London-based sales, finance and production company Protagonist Pictures has launched a boutique label on the eve of Cannes.
Announced by Protagonist CEO Dave Bishop, Protagonist Picks will be led by industry vet Isabel Ivars and, according to the company, will be focused on “bringing distinctive and bold projects to wide global audiences” and whose “nimble and tailored method reflects the ever-changing marketplace.”
Protagonist Picks will sit alongside Protagonist’s slate of first run features and well-established library and will focus on non-theatrical premium partners.
The new specialist label launches with an inaugural slate of five titles, with plans to add additional titles ahead of key markets.
The slate includes a pair of documentaries in “Vice is Broke,” directed by Eddie Huang (“Fresh Off the Boat”) and “Bigger Than Art,” directed by Alvaro Porras and Gonzalo Fernandes De Cordova. In the wake of Vice Media’s bankruptcy, “Vice is Broke” and Huang take you on a “rough, rugged, and raw first-person journey” through the wreckage exploring how Vice went up and ultimately came crashing down. Meanwhile, “Bigger Than Art” brings together some of the world’s most iconic creative voices including Marina Abramović, David Hockney, Jeff Koons, Julian Schnabel, and many more — introduced by Gottfried Helnwein and Academy Award-winning actor Sean Penn.
Meanwhile, there’s the sports comedy “Racewalkers,” directed by Kevin Claydon and Phil Moniz, about a struggling racewalking coach and a washed-up pro baseball player and starring Robbie Amell, Milton Barnes, Kevin Claydon and Phil Moniz.
Additional narrative features include “The Luckiest Man in America,” directed by Samir Oliveros and starring Paul Walter Hauser and Walton Goggins. The film is based on the true story of the 1984 scandal orchestrated by Ohio ice cream truck driver Michael Larson who appeared on the popular game show Press Your Luck. Next is Nick Moore’s romantic comedy “This Time Next Year,” starring Lucien Laviscount and Sophie Cookson. Based on the NY Times bestselling novel of the same name, “This Time Next Year” is the story of Minnie and Quinn who are born one minute apart on New Year’s Day.
Ivars, who joined Protagonist Pictures in 2021 as festival and library manager, has been upped to director of sales, Protagonist Picks and Library. Previously she was a sales agent with Paris-based Wide Management, and head of festivals for Films Boutique in Berlin, where she oversaw titles including “There Is No Evil,” “The Story Of My Wife” and “Border.”
“Protagonist Picks is all about bold stories and boundary-pushing voices,” she said. “We’re building a sharp, agile label for fresh, fearless storytelling — across features, docs and episodic — with a clear mission: to connect visionary creators with audiences everywhere, on any platform.”
The new label will be fully integrated, with end-to-end support from the company’s legal, finance, operations, marketing and publicity departments.
“We’re very excited to unveil this new dynamic strategic growth initiative as we continue to broaden our storytelling platforms,” said Bishop. “Isabel’s knowledge of content and invaluable international network makes her the ideal person to helm Protagonist Picks. This new label will increase our presence in the market and seamlessly complement Protagonist Pictures’ award-winning slate.”
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