Clint Bentley and Greg Kwedar, the filmmakers behind features like Sing Sing and Train Dreams, have named Giulia Caruso as the head of production and development at their Ethos production banner.
Ethos, which has a pact with Netflix, is building a slate from emerging filmmakers that come out of top film festivals, film schools and labs. Ethos will use a financing and production model that Bentley and Kwedar used on their films Jockey and the Oscar nominated Sing Sing, where above and below-the-line talent are paid the same wage and shares in equity in the film.
Netflix will fund the development and production of Ethos’ films and release them.
Caruso, a graduate of CalArts, is a veteran indie producer with credits that include Kogonada’s Columbus and Andrew Ahn‘s Spa Night, the latter of which earned her an Independent Spirit Award. Previously, she served as the director of Catalyst and Industry at the Sundance Institute, the program that serves as the Institute’s film financing arm, pairing filmmakers with potential investors.
“When I first met Clint and Greg, I was struck by the clarity of their vision for Ethos, as well as their renowned kindness and care that resonates across everything they do,“ says Caruso. “Joining them at Ethos feels like the perfect next step for me as I’m able to build upon my recent work at the Sundance Institute, where I supported emerging artists and piloted field-facing interventions. I look forward to bringing that same spirit to this new role as we implement their vision for the Ethos model, support new voices and make bold movies.”
Bentley and Kwedar added: “We’re beyond excited to work with Giulia. After an extensive search, we were struck by her passion for supporting filmmakers as well as for finding better ways to operate in our industry. Giulia’s experience both as producer and as the visionary leader of Sundance Institute’s Catalyst program have given her a unique balance of talents to help curate and nurture a slate of films that defy expectations and bring new and unique stories to the world. We can’t wait for her to lead Ethos as we all endeavor to make films that center the community of artists creating them at every step of the process.”
In addition to Bentley and Kwedar, Caruso also joins Rachel Bentley, who leads Ethos‘ business affairs and operations. Bentley and Kwedar are currently in post on their new film for Netflix, Saturn Return, which is directed by Kwedar and stars Charles Melton, Rachel Brosnahan and Will Poulter.