Searchlight Pictures Katie Goodson-Thomas on Netflix, AI, Humanity

Searchlight images (The Banshees of Inisherin, Three Billboards outside Ebbing, Missouri, arm Things, We are all strangers, Jojo rabbit, Boys don’t cry, Napoleon dynamite, Little Miss Sunshine) Top executive Katie Goodson-Thomas explained at the BFI London Film Festival (LFF) on Tuesday how much passion and little corporate focus make the studio special.

During a Spotlight Talk at the 68th edition of the festival in the British capital, the studio’s head of international production and development shared her thoughts and behind-the-scenes insights, saying: “We’re pretty weak in the UK as a team of eight people.” UK staff including four lawyers working across the business.

Has the studio changed under Walt Disney Co. ownership? “They give us complete creative freedom” while also allowing the studio to have this “huge creative powerhouse behind us,” Goodson-Thomas shared. However, Disney has made the Searchlight team “more conscious” of the importance and power of the brand, she argued.

She praised the “passion” of all Searchlight employees for indie films and emphasized how “collaborative” the team is, “how un-American, how uncorporate the entire company is.” She added: “We are a flat company. Everyone has a voice. … We all have a voice.” Even though there are notes given by the studio in post-production, there is never a feeling that suits in the US are diluting a filmmaker’s voice. “We are very cooperative and respectful,” she concluded.

Searchlight is celebrating its 30th anniversary this year. Goodson-Thomas has led the UK and international direction of the specialist film brand for more than a decade. Given the specific type of films Searchlight makes, she and her team often help creatives “make their dream project come true.”

When discussing the two Searchlight pictures at LFF, she said this A real pain Starring Jesse Eisenberg and Kieran Culkin, written, directed and produced by Eisenberg, it was a great fit for the studio as its films traditionally have the ability to be “both humorous and have something to say.” And “it’s so Jesse” and expresses his voice naturally, she added.

The other Searchlight LFF film is Night slutstarring Amy Adams and directed by Marielle Heller, who spoke to the studio about it. “It’s a satirical comedy but has something to say about motherhood and other topics,” the director explained. “We fully funded it.”

Discuss We are all strangersGoodson-Thomas recalled that Andrew Haigh shared the script with her and she loved it and always wanted to work with her. Casting was then key. When Haigh asked her what she thought of Paul Mescal, she replied: “I really like Paul Mescal.” The same reaction was then repeated. “I really like Andrew Scott,” she recalls. And she said she and Haigh both agreed: “The two of them together are hot.”

Diversity, inclusion, representation and sustainability are critical to Searchlight, Goodson-Thomas said. Showing “underrepresented communities” on screen and working sustainably is something her team is passionate about, while also remaining focused on producing “commercial” films.

When it comes to financing decisions, “we are completely flexible,” the studio head also shared Searchlight’s approach on Tuesday. “Making films is gambling,” she said, given the inherent risk in choosing creative projects.

Goodson-Thomas discussed upcoming projects, Goodson-Thomas announced The rosesstarring Benedict Cumberbatch and Olivia Colman, from writer Tony McNamara and director Jay Roach, a reimagining of The War of the Roses.

She also mentioned a Bradley Cooper film in development starring Will Arnett.

The responsibility of keeping indie films going falls not just on the studios, but also on the audience. “People need to go back to theaters” and see more sophisticated films, which has been the case recently, and she hopes that will continue, the Searchlight executive said.

When asked about AI, she replied that she didn’t have much to offer on the topic. “They know the future is coming,” she said. “It’s inevitable and it’s just a matter of how you use it. And I can only speak for myself. I can’t speak for the company. … We just have to learn to use it to our best advantage, but hope that they’re still people deep down.” She added: “Everyone said theater was dead, and yet it’s thriving. So I think we’ll see what happens and we have to be careful, careful and deliberate. But I personally don’t have any solutions. This is a big deal.”

The Searchlight manager was also asked about the competitive market. “We can’t compete with Netflix. “It’s just that it’s not going to happen – not at Apple or at Amazon,” she said. “Emerald Fennell is a filmmaker I would love to work with. I know she’s leaving [to make an adaptation of] Wuthering Heights. We will not be able to be part of this conversation. But I think she’s an extraordinary filmmaker and I want her film to get made. That’s why I’m proud that she can do it with people who can pay the money she wants.”

She continued: “I hope part of our edge at Searchlight is…that humanity, that personal conversation. We are very strict and very considerate.” The managing director concluded: “I’m not in this department, so I can say it. I don’t think there is better sales or better marketing [team] as ours, both internationally and globally.”

What would Goodson-Thomas do if she had to choose an alternative career? The executive quipped: “If I didn’t work in film, I’d probably be a therapist.”