This Is That Productions (also known as This is that corporation) was one of the leading independent feature
film production companies. Established in 2002, and based in
New York City
New York, often called New York City or NYC, is the most populous city in the United States. With a 2020 population of 8,804,190 distributed over , New York City is also the most densely populated major city in the Un ...
, the company was founded and fully owned by
Ted Hope
Ted Hope (born 1962) is an American independent film producer based in New York City. He is best known for co-founding the production/sales company Good Machine, where he produced the first films of such notable filmmakers as Ang Lee, Nicole H ...
,
Anne Carey
Anne Carey is President of Production at Archer Gray, a media production, finance, and venture investment company based in New York City. In her career as an independent producer, Carey has been associated with filmmakers such as Ang Lee, Anton ...
,
Anthony Bregman, and Diana Victor. The four partners previously worked together at the groundbreaking
Good Machine
Good Machine Productions was an American independent film production, film distribution, and foreign sales company started in the early 1990 by its co-founders and producers, Ted Hope and James Schamus. David Linde joined as a partner in the la ...
, which Ted Hope co-founded in 1991.
[Macaulay, Scott]
"Indie Film is Alive,"
''Filmmaker Magazine
''Filmmaker'' is a quarterly publication magazine covering issues relating to independent film. The magazine was founded in 1992 by Karol Martesko-Fenster, Scott Macaulay and Holly Willis. The magazine is now published by the IFP (Independent F ...
'' (Sep. 14, 2017).
The partners at This Is That were responsible for over fifty feature films. In addition to their seven
Academy Award
The Academy Awards, better known as the Oscars, are awards for artistic and technical merit for the American and international film industry. The awards are regarded by many as the most prestigious, significant awards in the entertainment ind ...
nominations their films received eighteen
Independent Spirit Award
The Independent Spirit Awards (abbreviated Spirit Awards and originally known as the FINDIE or Friends of Independents Awards), founded in 1984, are awards dedicated to independent filmmakers. Winners were typically presented with acrylic glas ...
nominations. Three of their films won the
Grand Jury Prize
A film festival is an organized, extended presentation of films in one or more cinemas or screening venues, usually in a single city or region. Increasingly, film festivals show some films outdoors. Films may be of recent date and, depending upo ...
at the
Sundance Film Festival.
History
In 1981, Hope and Carey met on their first day as undergrad transfer student's to NYU's
Tisch School of the Arts
The New York University Tisch School of the Arts (commonly referred to as Tisch) is the performing, cinematic and media arts school of New York University.
Founded on August 17, 1965, Tisch is a training ground for artists, scholars of the a ...
; Carey later came on board Good Machine. In 1999, Diana Victor came to run Business Affairs at
Good Machine
Good Machine Productions was an American independent film production, film distribution, and foreign sales company started in the early 1990 by its co-founders and producers, Ted Hope and James Schamus. David Linde joined as a partner in the la ...
; she has worked with Hope & Carey ever since. When
Good Machine
Good Machine Productions was an American independent film production, film distribution, and foreign sales company started in the early 1990 by its co-founders and producers, Ted Hope and James Schamus. David Linde joined as a partner in the la ...
was sold to Universal, they formed This Is That together.
This Is That's initial production was ''
21 Grams
''21 Grams'' is a 2003 American psychological drama film directed by Alejandro González Iñárritu from a screenplay by Guillermo Arriaga. The film stars Sean Penn, Naomi Watts, Charlotte Gainsbourg, Danny Huston and Benicio Del Toro. The sec ...
'' directed by
Alejandro González Iñárritu
Alejandro González Iñárritu (; American Spanish: ; credited since 2016 as Alejandro G. Iñárritu; born 15 August 1963) is a Mexican filmmaker and screenwriter. He is primarily known for making modern psychological drama films about the hu ...
and written by Guillermo Arriaga. The film stars
Sean Penn
Sean Justin Penn (born August 17, 1960) is an American actor and film director. He has won two Academy Awards, for his roles in the mystery drama ''Mystic River'' (2003) and the biopic ''Milk'' (2008).
Penn began his acting career in televisi ...
,
Naomi Watts
Naomi Ellen Watts (born 28 September 1968) is a British actress. After her family moved to Australia, she made her film debut there in the drama '' For Love Alone'' (1986) and then appeared in three television series, '' Hey Dad..!'' (1990), '' ...
and
Benicio del Toro
Benicio Monserrate Rafael del Toro Sánchez (born February 19, 1967) is a Puerto Rican actor and producer. He has garnered critical acclaim and numerous accolades, including an Academy Award, a BAFTA Award, a Golden Globe Award, two Screen ...
.
This Is That's second year brought ''
Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind'' written by
Charlie Kaufman
Charles Stuart Kaufman (; born November 19, 1958) is an American filmmaker and novelist. He wrote the films '' Being John Malkovich'' (1999), '' Adaptation'' (2002), and '' Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind'' (2004). He made his directorial ...
, directed by
Michel Gondry
Michel Gondry (; born 8 May 1963) is a French filmmaker noted for his inventive visual style and distinctive manipulation of mise en scène. Along with Charlie Kaufman, he won an Academy Award for Best Original Screenplay as one of the writers ...
, and starring
Jim Carrey and
Kate Winslet; ''
The Door in the Floor
''The Door in the Floor'' is a 2004 American drama film written and directed by Tod Williams. The screenplay is based on the first third of the 1998 novel ''A Widow for One Year'' by John Irving.
Plot
Set in an exclusive beach community on Long ...
'', based on a novel by
John Irving
John Winslow Irving (born John Wallace Blunt Jr.; March 2, 1942) is an American-Canadian novelist, short story writer, and screenwriter.
Irving achieved critical and popular acclaim after the international success of ''The World According to ...
, written for the screen and directed by
Tod Williams, and starring
Jeff Bridges
Jeffrey Leon Bridges (born December 4, 1949) is an American actor. He has received various accolades throughout his career spanning over seven decades, including an Academy Award and two Golden Globe Awards.
Bridges comes from a prominent ac ...
and
Kim Basinger
Kimila Ann Basinger ( ; born December 8, 1953) is an American actress and former fashion model. She has garnered acclaim for her work in film and television, for which she has received various accolades including an Academy Award, a Golden Glo ...
; and
John Waters
John Samuel Waters Jr. (born April 22, 1946) is an American filmmaker, writer, actor, and artist. He rose to fame in the early 1970s for his transgressive cult films, including '' Multiple Maniacs'' (1970), '' Pink Flamingos'' (1972) and '' Fe ...
' ''
A Dirty Shame
''A Dirty Shame'' is a 2004 American satirical sex comedy film written and directed by John Waters and starring Tracey Ullman, Johnny Knoxville, Selma Blair, Chris Isaak, Suzanne Shepherd and Mink Stole.
''A Dirty Shame'' is currently the ...
'', produced along with Killer Films.
This Is That's production of
Mike Mills
Michael Edward Mills (born December 17, 1958) is an American multi-instrumentalist, singer, and composer who was a founding member of the alternative rock band R.E.M. Though known primarily as the bass guitarist and backing vocalist of R.E.M., h ...
' ''
Thumbsucker'' premiered at the 2005
Sundance Film Festival and
Berlin International Film Festival
The Berlin International Film Festival (german: Internationale Filmfestspiele Berlin), usually called the Berlinale (), is a major international film festival held annually in Berlin, Germany. Founded in 1951 and originally run in June, the fest ...
. 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
''The Devil and Daniel Johnston'' is a 2005 documentary film about American musician Daniel Johnston. It chronicles Johnston's life from childhood up to the present, with an emphasis on his experiences with bipolar disorder, and how it manifested ...
'', which won Best Director for a documentary at the festival.
In 2006,
Sony Pictures Classics
Sony Pictures Classics Inc. is an American film production and distribution company that is a division of Sony Pictures. It was founded in 1992 by former Orion Classics heads Michael Barker, Tom Bernard and Marcie Bloom. It distributes, produce ...
released This Is That's
Nicole Holofcener
Nicole Holofcener (; born March 22, 1960) is an American film and television director and screenwriter. She has directed six feature films, including ''Walking and Talking'', '' Friends with Money'' and ''Enough Said'', as well as various televis ...
-directed ''
Friends with Money
''Friends with Money'' is a 2006 American comedy-drama film written and directed by Nicole Holofcener. It opened the 2006 Sundance Film Festival on January 19, 2006, and went into limited release in North America on April 7, 2006.
Plot
Olivia is ...
'', starring
Jennifer Aniston
Jennifer Joanna Aniston (born February 11, 1969) is an American actress and film producer. She is the recipient of various accolades, including a Primetime Emmy Award, a Golden Globe Award and two Screen Actors Guild Awards. Since her career ...
,
Catherine Keener
Catherine Ann Keener (born March 26, 1959) is an American actress. She has portrayed disgruntled and melancholic yet sympathetic women in independent films, as well as supporting roles in studio films. She has been nominated twice for the Acad ...
,
Frances McDormand
Frances Louise McDormand (born Cynthia Ann Smith; June 23, 1957) is an American actress and producer. Throughout her career spanning over four decades, McDormand has received numerous accolades, including four Academy Awards, two Primetime Emm ...
and
Joan Cusack
Joan Mary Cusack (; born October 11, 1962) is an American actress. She received nominations for the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress for her roles in the comedy-drama '' Working Girl'' (1988) and the romantic comedy '' In & Out'' (1997 ...
. The film, which was the opening night selection at the
2006 Sundance Film Festival
The 2006 Sundance Film Festival was held in Utah from January 19, to January 29, 2006. It was held in Park City, with screenings in Salt Lake City; Ogden; and the Sundance Resort. It was the 22nd iteration of the Sundance Film Festival, and the ...
, was Sony Pictures Classic's highest grossing film that year. Anthony Bregman left along with a co-worker to start his own production company
Likely Story
Likely Story is an independent film production company founded by its president and CEO Anthony Bregman in October 2006 with Stefanie Azpiazu. It is based in New York City with an office in Los Angeles.
History
New York City-based producer Ant ...
.
2007 was also a busy year for This Is That. ''
The Savages'', directed by
Tamara Jenkins
Tamara Jenkins (born May 2, 1962) is an American filmmaker and occasional actress. She is best known for her feature films ''Slums of Beverly Hills'' (1998), '' The Savages'' (2007), and ''Private Life'' (2018).
Early life
Jenkins was born in ...
, and starring
Laura Linney and
Philip Seymour Hoffman
Philip Seymour Hoffman (July 23, 1967 – February 2, 2014) was an American actor. Known for his distinctive supporting and character roles—typically lowlifes, eccentrics, underdogs, and misfits—he acted in many films and theatrical produ ...
was nominated for two Academy Awards including Best Actress and Best Screenplay.
Hal Hartley
Hal Hartley (born November 3, 1959) is an American film director, screenwriter, producer and composer who became a key figure in the American independent film movement of the 1980s and '90s. He is best known for his films '' The Unbelievable Tr ...
's ''
Fay Grim
''Fay Grim'' is a 2006 espionage thriller film written and directed by Hal Hartley. The film is a sequel to Hartley's 1997 film '' Henry Fool'', and revolves around the title character, played by Parker Posey, the sister of Simon Grim (James Urbani ...
'' 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
Parker Christian Posey (born November 8, 1968) is an American actress and musician. Posey is the recipient of a Golden Globe Award nomination, a Satellite Award nomination and two Independent Spirit Award nominations.
Posey made her film debu ...
and
Jeff Goldblum
Jeffrey Lynn Goldblum (; born October 22, 1952) is an American actor and musician. He has starred in some of the highest-grossing films of his era, such as ''Jurassic Park'' (1993) and ''Independence Day'' (1996), as well as their sequels.
...
. ''
The Ex'', produced with 2929 Entertainment, was written by David Guion & Michael Handelman and directed by Jesse Peretz. The film stars
Zach Braff
Zachary Israel Braff['Scrubs' Star Zach Braff Wows ...](_blank)
,
Amanda Peet
Amanda Peet (born January 11, 1972) is an American actress. She began her career with small parts on television, and made her feature film debut in '' Animal Room'' (1995). Her portrayal of Jill St. Claire in '' The Whole Nine Yards'' (2000) bro ...
,
Jason Bateman,
Charles Grodin
Charles Sidney Grodin (April 21, 1935 – May 18, 2021) was an American actor, comedian, author, and television talk show host. Grodin began his acting career in the 1960s appearing in TV serials including '' The Virginian''. After a small part ...
and
Mia Farrow
Maria de Lourdes Villiers "Mia" Farrow ( ; born February 9, 1945) is an American actress. She first gained notice for her role as Allison MacKenzie in the television soap opera '' Peyton Place'' and gained further recognition for her subsequent ...
. ''
The Hawk Is Dying'', starring
Paul Giamatti
Paul Edward Valentine Giamatti (; born June 6, 1967) is an American actor and film producer. He first garnered attention for his breakout role in '' Private Parts'' as Kenny "Pig Vomit" Rushton, leading to supporting roles in ''Saving Private R ...
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
Aaron Edward Eckhart (born March 12, 1968) is an American actor. Born in Cupertino, California, Eckhart moved to the United Kingdom at an early age. He began his acting career by performing in school plays, before moving to Australia for his h ...
,
Toni Collette
Toni Collette Galafassi (born Toni Collett; 1 November 1972) is an Australian actress, producer, singer, and songwriter. Known for her work in television and independent films, she has received various accolades throughout her career, inclu ...
, and
Maria Bello
Maria Elena Bello (born April 18, 1967) is an American actress and writer. Her film roles include '' Permanent Midnight'' (1998), '' Payback'' (1999), '' Coyote Ugly'' (2000), ''The Cooler'' (2003), '' A History of Violence'' (2005), '' The Mumm ...
. It is the final release by Warner Independent. ''
Trainwreck: My Life as an Idiot'', written and directed by Tod Harrison Williams and starring
Seann William Scott
Seann William Scott (born October 3, 1976) is an American actor. He is known for his role as Steve Stifler in the '' American Pie'' franchise, and also for his role as Doug Glatt in both '' Goon'' and '' Goon: Last of the Enforcers''. He has al ...
,
Gretchen Mol
Gretchen Mol (born November 8, 1972) is an American actress and former model. She is known for her role as Gillian Darmody in the HBO series ''Boardwalk Empire'' (2010–2014). She also appeared in the films ''Rounders'' (1998), ''Celebrity'' ( ...
, and
Jeff Garlin
Jeffrey Garlin (born June 5, 1962) is an American stand-up comedian and actor. He is best known for playing Murray Goldberg, patriarch of the eponymous family in the ABC sitcom '' The Goldbergs'', and Jeff Greene on the HBO sitcom ''Curb Your ...
, was released later that year.
In both 2007 & 2008, the This Is That producer team were named to ''
The Hollywood Reporter
''The Hollywood Reporter'' (''THR'') is an American digital and print magazine which focuses on the Hollywood film, television, and entertainment industries. It was founded in 1930 as a daily trade paper, and in 2010 switched to a weekly larg ...
''
's Indie Power List.
This Is That completed production on ''
Adventureland'', by writer/director
Greg Mottola
Gregory J. Mottola (born July 11, 1964) is an American film director, screenwriter, and television director.
Life and career
Mottola grew up in Dix Hills, New York, in a Catholic family of Italian and Irish descent. He received his BFA in art f ...
(''
Superbad''), which stars
Jesse Eisenberg
Jesse Adam Eisenberg (; born October 5, 1983) is an American actor, writer, and director. He has received various accolades, including nominations for an Academy Award, two BAFTA Awards, a Golden Globe Award and two Screen Actors Guild Awards. ...
,
Kristen Stewart
Kristen Jaymes Stewart (born April 9, 1990) is an American actress. The world's highest-paid actress in 2012, she has received various accolades, including a British Academy Film Award and a César Award, in addition to nominations for an Aca ...
,
Ryan Reynolds
Ryan Rodney Reynolds (born October 23, 1976) is a Canadian-American actor. He is one of the highest-grossing film actors of all time, with a worldwide box-office gross of over billion.
He began his career starring in the Canadian teen ...
, and
Bill Hader
William Thomas Hader Jr.''Finding Your Roots'', January 26, 2016, PBS. (born June 7, 1978) is an American actor, comedian, writer, and producer. He is the creator, producer, writer, director, and star of the HBO dark comedy series ''Barry'' (201 ...
. 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
The 2008 Sundance Film Festival ran from January 17, 2008 to January 27 in Park City, Utah. It was the 24th iteration of the Sundance Film Festival. The opening night film was '' In Bruges'' and the closing night film was '' CSNY Déjà Vu''.
Fil ...
.
Closing
The company closed its doors in 2012 after having the No. 1 film at the US box office (''
The American'') and the first film to sell that year at the
Toronto International Film Festival
The Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF, often stylized as tiff) is one of the largest publicly attended film festivals in the world, attracting over 480,000 people annually. Since its founding in 1976, TIFF has grown to become a perman ...
(''
Super'').
[Pond, Steve]
"Ted Hope, Anne Carey Shut Doors, Stay in Business,"
''The Wrap'' (Sept. 28, 2010).
Staff
*
Anne Carey
Anne Carey is President of Production at Archer Gray, a media production, finance, and venture investment company based in New York City. In her career as an independent producer, Carey has been associated with filmmakers such as Ang Lee, Anton ...
, producer
*
Ted Hope
Ted Hope (born 1962) is an American independent film producer based in New York City. He is best known for co-founding the production/sales company Good Machine, where he produced the first films of such notable filmmakers as Ang Lee, Nicole H ...
, producer
*Diana Victor, Head of Business Affairs
*Shani Geva, Creative Executive
*Josh Stern, Creative Executive
Filmography
*''
Collaborator'' (2011)
* ''
Martha Marcy May Marlene
''Martha Marcy May Marlene'' is a 2011 American psychological thriller- drama film written and directed by Sean Durkin, and starring Elizabeth Olsen (in her film debut), John Hawkes, Sarah Paulson, and Hugh Dancy. The plot focuses on a yo ...
'' (2011)
*''
The American'' (2010)
*''
Super'' (2010)
*''
Carriers'' (2009)
*''
Adventureland'' (2008)
*''
Sleep Dealer'' (2008)
*''
Towelhead'' (2007)
*''
The Savages'' (2007)
*''
Trainwreck: My Life as an Idoit'' (2007)
*''
The Ex'' (2006)
*''
Fay Grim
''Fay Grim'' is a 2006 espionage thriller film written and directed by Hal Hartley. The film is a sequel to Hartley's 1997 film '' Henry Fool'', and revolves around the title character, played by Parker Posey, the sister of Simon Grim (James Urbani ...
'' (2006)
*''
The Hawk Is Dying'' (2006)
*''
Friends with Money
''Friends with Money'' is a 2006 American comedy-drama film written and directed by Nicole Holofcener. It opened the 2006 Sundance Film Festival on January 19, 2006, and went into limited release in North America on April 7, 2006.
Plot
Olivia is ...
'' (2006)
*''
Thumbsucker'' (2005)
*''
The Devil and Daniel Johnston
''The Devil and Daniel Johnston'' is a 2005 documentary film about American musician Daniel Johnston. It chronicles Johnston's life from childhood up to the present, with an emphasis on his experiences with bipolar disorder, and how it manifested ...
'' (2005)
*''
A Dirty Shame
''A Dirty Shame'' is a 2004 American satirical sex comedy film written and directed by John Waters and starring Tracey Ullman, Johnny Knoxville, Selma Blair, Chris Isaak, Suzanne Shepherd and Mink Stole.
''A Dirty Shame'' is currently the ...
'' (2004)
*''
The Door in the Floor
''The Door in the Floor'' is a 2004 American drama film written and directed by Tod Williams. The screenplay is based on the first third of the 1998 novel ''A Widow for One Year'' by John Irving.
Plot
Set in an exclusive beach community on Long ...
'' (2004)
*''
Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind'' (2004)
*''
21 Grams
''21 Grams'' is a 2003 American psychological drama film directed by Alejandro González Iñárritu from a screenplay by Guillermo Arriaga. The film stars Sean Penn, Naomi Watts, Charlotte Gainsbourg, Danny Huston and Benicio Del Toro. The sec ...
'' (2003)
References
External links
Articlefrom
indieWIRE
IndieWire (sometimes stylized as indieWIRE or Indiewire) is a film industry and review website that was established in 1996. The site's focus was predominantly independent film, although its coverage has grown to "to include all aspects of Holl ...
{{DEFAULTSORT:This Is That Corporation
Film production companies of the United States
2002 establishments in New York City
2010 disestablishments in the United States
American independent film studios