up New Slate with a portion of Sinai Capital Partners’ $600 million hedge fund. “In venture investing, you don’t have the opportunity to really do the work and being there in the trenches with the cast and the crew,” Fudge says. “That’s a really fun exercise that I enjoy.”

With a docuseries about Magic Johnson’s athletic and entrepreneurial endeavors on the way, as well as projects from Kenya Barris and “The Peanut Butter Falcon” filmmakers Tyler Nilson and Michael Schwartz, the duo thrills at the chance to develop projects from start to finish on a variety of platforms. “I believe in thinking laterally instead of having this sort of received wisdom of how things are done,” says Fudge. Allen adds: “We’re very adamant on thinking about where [a project] best lives in this changing market, and helping creators to understand that full process as well.”

– Todd Gilchrist

“Lamb”

In their first collaboration on a feature project, mother Kristinsdóttir and daughter Nassim of the Icelandic production company Go to Sheep hit paydirt with their unusual drama “Lamb,” set to premiere in Cannes’ Un Certain Regard. Also forming part of the production family is director and co-screenwriter Valdimar Jóhannsson, Kristinsdóttir‘s husband and Nassim‘s stepfather.

Reykjavik-based Kristinsdóttir has been active in the Icelandic and international film industry since 1997; her line producing and producing credits number more than 20 titles.

Nassim was practically raised on movie sets and never really got away. The American Film Institute Conservatory graduate has an extensive background in physical production. Early in her career she served as a production coordinator on the Icelandic unit of HBO’s “Game of Thrones” and Darren Aronofsky’s “Noah.” These days, she splits her time between Iceland and Los Angeles, developing and producing independent feature projects.

Currently, Go to Sheep is also producing Gustav Geir Bollason ́s artistic documentary “Mannvirki,” showing how the post-industrial landscape is shaped by forces of nature. After that? Kristinsdóttir and Nassim say, “We do have a few ambitious projects in the pipeline: both TV series and feature films.” They aim to produce quality works that may sometimes escape classification in commercial categories and will announce more details about their forthcoming lineup at the end of the year.

Meanwhile, they are also in the early stages of developing a project with Jóhannsson and his “Lamb” co-writer, Icelandic novelist Sjón.

– Alissa Simon

“The Many Saints of Newark”

By industry standards, Lambert’s path to her first credit as a producer was almost quaint: she worked at CAA before learning the ropes as an assistant on globe-trotting projects including “Hancock” and “The Bourne Legacy,” eventually shadowing “The Sopranos” creator David Chase through the development of his long-gestating prequel film. “I have simply always loved film,” Lambert says. “I find it very interesting stepping into another time and place. And I got to do that on ‘The Many Saints of Newark.’”

Working for Chase, Lambert quickly developed an aptitude for understanding how to support an artist’s process and to communicate that to the members of her or his team. “I know David so well, it’s easy for me to interpret that to people to ease his burden and make sure that he’s only focusing on the art of it and not where is this dollar going or where is that dollar going,” she says. “I was lucky because David believes in me and makes it clear that I am part of his voice.”

Many of her plans involve projects either created or inspired by members of “The Sopranos” extended family, including one from Terrence Winter and a pilot based on an idea from Chase that she wrote herself. But Lambert insists her first priority is supporting storytellers and not the properties they may be mining. “I don’t necessarily think about its marketability. I would rather tell a good story in an interesting way than to think about if this is going to sell.

“We got lucky,” she acknowledges. “‘The Many Saints of Newark’ is in the ‘Sopranos’ universe, so there’s what you would call IP to back it. And obviously the bigger the IP, the more something is going to sell. But I would rather find fresh original ideas and voices and promote those.”

– Todd Gilchrist

“The Shining Girls”

As the star of “The Invisible Man” and four seasons of “The Handmaid’s Tale” (with at least one more on the way), Moss has steadily become one of Hollywood’s most in-demand actors. The next step, of course, was to add even more to her plate as a producer, launching Love & Squalor Pictures with former WME agent McManus to develop projects both for Moss to star in and contribute to behind the scenes. “I was taking on more and more and not feeling like I had enough to handle all the things that I wanted to do,” Moss tells Variety.

“A lot of actors hire somebody and they run their company and that’s the end of that. I wanted to have a real partnership with somebody. And Lindsey was a terrific fit.”

The pair currently executive produces “The Shining Girls” for Apple, an adaptation of Lauren Beukes’ 2013 bestseller in which Moss also appears. “We’re there to be everyone’s guardrails,” says McManus. “We have our parameters of supporting the creative and our job at the end of the day is just doing that. There’s no task too small for us.” They’ve already assembled a robust slate for Love & Squalor that includes several other book adaptations in various stages of development, including Eileen Zimmerman’s “Smacked,” Emily Ruskovich’s “Idaho” and Alison Wisdom’s “We Can Only Save Ourselves,” which they’re thrilled for Moss to work on solely as a producer. “We’re very big readers and book optioners,” McManus says.

“The thing that I love so much about producing is it’s not a solo sport,” Moss adds. “You have to collaborate with many different artistic minds who have strong opinions, and corralling those creative ideas into one vision is the most important part of the job.”

– Todd Gilchrist

“Larry Flynt for President”

Mekhael always wanted to be a storyteller, but after attending film school in Paris and helping raise finances through Qatar’s Doha Film Institute for “Khalil Gibran’s The Prophet,” Asghar Farhadi’s “The Salesman” and Kanye West’s “Cruel Summer,” she moved to Los Angeles four years ago to take a more hands-on approach to the creative process. “I’m drawn to truly authentic stories that really have something to say, shift a perspective or make a difference some- how,” Mekhael says. “It feels like there is a real culture of activism and curiosity across the world right now. I like that there seems to be more opportunity right now for women in the industry and that same, more inclusive energy feels reflected in the storytelling.”

Currently developing and producing for Seine Pictures, Mekhael recently premiered “Larry Flynt for President” at Tribeca, a documentary using a wealth of unearthed footage to explore a little-known footnote in the 1984 presidential election. “The film really makes you think about how much things have changed in politics, or haven’t changed at all,” she says. “When Larry was campaigning alongside Ronald Reagan, and how progressive Larry was back then, despite what some think of him, [the fact] that he was ahead of his time is undeniable.”

With an expansive slate of documentaries and narrative projects at different stages, Mekhael believes in balancing a creative sensibility with business acumen. “Producing means finding the right resources for the creative ambition of a film and sharing those responsibilities with amazingly talented collaborators. I love the challenges within that process and one of my favorite feelings is being able to enable and support a director through the entirety of the process.”

– Todd Gilchrist

“The Birthday Cake”

Oberman loves movies and storytelling. It’s palpable when she talks about her films.

“I’ve been drawn into movies since early childhood. I actually was one of those people running around with a Flip camera,” says Oberman, adding that she loved how film “brought all of the different aspects of art together. I loved how you can share such different perspectives and people can empathize with a story and a situation that they may never otherwise see.”

Her 2018 drama “Skin” made a splash on the fest circuit, while films like “Mainstream,” from Gia Coppola, explore relationships in the internet age, and the recently released “The Birthday Cake,” from Jimmy Giannopoulos, offers a twist on mobster movies.

She was also looking to open doors to characters she felt were underrepresented onscreen, as well as female creatives. “It’s interesting because I think my first 10 features were all male directors, which was a big wake up call for me that I really needed to make an effort and do something for more female directors. … But I think it’s very challenging for any first-time filmmaker to get their movie made. And ‘The Sinners’ and ‘On Our Way’ are two films that I recently did where they were both young, first time, female directors, and those were not easy to finance at all. They’re much, much harder than if I’m going to a second-time male director or more established male director.”

Oberman says, “As a producer, I’m very director-driven and a lot of them are writer-directors so it really is their unique visions.” She’s especially excited about “finding Sophie Lane Curtis, who I just did ‘On Our Way’ with. I’m doing her sophomore feature as well. She was 24 when we shot her movie … I think telling empowering stories is important.”

– Carole Horst

“Compartment No. 6”

Can Finnish producer Rantamäki and director Juho Kuosmanen score a hat-trick at Cannes? The initial collaboration of these longtime friends, “The Painting Sellers,” nabbed the Cinefondation award; later their first feature, “The Happiest Day in The Life of Olli Mäki” (2016) topped Un Certain Regard. Now, their Russia-shot drama “Compartment No. 6” will premiere in the main competition.

During and after his university studies in cultural management, Rantamäki worked as assistant director and location manager for various companies. He joined Aamu Film in 2008, becoming the owner in 2013. He says, “My film school was working with director-producer Auli Mantila in Aamu and with theater director Leea Klemola as an actor in her plays. I’ve learned the principles of content development from these two. Although women producers and directors were a minority in Finland, I was clearly taught and led to art making by two strong women.”

Aamu aims to build long relationships with directors and screenwriters who have a unique approach to filmmaking. Rantamäki notes, “We don’t choose projects, we choose people. I have been working closely with four directors for the past eight years.” He usually starts with short films and moves on to longer formats. “Along the way,” he says, “my job is to find the right people to support them and make their vision sharper and develop their artistry. I try to help them to be brave and precise.”

Among his other chosen people are Hamy Ramezan, “Any Day Now”; Hannaleena Hauru, “Fucking with Nobody”; Mikko Myllymäki, now in post with his helming debut “The Woodcutter Story”; and Tia Kouvo in development with the debut feature “FaSmily Time.”

– Alissa Simon

“Jingle Jangle: A Christmas Journey”

When Sisson-Talbert needed a boost of morale during the 20 years it took to get “Jingle Jangle: A Christmas Journey” off the ground, her go-to tune — and mantra — was “The Square Root of Possible,” a song now featured in the Netflix live-action musical starring Forest Whitaker and Keegan-Michael Key. Sisson-Talbert and her husband, David E. Talbert, who wrote and directed the passion project, have since inked a multi-year first-look deal with Netflix under their banner Golden Alchemy Entertainment. This success, says Sisson-Talbert, who cut her teeth producing national sold-out theatrical tours, is the byproduct of unrelenting passion and commitment.

“One thing my dad always told me is to never accept no from someone who can’t say yes, and those words really stuck with me,” says Sisson-Talbert. “I always felt like those who were saying no, they couldn’t say yes anyway. I knew I needed to keep going and get past them to the yes.”

She’s found that yes for several projects. Sisson-Talbert has executive produced feature comedies “Baggage Claim,” “Almost Christmas” and Netflix’s original film “El Camino Christmas.”

But it was “Jingle Jangle,” a holiday tale about an eccentric toy-maker and his granddaughter, that lit a fire inside Sisson-Talbert. As a Black filmmaker, it was crucially important that she create something “original” set in the Black cinema space to which her young son could relate.

“I wanted to make something for him to watch, because I’m tired of the Black version—the remakes— of everything,” she says. “There are so many original stories to be told, stories that feature Black characters but have a universal worldview and message.”

– Malina Saval

“Detective Chinatown 3”

Chinese producer Yue worked in TV making 600 hours of programming for international companies such as Fremantle Media Enterprises before segueing to producing films.

“It wasn’t easy, but ended up being a natural transition,” he says via email. “The details are all different but the core of the business remains the same. Have a workable plan, maintain the control during the whole process and deliver on the promise.”

The Beijing-based Yue recently set up Bamboo Curtain after making “Detective Chinatown 3” for director Sichen Chen. The Feb. 22 release grossed $680 million in China.

“I have always been fascinated by this job, and love working with creative talent,” Yue says. “I love collaborating and having different experiences in order to refine my skills and build the next generation of artists and producers.” Bamboo Curtain was set up to bridge systemic differences between China and the U.S.

“Hollywood has both the studio and independent film system, each with its own infrastructure. Most films in China have to be set up and packaged as an independent film first and then financed by the big Chinese studios. This does not mean Chinese films are smaller in budget or size. Chinese financiers greenlight mega budget films all the time but it requires the producer in China to pay enough attention to everything and to build the infrastructure required.”

Yue is taking the best of Hollywood, hiring talent in China and making his films. “I am bringing the Chinese market to the West, and some of the Western market to China, creating films for both the Chinese and Western markets. This loop can sound redundant, but that’s exactly what I am doing.”

– Shalini Dore