Films produced Eternal Sunshine of the Sp, 21 Grams, Towelhead, Friends with Money, The Savages | ||
This is that productions was one of the leading independent feature film production companies. Established in 2002, and based in New York City, the company was founded and fully owned by Anne Carey, Ted Hope, and Diana Victor. The three partners previously worked together at the groundbreaking Good Machine, which Ted Hope co-founded in 1996.
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Development History
In its first six years, This is that has produced sixteen films. All of This is that's films have been distributed in the United States and throughout the world. Their films have generated seven Academy Award nominations.
This is that’s initial production was 21 Grams directed by Alejandro González Iñárritu and written by Guillermo Arriaga. The film stars Sean Penn, Naomi Watts and Benicio del Toro. This is that’s second year brought Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind written by Charlie Kaufman, directed by Michel Gondry, and starring Jim Carrey and Kate Winslet; The Door in the Floor, based on a novel by John Irving, written for the screen and directed by Tod Williams, and starring Jeff Bridges and Kim Basinger; and John Waters' A Dirty Shame, produced along with Killer Films.
This is that’s production of Mike Mills' Thumbsucker premiered at the 2005 Sundance Film Festival and Berlin International Film Festival. Lou Taylor Pucci was awarded the Special Jury Prize at both festivals for his performance. Another This is that production in competition at the 2005 Sundance Film Festival was Jeff Feuerzeig's documentary The Devil and Daniel Johnston, which won Best Director for a documentary at the festival.
In 2006, Sony Pictures Classics released This is that's Nicole Holofcener-directed Friends With Money, starring Jennifer Aniston, Catherine Keener, Frances McDormand and Joan Cusack. The film, which was the opening night selection at the 2006 Sundance Film Festival, was Sony Pictures Classic's highest grossing film that year.
2007 was also a busy year for This is that. The Savages, directed by Tamara Jenkins, and starring Laura Linney and Philip Seymour Hoffman was nominated for two Academy Awards including Best Actress and Best Screenplay. Hal Hartley’s Fay Grim premiered at the Toronto Film Festival and was also featured at the Sundance, Berlin, London and San Sebastian film festivals. The film stars Parker Posey and Jeff Goldblum. The Ex, produced with 2929 Entertainment, was written by David Guion & Michael Handelman and directed by Jesse Peretz. The film stars Zach Braff, Amanda Peet, Jason Bateman, Charles Grodin and Mia Farrow. The Hawk Is Dying, starring Paul Giamatti premiered at Sundance and Cannes.
Fall of 2008 kicked off with the release of This is that's production, Towelhead, Oscar-winner Alan Ball's feature film directorial debut, which premiered at both Toronto and Sundance and stars Aaron Eckhart, Toni Collette, and Maria Bello. It is the final release by Warner Independent. Trainwreck: My Life as an Idoit, written and directed by Tod Harrison Williams and starring Seann William Scott, Gretchen Mol and Jeff Garlin will be released later in the year.
This is that completed production on Adventureland, by writer/director Greg Mottola (Superbad), which stars Jesse Eisenberg, Kristen Stewart, Ryan Reynolds, and Bill Hader. The film, a joint effort for Miramax and Sidney Kimmel Entertainment, was released in 2009 and earned award nominations at three festivals.
With at least two films being released each year since their creation in 2004, This Is That also made, in association with Likely Story and This is that’s former partner Anthony Bregman, Carriers, written and directed by brothers Alex and David Pastor, and Sleep Dealer, a Spanish-language science-fiction romance from writer-director Alex Rivera that won the Best Screenplay award at the 2008 Sundance Film Festival.
Closing
Anthony Bregman left the company to start his own in 2007. The company closed its doors in 2010 after having the #1 film at the US box office (The American) and the first film to sell that year at the Toronto International Film Festival (Super).
Additional information
In 1981, This is that partners Ted Hope and Anne Carey met on their first day as undergrad transfer student's to NYU's Tisch School of the Arts. In 1999, Diana Victor came to run Business Affairs at Good Machine; she has worked with Ted & Anne ever since. When Good Machine was sold to Universal, they formed This is that together.
The partners at This is that have been responsible for over fifty feature films. In addition to their seven Academy Award Nominations their films have received eighteen Indie Spirit Nominations. Three of their films have won the Grand Prize at the Sundance Film Festival.
In both 2007 & 2008, This is that producer team has been named in Hollywood Reporter's Indie Power List.
Ted Hope was a key figure in the successful 2003 anti-trust suit against the MPAA, popularly known as the Screener Ban. This is that has been represented by United Talent Agency since 2001.