Natalie Qasabian

Natalie Qasabian
Qasabian at RISE Conference in Hong Kong, July 2018
Alma mater
Occupation
Years active2015–present
Notable workSearching, All About Nina
Spouse
​
(m. 2020)​

Natalie Qasabian (Armenian: Նաթալի Գասապեան) is an American film producer based in Los Angeles. She is best known as a producer of the films Searching, All About Nina and Run.

Early life

Qasabian attended the University of Southern California School of Cinematic Arts. Shortly after graduating, she produced a short film titled Join the Club, directed by Eva Vives, which premiered at the Sundance Film Festival.[1] Qasabian also went on to receive an MBA in business from Pepperdine University.[2][3]

Producing career

Qasabian and Vives developed Join the Club into a feature film, titled All About Nina, and starring Mary Elizabeth Winstead and Common.[4] All About Nina premiered at the Tribeca Film Festival in 2018 and was acquired by The Orchard.[5]

Qasabian went on to produce three films for the Duplass Brothers Productions, including Duck Butter directed by Miguel Arteta and starring Alia Shawkat.[6] In the episodic space, she produced one of Snapchat’s first scripted series’ Co-Ed, which the New Yorker called out as having “the most formally inventive episode of television in 2018.”[7][8]

In 2016, Qasabian developed and produced Searching alongside fellow producer and often collaborator Sev Ohanian.[9] Searching is directed by Aneesh Chaganty, co-written by Chaganty and Ohanian, and stars John Cho and Debra Messing. The film premiered at Sundance in 2018 and sold to Sony Pictures Worldwide Acquisitions. Searching was made on a budget of under a million dollars and went on to gross over $75M at the box office.[10] The film also received multiple awards including, the Sundance Next Audience Award and Alfred P. Sloan Award.[11]

Qasabian and Ohanian produced Run, a thriller directed by Chaganty and starring Sarah Paulson and Kiera Allen for Lionsgate.[12][13] Run was expected to be released on Mother's Day weekend 2020, but due to the coronavirus outbreak[14] was released on Hulu on November 20, 2020 instead.

Qasabian has also produced Missing[15] and executive producing a series for HBO MAX titled The Future.[16]

During the 2021 Sundance Film Festival, Qasabian was the recipient of the Sundance Institute / Amazon Studios Producers Award for Narrative Filmmaking for her film Run.[17]

In 2023, Qasabian participated in Armenian Film Society's Armenian Women in Film and Entertainment panel discussion.[18]

Personal life

Born in the United States, Qasabian is of Armenian descent. She is married to fellow director Sev Ohanian.[19]

References

  1. ^ "Join the Club". Sundance Institute. 2015. Archived from the original on February 5, 2021. Retrieved May 26, 2020.
  2. ^ Bunch, Sara (November 1, 2018). "Screen Queen". Pepperdine University. Archived from the original on October 19, 2021. Retrieved May 26, 2020.
  3. ^ "Natalie Qasabian". Film Independent. Archived from the original on February 5, 2021. Retrieved May 26, 2020.
  4. ^ N'Duka, Amanda (October 17, 2017). "Mary Elizabeth Winstead & Common To Star In 'All About Nina' From Eva Vives". Deadline. Archived from the original on May 28, 2022. Retrieved May 26, 2020.
  5. ^ Dietz, Jason; Kimbell, Keith (April 28, 2018). "Best & Worst Films at the 2018 Tribeca Film Festival". Metacritic. Archived from the original on December 26, 2022. Retrieved May 26, 2020.
  6. ^ Cusumano, Cara (2018). "2018 Film Festival: Duck Butter". Tribeca. Archived from the original on October 6, 2022. Retrieved May 26, 2020.
  7. ^ Schwedel, Heather (October 11, 2018). "Snapchat Makes Television Now. It's Vertical, Highly Produced, and Very Superfluous". Slate Magazine. Archived from the original on November 29, 2022. Retrieved May 26, 2020.
  8. ^ Patterson, Troy (December 20, 2018). "How Snap Originals Beat Facebook and Instagram in Adapting TV to Social Media". The New Yorker. Archived from the original on November 28, 2022. Retrieved May 26, 2020.
  9. ^ "2018 Sundance Film Festival: Feature Films Announced". Sundance Film Festival. November 29, 2017. Archived from the original on September 25, 2022. Retrieved May 26, 2020.
  10. ^ "Searching". Box Office Mojo. Archived from the original on January 27, 2023. Retrieved May 26, 2020.
  11. ^ Pedersen, Erik (January 23, 2018). "'Search' Wins Alfred P. Sloan Foundation Film Prize – Sundance". Deadline. Archived from the original on October 30, 2022. Retrieved May 26, 2020.
  12. ^ McNary, Dave (June 7, 2018). "Lionsgate to Develop Thriller 'Run' From 'Searching' Filmmakers (Exclusive)". Variety. Archived from the original on October 25, 2022. Retrieved May 26, 2020.
  13. ^ Couch, Aaron (January 17, 2020). "Lionsgate Thriller 'Run' Release Date Pushed Back 4 Months". The Hollywood Reporter. Archived from the original on December 4, 2022. Retrieved May 26, 2020.
  14. ^ Vlessing, Etan (January 31, 2019). "Lionsgate Suspense Thriller 'Run' Sets 2020 Release Date". The Hollywood Reporter. Archived from the original on January 26, 2023. Retrieved May 26, 2020.
  15. ^ Cooper, Gael Fashingbauer (August 14, 2019). "John Cho's Searching will get a tech-driven sequel with new faces". CNET. Archived from the original on January 21, 2023. Retrieved May 26, 2020.
  16. ^ Petski, Denise (January 13, 2021). "'The Future' Sci-Fi Tech Drama In Works At HBO Max From Matt Reeves' 6th & Idaho & 'Run' Team". Deadline. Archived from the original on December 11, 2022. Retrieved January 31, 2021.
  17. ^ Haring, Bruce (January 31, 2021). "Natalie Qasabian's 'Run' Wins 2021 Sundance Institute/Amazon Studios Producers Award". Deadline. Archived from the original on June 29, 2022. Retrieved January 31, 2021.
  18. ^ ""In honor of International Women's Day..."". February 21, 2023. Retrieved September 25, 2024.
  19. ^ "Armenian American producer Natalie Qasabian's 'Run' Wins 2021 Sundance Institute/Amazon Studios Award".