International breakers: “The Lost Daughter” producer and “Barbarians” director and screenwriter Charles Dorfman expose creative and commercial ambitions

Welcome to Deadline’s International Disruptors, a feature where we focus on top executives and companies outside of the United States that are improving the offshore market. This week we talk to the British. The multifaceted Charles Dorfman, who through his two banners Samuel Marshall Films and Media Finance Capital, has worked on a variety of titles. missing daughter That second chance And his directorial debut. barbarians. In his first major interview, he portrays his ambitions as a writer and director and as a financier and producer.

Charles Dorfman appeared on the back of the banner for several months. The British screenwriter, director and producer has not only seen the release of his first feature film barbarians Earlier this month, however, he was also quiet during the current Oscar race year, producing Maggie Gyllenhaal’s directorial debut. missing daughter.

barbarians, which recently won a Special Jury Award at the Fantasporto Festival in Portugal earlier this month, following its world premiere at Fantastic Fest and Sitges, is a national satirical thriller starring Ivan Reon, Catalina Sandino Moreno and Tom Cullen on the dinner . The party went bad. IFC Midnight released the title theatrically in the United States.

meanwhile psychological drama missing daughter Dorfman was joined by Pie Films producer Talia Kleinhandler and Osnat Handelsmann-Keren. Dorfman’s Samuel Marshall Films banner was co-sponsored with this project by Endeavor Content, before earning three Academy Award nominations for Best Non-Original Screenplay (Gyllenhaal), Best Actress (Olivia Coleman) and Best Non-Original Actress. protagonist (Jesse Bach). It also won Best Picture at the Independent Spirit Awards and the DGA Award for Gyllenhaal.

“It’s been a wonderful year,” says Dorfman. Deadline In his first big interview. “And we’re just getting started.”

In 2018, Dorfman created equity financing and production brand Samuel Marshall Films and Debt Financing Group Media Finance Capital. ᲓAdd barbarians Y missing daughterSamuel Marshall Films produced a documentary on Ramin Bahran second chanceWhich premiered at Sundance earlier this year and was bought by Showtime, as was the 2019 documentary Untouchable, followed by the rise and fall of Harvey Weinstein. The company also played Open Road Films star Liam Neeson. an honest thief.

For its part, Media Finance Capital has a portfolio of 32 projects with the latest titles, including an HBO documentary. Basin, colorful room Starring Phoebe Dinevor and Matthew Goode and the next feature by Russell Crowe Boxer: The life of Jem Belcher.

According to Dorfman, the philosophy behind the two companies is “an attempt to find a balance between commercial reality and creativity”.

“It depends on where this balance ends, where the project is going,” he said, noting that Samuel Marshall takes a more creative view with greater risk, while MFC takes a more commercial and sharp stance.

when it came to that missing daughterDorfman knew his original writer, Elena Ferrante, and when he was introduced to an adaptation of Gyllenhaal, he was drawn to it from the start. “The script was very well written,” he recalls. “He didn’t have much fat, he was very laconic. “I was a huge fan of Maggie as an artist and actress and I really wanted to get involved.”

At the moment, Dorfman says the idea is to create a powerful subtitle of a commercial action thriller in the $ 25-40 million budget range that has big upfront sales in the international market. He mentions movies like Fugitive Y double penalty As examples of stocks he has grown and is happy to see an opportunity in today’s market.

“I think there is an opportunity to focus on interesting talent working in this space that may still be pre-sold,” points out Liam Neeson, for example.

“Who would have thought that Liam Neeson would become the star he has become?” he says. “It’s amazing. I really wonder if people can go down that path. It’s about finding that talent commercially and also about supporting visually impaired people who are a little more creative like Maggie.” missing daughter. “

Getting here was an exciting journey for Dorfman. A quick Google search reveals that he is a man of many hats who has worked in various sectors of the business. but he says Deadline That his main passion has always been directing and making films. Her father is British businessman Lloyd Dorfman, founder of the Travelex exchange company and a prolific artistic philanthropist in the UK.

After studying acting at university, Charles worked as an actor for several years before moving into the exhibition space, becoming one of the original investors in the British independent film network Everyman, which operates 35 cinemas in the area. There he trained as a manager before working as an interim CEO.

He then worked for the British production company See-Saw Films, where he worked on tulips as The king’s speech, Shame Y Tracks.

“I had an amazing experience at See-Saw,” Dorfman recalls. “They have a history of working with the same people, developing that relationship and a relationship with talent. It’s really a dream, but I think it all has to happen naturally.

Dorfman is also CEO of Dorfman Media Holdings, which makes strategic investments in a select group of media and entertainment businesses united by a passion for storytelling. These activities include: IP Incubator and manufacturing company Vespucci, which helps fund investigations and storytelling for a large network of journalists to bring stories to the screen; House Untold Studios for production and visual effects; Think Jam, entertainment marketing agency; And Talent Village, a talented marketing agency.

“I’ve always been very interested in investing in companies in the value chain of a film that could be independent, but then we can work together when the opportunity arises,” said Dorfman. “I think it always made sense to me. For example, with Vespucci, the goal is to work with reporters who, when it comes to the case, are really people who can identify a good story as a way to develop IP and storytelling, which made sense. for me. We all follow the same story ”.

Although Dorfman is the director of most of these companies and remains the non-executive director of Everyman Cinema, it is clear that these businesses are managed by his “excellent management teams”.

“If there is ever going to be an opportunity between these companies between Samuel Marshall and MFC, then I’m a big supporter, but it’s not a necessity,” he said.

Right now, the goal is to keep writing and developing projects that he can drive, as well as crafting a suspense sheet that fits this $ 25-40 million corporate media. He currently has several projects in development which he is considering as vehicles for the next invasion of the director’s chair. Also, as soon as his list is built, Dorfman says he is seriously considering opening an international sales subsidiary. Next month he will actively participate in the meetings of the Cannes Film Festival.

“I love my instincts, the stories that appeal to me and a good script is obviously very important,” said Dorfman. “I believe in the power of storytelling and good news told well will always find its audience.”

This week’s edition of Deadline’s International Breakers features Guillotine Vodka.