Odessa Rae
{{Short description|Canadian film producer}}
{{Infobox person
| name = Odessa Rae
| image = Odessa-Rae.jpg
| caption = Rae in February 2023
| birth_date =
| birth_place = Calgary, Canada
| death_date =
| death_place =
| alma_mater = University of Toronto
| occupation = Film producer, Actor
| employer = RaeFilm Studios
| known_for = Producer of Navalny
| awards = Academy Award for Best Documentary
Bafta Award for Best Documentary
Producers Guild of America Award for Best Documentary
Cinema Eye Honors
Alfred I. duPont - Columbia Award
}}
Odessa Rae is an Academy Award and BAFTA Award winning film producer and actor, known for originating and producing the documentary Navalny, which won the Best Documentary Feature at the 95th Academy Awards and Best Documentary at the 76th BAFTA Awards.{{Cite web |date=2023-03-12 |title='Their eyes were burning': Former Calgarian producer Odessa Rae heads for Oscars Sunday for Navalny |url=https://calgary.ctvnews.ca/their-eyes-were-burning-former-calgarian-producer-odessa-rae-heads-for-oscars-sunday-for-navalny-1.6309875 |access-date=2023-03-17 |website=Calgary |language=en}}{{Cite web |date=2023-03-13 |title=Calgary producer, animators and dancer among those who represented the city at the 2023 Oscars |url=https://calgary.ctvnews.ca/calgary-producer-animators-and-dancer-among-those-who-represented-the-city-at-the-2023-oscars-1.6311966 |access-date=2023-03-17 |website=Calgary |language=en}} She was key in the formation of Ivanhoe Pictures, which produced Crazy Rich Asians. She has acted in multiple feature films and TV episodes, including Hard Candy, Smallville, and Movie 43.
Biography
Rae’s films have been shown at festivals around the world, in 2024 she premiered Josh Mond's It Doesn't Matter at the 77th annual Cannes Film Festival starring Christopher Abbott and Jay Will. She also recently produced Ibrahim Nashat's
Hollywoodgate (Venice Film Festival world premiere) and Karim Amer’s Defiant (Toronto International Film Festival Premiere).{{Cite web |date=2023-03-03 |title=Opinion: Putin’s nemesis has a spirit that can outlast any strongman |url=https://www.cnn.com/2023/03/02/opinions/alexey-navalny-putins-nemesis-odessa-rae-ctrp/index.html |access-date=2023-03-12 |language=en-US}}{{cite web |last=Mullen |first=Pat |date=August 9, 2023 |title=Thom Powers on the Buzz and Biz of TIFF Docs |url=https://povmagazine.com/thom-powers-the-buzz-and-biz-of-tiff-docs/ |access-date=April 29, 2024 |website=POV Magazine}}
Odessa has received multiple honors including the Producers Guild of America Award, DuPont Columbia, Greirson Award, Cinema Eye, Critics Choice Awards In addition the Audience Award in the US Documentary competition and the Festival Favorite Award at Sundance Film Festival. She is the recipient of the 2023 UN Sustainable Goals Impact Through Film Award.{{citation needed|date=May 2024}}
Rae's early life was spent between North America, Asia and India. She studied International Relations at University of Toronto,{{cite web|url=https://www.listennotes.com/podcasts/the-unimaginable/odessa-rae-gphTdvelLti/#google_vignette|title=Odessa Rae|website=ListenNotes.com|date=September 26, 2023|access-date=April 29, 2024}} is fluent in Japanese and conversationally fluent in several other languages. She began her film career in Japan. Widely known through appearances in commercials with Brad Pitt,{{cite web|url=https://www.lemonde.fr/en/m-le-mag/article/2024/03/25/from-navalny-to-hollywoodgate-producer-odessa-rae-is-at-the-center-of-global-geopolitics_6651934_117.html|title=From 'Navalny' to 'Hollywoodgate,' producer Odessa Rae is at the center of global geopolitics|website=Le Monde|first=Lucas|last=Minisini|date=March 25, 2024|access-date=April 29, 2024}} From there she went on to co-write, produce and star in her first feature film, Jenifa.{{cite web|url=https://mubi.com/en/us/films/jenifa|title=Jenifa|website=Mubi|access-date=April 29, 2024}}
She was key in the formation of Ivanhoe Pictures, which produced the box office hit, Crazy Rich Asians.{{Cite web |title=The little-known film company that made 'Crazy Rich Asians' possible|url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/business/2018/08/15/how-boutique-company-behind-crazy-rich-asians-is-pioneering-new-model/ |website=Washington Post|accessdate=2023-03-12 |language=en-US}} In January 2017, Rae signed a first-look development deal with the company.{{cite web|url=https://deadline.com/2017/01/ivanhoe-pictures-development-deal-odessa-rae-fox-international-jason-blum-1201885544/|title=Ivanhoe Pictures Inks Development Deal With Odessa Rae|website=Deadline Hollywood|first=Diana|last=Lodderhose|date=January 13, 2017|access-date=April 29, 2024}}
In 2021, Rae launched RaeFilm Studios, focusing on the development and production of non-fiction content.{{cite web|url=https://calgary.ctvnews.ca/their-eyes-were-burning-former-calgarian-producer-odessa-rae-heads-for-oscars-sunday-for-navalny-1.6309875|title='Their eyes were burning': Former Calgarian producer Odessa Rae heads for Oscars Sunday for Navalny|website=CTV News|first=Stephen|last=Hunt|date=March 12, 2023|access-date=April 29, 2024}}
Filmography
= Executive producer =
| class="wikitable"
!Year !Title !Director !Notes |
| 2016
|Of Dust and Bones | |
= Producer =
| class="wikitable"
!Year !Title !Director !Notes |
| 2022
|Winner, Best Documentary at the British Academy Film Awards (BAFTA) Winner, Best Documentary Feature at the Academy Awards Sundance Film Festival 2022 Audience Award Sundance Film Festival Festival Favorite Award Cinema Eye Honors |
| 2022
|The Story Won't Die |David Henry Gerson |Official Selection Hot Docs Canadian Int. Documentary Film Festival |
| 2023
| Ibrahim Nash’at |Official Selection Venice Film Festival Official Selection Telluride Film Festival Winner, Grand Jury Award Full Frame Documentary Film Festival Winner, The Golden Eye Zurich Film Festival Winner, El Gouna Gold Star for Documentary Film El Gouna Film Festival Winner, The Mayor of Gdynia Award Docs Against Gravity Winner, Special Mention for Best Documentary Luxembourg Film Festival |
| 2023
| Defiant |World Premiere 2023 Toronto International Film Festval Official Selection Camden International Film Festival |
| 2024
|Official Selection 77th Annual Cannes Film Festival |
= Actor =
| class="wikitable" |
| Year
! Title ! Role ! Notes |
|---|
| 2024
| Frances | |
| 2018
| Roxy | |
| 2017
| Hangman | TV Reporter | |
| 2015
| Always Worthy | TV Reporter | |
| 2014
| Asthma | Bathing Wings | |
| 2013
| Movie 43 | Danita | |
| rowspan="3" |2012
| The Visit | Diana Short | |
| Gabe the Cupid Dog
| Carissa | |
| Rizzoli & Isles
| Yoga Instructor | TV series |
| rowspan="2" |2011
| Man Without a Head | Venula | |
| My Dog's Christmas Miracle
| Crystal | |
| rowspan="4" |2010
| Gretchen | TV series |
| Smallville
| Maggie McDougal/Silver Banshee | TV series |
| Leverage
| Cora McRory | TV series |
| Let the Game Begin
| Patient Patient | TV series |
References
{{reflist}}
External links
- {{instagram|odxssarae}}
- {{IMDb name|1230874}}
{{Authority control}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Rae, Odessa}}
Category:Film producers from Alberta
Category:University of Toronto alumni
Category:Producers of Best Documentary Feature Academy Award winners
Category:Canadian documentary film producers
Category:Canadian women film producers
Category:Canadian film actresses