Los Angeles -based manufacturer and global sales veteran Pia Potato It is seeking to grow even higher with the start of its new company of production, sales and funding cloud9 studios. Patatian debuted the company as Concord Studios on the eve of AFM last year, but since then it has been re-interpreted in the most sound optimistic cloud (avoiding a possible case for copyright violations on the way), and is Prepared, in the European film market in Berlin, to bring some highly needed hope for the raped industry industry.
A Lebanon who grew up in Spain and studied in Denmark before entering the international film business-“I’ve traveled all my life,” she notes. “I have lived in probably four or five different places on two continents” – Patatian has been a match on the international film scene for nearly two decades. She began her career at Universal Pictures in Madrid, worked as director of international sales at the Blue Box International, and Director of Sales and Marketing at Kathy Morgan International before being transferred to Capstone Pictures, where she was high of VP sales, And then in Arclight Films, where she served as president of sales worldwide until mid -2024.
Berlin of Cloud9 Berlin includes several Arclight projects – Romantic Comedy Below the stars Starring Toni Collette and Andy Garcia, which produced the Patatian, and the thriller of the JFK plot in real life MurderInterpreting Jessica Chastain, Brendan Fraser and Al Pacino, which Barry Levinson is running – as well as new tariffs including erotic thriller Unclear With Guy Pearce and Alex Pettyfer.
“The first movies we are bringing to the market are highly run Unclear. “These are the kind of new talent that I want to bring to the market and build.”
Patatian also talked to the Thr for Cloud9’s strategy, new approaches and
Why change the name, and what is the cloud9 you have to follow for your vision for the company?
We had to reopen the company because we could not use the Concord Studios, the name was already taken from universal music. We don’t want to get into any legal thing, so we decided on a name that means something to everyone. Cloud9, this feeling of optimism, of happiness, is the purpose of our company – we want to convey that feeling to our buyers and our audiences with the films we make.
Where does that optimism come from? Because almost many times I talk to someone in the industry these days, the conversation is how the box has not been recovered since Covid and how you can’t get indie -funded films these days. Where do you see the reasons for optimism?
It is true, lately there has been a big difference in independent film business, but – and I’m sorry, but we were late – there was a great need for changes in this industry for years, and we We all knew it. The audience was tired of seeing, over and over, the same stories, sequels, exclusivity, filming. They are watching us, manufacturers, bet on new stories, new talents and in stories with good messages, so that we can bring the audience back to cinemas. This is the goal of Cloud9: to bring films with good messages to the audience. Look with what Angel Studi did The sound of freedom. I’m not talking about the content of the movie [the film has been criticized as supporting the extremist QAnon conspiracy theory] But their business strategy, their marketing. That was completely new. If you went online to buy tickets you can [using Angel Studios’ Pay It Forward scheme] Buy tickets for people who could not afford them. And look at the success they had! [Sound of Freedom grossed more than $184 million domestically]. This is what the industry needs: a difference from the way things are always done.
So what are you planning to do different cloud9?
In funding, for example, we have a small fund, which we are planning to grow, and we want to use to be able to fund our films and those from external producers. Of course, we will do the Presales, this is the basis of our company, but I do not want to do the president if I don’t need it. The industry is very focused on the Presale, and that’s okay, but if I’m really sure of a project and can finance it myself, why should I go and wait? The way we act is by mixing premises and capital, this is how we are funding our films. But the difference is that we will produce, or win, the films that I am passionate about, the type of movies where I am sure they will make distributors and audiences happy. I will not receive movies from external manufacturers who would not be happy to look at myself in the cinema. The purpose of this company is to be a theatrical company. We want to bring 12 to 15 films a year and maybe half of them should be theatrical. That is our goal.
How is that strategy in the lineup you are bringing to Berlin? You are bringing some interesting projects to the market, including a Rom-com Tony Collette, and Murderwhich you guys have just earned recently.
Below the starsRomantic comedy with Tony Collette and Andy Garcia and Alex Pettyferand Eva de Dominici, is a bright, fun movie. It is a romantic comedy that was shot in Italy last year, and is full of hope and love and happiness and friendship for the audience.
Murder It is a thriller focused on a new theory about the JFK killing, is based on a true story of this very famous journalist [Dorothy Mae Kilgallen] Played by Jessica Chastain, who did not believe what he was seeing in the news of the murder and began investigating himself. I will not reveal the end of the film, but it is a truly exciting, theatrical experience, the type of film that will attract the audience back into the theater. Al Pacino, Brendan Fraser and Bryan Cranston are co-interpreting with Barry Levinson from a scenario by David Mamet.
It is true that the first movies we are bringing to the market are very much -run by the star, with very big names, but we are also looking to build a new talent. Unclear It’s a good example. This is an erotic thriller interpreting Guy Pearce and Alex Pettyfer, who are big names, but also María Pedraza, the Spanish actress known Elite AND Money money, Two big Netflix shows, but she is still a new name in the film industry. This is her first major international film.
Murder He was hit with a lawsuit, with Nicholas Celozzi, one of the screenwriters, accusing the production company, 308, of breach of contract. Will this affect your ability to sell film?
No. At the moment we do not see any impact from the lawsuit on us.
We are now almost a month in Trump’s new presidency. Impact what impact have you seen on the industry under this new administration, and what impact are you expected to see?
What I expect is what I expect from whoever runs the presidency, which is that they will help manufacturers [in the United States] With incentives we have to continue moving films in this country. I haven’t seen any change yet. But the films I am producing, most of them were shot in the US and Europe, and I will continue to do it. We will shoot Murder In Kentucky and, because we want to make three to five films a year we produce inside, we are already looking at Kentucky for a second movie. If it makes more sense to shoot a movie in Canada, Mexico or Asia, I’m happy to do it.
Is there any concern about tariffs about new trade barriers making it more difficult to sell in certain territories in the future?
Something something I will discuss with my buyers in Berlin, but it is true that – and we have seen this for the last few years – that there are issues, with China for example. Asian buyers are not buying as they once were, they are not as active, and have been a few years since China decided their new quotes [on U.S. films]So we have to be a little more creative. If we have a big film and we can make a good sale in China, maybe instead of shooting the film at JB, we will go to shoot it in Europe, so the film is classified as European, giving us anymore Many opportunities to sell it in China. This is not new, it is happening for the last four or five years.
Things have become more complicated throughout Asia. Korea is not in a good place now. Most Asian distributors are not pre-buying early, they must see something, a promotion or finished film, before making a decision. But always depends on the content. If you bring a big action movie, or something really interesting for them, in the market, they will still buy money. And I see a lot of positivity elsewhere: Europe is fine. Latin America is fine. Again, depending on the type of projects you need to sell.
Are there any genres, or budget levels, which are especially difficult in the market at the moment?
If you look at my list, we are making smaller budget movies, under $ 10 million, to over $ 30 million. I don’t see any problems with budgets. For really big budget movies, over $ 50 million, I know buyers are worried about prices and complain about the cost of these projects, but ultimately, buyers complain, but they still buy. Everything sells, depending on the quality of the project. It’s not the budget, it’s not talent, it’s the quality of the project. Without a good scenario, you can forget.
There is a lot of disruption in the market calendar these days. AFM has been moved around, from LA to Las Vegas, now back to LA; Toronto is getting ready to start a market next year. What is your understanding of how things will play? Which markets will survive?
I have to say, I really like Berlin. I like European markets, they also have Berlin because they collect all European buyers together. I also like AFM, now that he is returning to La AFM was my first market with this new company, and many of my buyers were not there because they could not come to Vegas. If buyers are happy, I’m happy. With Toronto, it will be interesting because Toronto is in early September, which is when the stars of the school year in Europe, so it is difficult for those buyers to leave home to go to Toronto. September also has so many festivals: Venice, San Sebastian, Zurich.
I know there are many buyers who can’t afford to make Toronto and then AFM, especially Europeans and some Asians. So we will have to see if we can keep both markets or if someone will disappear. But there are so many questions that still have to answer. Let’s wait and see how this year’s AFM goes to Century City.