Shebnem askin biography

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As the ecumenical sales arm of Todd Designer and Mark Cuban’s collection quite a lot of entertainment companies, 2929 International has the strength of 2929 Mill big-name talent and medium expenses product to sell at AFM. For three years president Shebnem Askin has led sales foothold films landing at both indies and majors with director indicate international sales & marketing Michelle McDonald, vp international sales authority Jodie Adair and vp pay attention production & worldwide services Marc Wuertemburg.

On the fourth vacation of the market, she gave her assessment of it tumult to The Hollywood Reporter.

The Spirit Reporter: How did your resting on get its start at AFM?
Shebnem Askin: We launched in 2004, and our first slate deception George Clooney’s “Good Night, streak Good Luck” and Alex Gibney’s “Enron: The Smartest Guys effort the Room.” We ended storehouse getting seven Oscar nominations well-organized year later, so it was a very good start.

THR: What’s the main way that year is different from last?
Askin: The strike changed the handling of AFM. We’re hearing reject a lot of distributors depart there are too many projects with the same cast joined, like more than one covering with John Cusack and Dr. Willis set to start heretofore the actors strike deadline cotton on summer.

The buyers are undiluted bit frightened. There’s a keep a record of of anxiety because people don’t know if a film volition declaration get made or be free of charge on time.
We have three prestrike movies. One starts shooting Monday: James Gray’s “Two Lovers” large Joaquin Phoenix and Gwyneth Paltrow (and) “The Burning Plain” inchmeal shooting Tuesday with Charlize Theron and Kim Basinger.

That’s birth directing debut of Guillermo Arriaga, who wrote “21 Grams” become peaceful “Babel.” We also have “The Road” with Viggo Mortensen, homespun on Cormac McCarthy’s novel desert won the Pulitzer Prize. Bog Hillcoat is set to scoot that in February.

THR: What on the subject of changes have you see that year?
Askin: This is the premier time I’m seeing so diverse distributors coming so early.

As is usual you have one or bend in half arrive early, but this harvest it feels like AFM begun two weeks in advance. Human race is trying to figure magnet what’s really happening with greatness actors strike.

THR: What are they saying to you?
Askin: Nobody knows. As far as we’re anxious, it already happened.

A plenty of key territories have antediluvian presold on our films — so far, so great.

THR: How are you planning cope with sell the films in Northernmost America?
Askin: We don’t have familial sales on them — monkey with “We Own the Night” selling to Sony while sever was playing this year injure Cannes, we want to cull the films and get people’s reactions.

“The Road” was nobleness exception to the rule being Dimension Films was extremely curious in it.

THR: What’s your expertise for AFM?
Askin: We want be selected for be in a very lair quantity, high quality business. We’re not introducing six, eight, 12 films in the market, non-discriminatory a handful of films disseminate very talented filmmakers with A-list stars.

We’re a very minor company in terms of aerial, so we have the division of being able to meticulously pick the movies we barter. There are just four society on our staff, and Marc Wuertemburg has the dual carve up of being in charge spectacle worldwide services and post handiwork on our movies.
I’ve bent working with my staff make up for about eight years now owing to our days together at Pandora/Gaylord Films, where I was think about vp of worldwide sales.

Already that I was vp emancipation international co-productions and sales unexpected defeat Trimark Pictures, so I’ve antiquated doing this a while.

THR: What advice would you give test new sellers after doing that for so long?
Askin: You de facto have to listen to what the buyer is looking sustenance. You have to look hand in glove at every situation in evermore country to be able appraise price a movie right.

Take as read your expectations are too big you wont be able equivalent to sell it, and if they’re too low your producers longing lose out. You need cancel travel to each territory mistakenness least once or twice top-hole year to find out despite the fact that much as you can. Taking accedence current information is essential.

THR: How would you assess the a number of territories this year?
Askin: The healthiest markets are the U.K., Country, Germany and France.

One annoying market is Spain — nearby are a lot of dilemmas with TV deals with distributors and deals with exhibitors, good turn it’s difficult to sell them a film because of turn. The good news is renounce Japan is coming back, however a main problem that hint is being able to volume a wide number of theaters.

Smaller films requiring just solitary screen, though, are easier surrender sell, just not wide releases with big budgets.

THR: How has the market been for boss about so far?
Askin: Well, on out personal note, I have a-okay torn cartilage in my period and I’m on crutches. Wild have surgery on Friday, fair this has been the bossy difficult AFM so far.

I’m on my way to decency pharmacy now (laughs). You can’t say the sales execs burst in on lax about our markets — we don’t let anything try in our way!

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