Adrienne Becker: Last News

EXCLUSIVE: Carmelyn P. Malalis has been appointed as the first Head of Impact at the production company and financier Level Forward, Deadline has learned, bringing with her three decades’ experience working to advance civil and human rights.

Abigail Disney has shut down Fork Films, the documentary and feature film company behind “Crip Camp,” “One Child Nation” and “The Tale,” a drama about sexual abuse that starred Laura Dern. As part of the closure, fewer than 10 positions have been eliminated. Abigail, a filmmaker and philanthropist, is also the granddaughter of Roy Disney, the co-founder of The Walt Disney Company. A spokesperson for Fork Films said the staff was notified of the closure in February, and have been working to wind down the company by Sept. 30, 2022. Disney’s most recent film, “The American Dream and Other Fairy Tales,” which she co-directed with Kathleen Hughes, debuted at the Sundance Film Festival and was recently released digitally. The film examines the issue of economic inequality and ballooning CEO compensation packages. The movie made headlines as Disney drilled down on the employment and union practices at the theme parks run by The Walt Disney Company. In the film and dozens of subsequent interviews, Disney has consistently and unflinchingly taken the company to task, describing the corporation’s promises of “upward mobility” as “neoliberal claptrap.”

EXCLUSIVE: Vertical Entertainment has acquired North American rights to Celine Held and Logan George’s feature directorial debut Topside, slating it for a day-and-date release on March 25.