Mubi CEO on Pushing Into Production and That Huge Cannes Haul

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Mubi, a movie streaming service and distributor specializing in art films, is planning to produce no more than 12 movies each year, but has already reached 15 this year due to a successful run of films generating buzz at Cannes Film Festival – with the Venice Film Festival still on the horizon, CEO and founder Efe Cakarel shared during an enthusiastic speech at SXSW London on Friday that captivated the audience even in a bustling week.

Cakarel expressed his passion for the movie theater experience right from the start, stating, “I place great emphasis on theatrical releases,” and “I’m strongly dedicated to ensuring these movies reach the broadest cinema audience they can.

Previously, Mubi distributed the film titled “The Substance” worldwide, as he mentioned. He expressed, “It seems that distributing content is not as complex as rocketry.” Furthermore, he announced that the company will be introducing theatrical release in Italy soon.

During the Cannes Film Festival, Mubi acquired distribution rights for several competition titles, including “The Secret Agent” by writer-director Kleber Mendonça Filho, “Sentimental Value”, Joachim Trier’s latest work, Mascha Schilinski’s “Sound of Falling” (also known as “In Die Sonne Schauen“), and Lynne Ramsay’s film starring Jennifer Lawrence and Robert Pattinson titled “Die My Love. “. The deal for the latter movie cost a substantial $24 million, making it the most expensive known transaction at the festival. In jest, Mubi’s team admitted that they were “freaking out” due to their successful streak at Cannes – in a good and excited manner.

Following Mubi’s initial film production premiere at Cannes with “The Mastermind” by Kelly Reichardt, the company is now eagerly expanding into the realm of production. They express a desire to create even more outstanding movies and series in the future.

Mubi plays a role as co-producer in the upcoming Jim Jarmusch film titled “Father Mother Sister Brother”, featuring stars such as Cate Blanchett, Vicky Krieps, Adam Driver, Mayim Bialik, Tom Waits, Charlotte Rampling, Indya Moore, and Luka Sabbat. As mentioned by Cakarel last Friday, it is scheduled to be screened at Venice Film Festival.

Last Friday, Cakarel announced that Mubi had become profitable as early as 2020. This remarkable achievement came during the first quarter of the same year when Mubi saw a 60% surge in subscribers amidst the COVID-19 pandemic. The robust cash flow generated from this growth enabled Mubi to reinvest and expand even more.

The company’s headcount has also grown to 400 people in 15 countries, he explained.

The company has been progressively acquiring movies not just for online streaming, but also for cinema release. Last year, Mubi’s Chief Content Officer, Jason Ropell, emphasized the impact of streaming on independent films, stating that “The streaming aspect of the industry has significantly expanded the viewership for a variety of film genres, including indie films. There’s a new generation of viewers who have been introduced to films they wouldn’t have accessed otherwise, thanks to the convenience of streaming technology.” Last year, Mubi obtained the rights for ‘The Substance’, which later gained an Oscar nomination for Coralie Fargeat’s body horror thriller, at the Cannes Film Festival.

From June 7 onwards, SXSW London is scheduled to take place. Notably, Penske Media, the overarching organization behind The Hollywood Reporter, holds a significant portion of ownership in SXSW.

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2025-06-06 15:25