A24's logo.
Sasha Lloyd oversees film and television distribution and business development in the international marketplace for A24, a New York-based distributor and now production company which launched in 2012. The young outfit has quickly become known for its social media savvy as well as taste.
The company just released Barry Jenkins’ acclaimed Moonlight, as well as Andrea Arnold’s American Honey, starring Shia Labeouf; Yorgos Lanthimos' The Lobster, starring Colin Farrell and Rachel Weisz; Swiss Army Man, starring Daniel Radcliffe and Paul Dano; and Robert Eggers’ The Witch.
IF caught up with Lloyd at SPA's Screen Forever conference, which wrapped up last night.
Who are you speaking to at Screen Forever?
Everyone. Trying to build as many relationships as possible. Talking to creators, producers, distribution companies, distribution platforms. And also the state agencies: understanding more about how that works [and] what the opportunities are. We haven’t spent much time here so it’s good to be able to get some feet on the ground with everyone in the one place.
The Rover was one of A24’s earliest acquisitions.
That was before I joined the company. The international part of the business is relatively new and growing, and an area of focus. We’ve started producing our own movies. Moonlight is our very first production. That went nuts at TIFF. We had international buyers trying to get in [to screenings]. The rationale for the company doing its own productions [was] we knew that we’d own worldwide rights but we didn’t really know what that meant. We were getting inbound from international companies and had no real way of fielding that at the time. So I came on to spearhead international, both in terms of managing the rights on those pictures but also looking to grow the business to a global consumer.
Where were you before?
I was consulting beforehand. My background is film finance. I started off at Goldman Sachs media bank, and then they set up a film finance group. Which was back in the day when pension funds and hedge funds were investing in film. Good times. And from there [I] launched a boutique investment bank specializing in film, and expanded as the market changed to [doing] more corporate strategy for film companies. So my clients ranged from a lot of the independent studios like A24 to directors who wanted to get their projects made to investors looking for investment opportunities in film. So I was working very closely with A24 for two years and then this opportunity came up and I really wanted to switch sides. I was already in New York, and at the time New York based companies in film were few and far between. Now there’s a few of them.
A24 has built a distinctive brand quickly.
Social media is a huge part of that. Digital. Getting to consumers in a way that they respond [to]. Rather than more traditional methods of advertising to consumers. The generation that we’re trying to target are more likely to be sitting at their desk on Facebook or looking at the New York Times there than they are reading the New York Times paper version. It’s getting to them in a way that they respond to.
Is the population in Oz too small for that kind of boutique distributor model?
Yeah, you also have some great distributors and a really healthy independent market. Supported obviously by a lot of the state and government agencies. It does seem to be a very robust independent space, which is very exciting for a company like us as we look to build relationships with the companies here. It feels like it’s a very developed independent marketplace.
Are you looking to branch out into TV?
Our first TV show is in production right now [the buddy cop action-comedy Iron Fisting, which A24 is producing with Channing Tatum’s Free Association]. We have two partners who run the TV business in LA and we’re doing film, television… I see it more like content. We’ll also do shorts. We’ll do unusual series.
Shorts?
Not often, but if an opportunity presents itself we try to be opportunistic and really support filmmakers and their vision. So if their vision is a short we’ll help them do that. If their vision is a feature film we’ll help them do that. But it’s all about the director, and then letting them champion the content.
How many people do you have?
We have two offices, New York and LA. We have about 45 people. 30 in New York, 15 in LA.
Are you buying off script or acquiring from festivals or everything in between?
Everything in between. Obviously we go to all the festivals. They’ve become more competitive. We now produce through great relationships with content creators. Providing them a safe space in which to create, and setting it up for success, because you’re encouraging them to pursue their own vision and not trying to influence it too much. We’ve just been really lucky. Barry Jenkins [Moonlight] is a perfect example. Our first production and what a visionary. He’s just delivered this remarkable piece of art.
How many things do you have in development in-house?
We have a couple of films in post and then our slate is very robust. The idea would be that we’ll be 50-50 acquisitions/productions going forward. We’re always looking to pursue a global scale now. The goal at the moment, especially where I’m sitting, is to get closer to the global consumer. Our belief is that a consumer in Germany and Australia and even Indonesia has more in common with the consumer in American than they ever have before. They’ll be following Twitter, they’ll be following Facebook. There are a few exceptions – China obviously has its own platforms, but the trends are very similar. In terms of independent film, I think it’s a great time.
Does that mean opening up offices overseas or acquiring local distributors?
That’s TBD. At the moment I’d say our eyes are open and we’re looking out to the world to see what’s out there. There are some wonderful companies around the world we want to build relationships with. That’s a big part of why I’m here. Just [to] learn more about the dynamics of each country and see how we can excite a new audience to independent film, as opposed to try and take market share from others. We’ve had success with that in the States and we would look to continue to build on that.
What's the plan for Moonlight's global rollout?
We’re selling that to international distributors around the world. As a distributor we can talk distributor to distributor about how we see the film, our marketing campaign, how it’s going. In terms of our marketing assets, when we look at the international community it’s essentially a tailored approach for each film. So sharing our concepts and ideas on marketing and things like that.
Are you looking at a lot of material set outside the States?
It’s so about the filmmaker. We’re ultimately location-agnostic. It’s about the filmmaker and the story. But there’s a lot of great talent coming through. Joel Edgerton stars in one of our next productions – It Comes At Night – and he’s been wonderful. With Riley Keough. The director, Trey Shults, did Krisha. It’s about a family Thanksgiving where the aunt returns and there’s a tension as to where she’s been. And the director's ability to create this cinematic tension is incredible. And now he's applying that to a larger film, a larger scope of production, and Joel’s been super supportive. He’s a wonderful talent.