Black Bear Signs Finnish-British Writer/Director Mikko Mäkelä

Details: Category: Entertainment News; Published on Tuesday, 02 July 2024 11:30; Written by A&E Contributing Editor

Black Bear announced that its management arm has signed Mikko Mäkelä, a rising Finnish-British writer/director based in London. Named by IndieWire as an "LGBTQ Filmmaker on the Rise," Mäkelä is best known for his contributions to international queer cinema.

Mäkelä's directorial debut A Moment in the Reeds premiered at the BFI London Film Festival and screened at nearly a hundred festivals worldwide, including Göteborg Film Festival, Seattle International Film Festival, and Frameline in San Francisco. The film was nominated for the 'Discovery Award' at the 2018 British Independent Film Awards and for the 'Best Actor' and 'Best Supporting Actor' prizes at the 2019 Finnish Jussi Awards.

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Continuing to explore questions of identity, Mäkelä's sophomore feature, Sebastian, is both a psychological portrait of queer sex work in London and a heartfelt depiction of what it means to an individual at odds with traditionalist society. Sebastian premiered in the World Cinema Dramatic Competition at Sundance 2024 and was met with rave reviews, cementing Mäkelä as one of the most interesting queer filmmakers working today. The film will be distributed by Kino Lorber, releasing later this summer on August 2, 2024.

Prior to his feature debut, Mäkelä directed a number of music and fashion promos and worked as an editor on commercials. He is an alumnus of the BFI Network x BAFTA Crew, Berlinale Talents, and BIFA Springboard, as well as a member of the European Film Academy.

Black Bear has quickly established itself as one of the premiere management companies focused on representing exceptional talent with a global orientation.

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Led by partners Keith Redmon and Joanne Roberts Wiles, Black Bear advises a bespoke list of clients comprised of some of the most accomplished artists working today, including Karyn Kusama ("Yellowjackets", Destroyer), Johan Renck ("Chernobyl", upcoming Spaceman), Cooper Raiff (Cha Cha Real Smooth), Morten Tyldum ("Silo", The Imitation Game), John Hillcoat ("George & Tammy", The Road), Raine Allen-Miller (Rye Lane), Charlie McDowell (The One I Love, upcoming The Summer Book), Greg Kwedar (Sing Sing), Clint Bentley (Jockey), David Sandberg (Kung Fury), Jamie Dack (Palm Trees and Power Lines), Kodi Smit-McPhee (The Power of the Dog), Michaël Roskam (The Drop, Bullhead), Agnieszka Smoczynska (The Silent Twins), Elliott C. Hove (Godland), Sophie Dupuis (Solo), Ena Sendijarević (Sweet Dreams), Olmo Schnabel (Pet Shop Days), Ilker Çatak (The Teacher's Lounge), and Simona Tabasco ("The White Lotus").

About Black Bear

Black Bear is one of the world's leading independent studios, focused on producing, financing and distributing premium content for a global audience while offering creators and filmmakers an unparalleled destination for collaboration.

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Black Bear has produced such commercial and critical films as The Imitation Game, I Care A Lot, Mudbound, and All is Lost. Recent releases include Sydney Sweeney's horror vehicle, Immaculate from NEON and Guy Ritchie's The Ministry of Ungentlemanly Warfare from Lionsgate. Upcoming is Sing Sing from director Greg Kwedar and starring Oscar® Nominee Colman Domingo from A24; Matthew McConaughey crime thriller The Rivals of Amziah King; Relay from director David Mackenzie, starring Riz Ahmed and Lily James; David Ayer's Levon's Trade, starring Jason Statham; In the Grey from director Guy Ritchie, starring Henry Cavill, Jake Gyllenhaal and Eiza Gonzalez; Clint Bentley's Train Dreams starring Joel Edgerton & Felicity Jones; the untitled Christy Martin boxing project from director David Michôd, starring Sydney Sweeney; and Gregg Araki's I Want Your Sex, starring Olivia Wilde.

Black Bear's management arm has quickly established itself as one of the industry's premiere companies focused on representing exceptional writers, directors, creators and talent with a truly global orientation. With seven full-time managers led by partners Keith Redmon and Joanne Roberts Wiles, Black Bear represents close to one hundred of the most accomplished artists around the world. Indicative clients include Johan Renck, Karyn Kusama, Morten Tyldum, Jamie Dack, John Hillcoat, Raine Allen Miller, Cooper Raiff, Michaël Roskam, Charlie McDowell, Kodi Smit-McPhee, Simona Tabasco, Ilker Çatak, among many other incredible artists.