‘Cha Cha Real Smooth’ Director Cooper Raiff Launches Indie Production Company with Clementine Quittner

Ryan Lattanzio
·2 min read
  • Oops!
    Something went wrong.
    Please try again later.
  • Oops!
    Something went wrong.
    Please try again later.

Twenty-five-year-old filmmaker Cooper Raiff is on the up. In 2022 alone, his sophomore film “Cha Cha Real Smooth” was scooped out of the Sundance Film Festival by Apple TV+ for a cool $15 million and released this summer, and he announced a new film, “The Trashers,” starring David Harbour and Cooper Hoffmann. Now, the “Shithouse” director and Sundance Audience Award winner is launching a production company, called Small Ideas, with former Black Bear Pictures executive Clementine Quittner.

The outfit will aim to develop and produce independent film and television projects from emerging filmmakers and creators, as well as writer/director Raiff’s own work. The first project at Small Ideas will be an undisclosed TV series written, directed, and produced by Raiff, with Quittner also producing.

More from IndieWire

“Clem and I are very protective of passion. We want the artists we work with to know we believe in their stories and ideas as much as they do. I know how brutal fighting for people to trust your vision can be, and I know what a difference it makes to not have to fight for it alone. Small Ideas knows just how much love and support a filmmaker needs,” Raiff said in a statement. “I’m super excited for Clem to run the show—she’s going to be the company’s engine. She elevates everything she works on and it’s a dream to be her creative and professional partner.”

Quittner added, “Cooper is a brilliant filmmaker and my favorite collaborator. I can’t wait to work together to build a home for artists we love and artists we don’t yet know—people who desire to make things differently.”

Quittner’s credits as a creative executive at Black Bear spanned shepherding upcoming projects like “Nyad,” directed by “Free Solo” filmmakers directed by Jimmy Chin and Chai Vasarhelyi and starring Annette Bening and Jodie Foster, as well as “The Marsh King’s Daughter,” starring Daisy Ridley and Ben Mendelsohn. Quittner also oversaw development on “Exciting Times,” Raiff’s series adaptation of Naoise Dolan’s novel with Phoebe Dynevor set to star over at Amazon Prime.

“Cha Cha Real Smooth” was released by Apple TV+ on June 17, and it could land in the fall awards conversation for its screenplay. “The Trashers,” based on the true story of UHL hockey team the Danbury Trashers, is set to shoot this fall.

Best of IndieWire

Sign up for Indiewire's Newsletter. For the latest news, follow us on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.

Click here to read the full article.