Italian
Mubi, which recently planted a flag in the U.S. with the wide release of Coralie Fargeat’s “The Substance,” has welcomed Zhang Xin to its board of directors, as part of a new chapter for the rapidly expanding company which will also see Zhang’s New York-based film production and financing group Closer Media become an investor in Mubi.
A billionaire entrepreneur, Zhang co-founded Closer Media and previously co-founded Soho China, a construction giant in Beijing and Shanghai known for its iconic projects designed by leading architects from around the world. She left the company in 2022 and partnered with William Horberg, a veteran producer whose credits include “The Queen’s Gambit” and “The Talented Mr. Ripley,” to break into the media world.
A patron of the arts, Zhang also serves as a Trustee of MoMA, and is a member of both the Harvard Global Advisory Council and Asia Business Council.
Popular on Variety “As an entrepreneur, investor and producer, joining the Mubi board is a special opportunity to be involved in this innovative business right at the forefront of the rapidly evolving film industry,” said Zhang, who praised Mubi’s “visionary approach to bringing high quality content to global audiences,” and said she looked forward to “being a part of the company’s growth.”
Efe Cakarel, Mubi’s founder and CEO, described Zhang as an “exceptional leader who has built an incredible company from the ground up, demonstrating unparalleled vision and resilience.”
“I deeply admire her, and I personally look forward to learning from her expertise, strategic insight, and entrepreneurial spirit as we continue to grow and innovate,” Cakarel said.
Founded in 2007 by Cakarel, Mubi is a leading force in the independent film landscape. Starting out as a global streaming service, Mubi has become a fully-fledged production company and distributor dedicated to elevating director-driven cinema. Headquartered in London, the company has 14 offices across the world and 400 employees.
The company, which is headquartered in London and boasts 14 offices around the world, recently achieved a milestone with “The Substance” which it released in multiple territories including North America, crossing $75 million at the box office worldwide. Aside from “The Substance,” which is building momentum in the awards season, Mubi also has Luca Guadagnino’s “Queer” in multiple territories including the U.K., Mexico and Germany, as well as in Turkey where the movie was just banned.
Mubi’s slate of upcoming movies with renown and rising auteurs include Kelly Reichardt’s “The Mastermind” starring Josh O’Connor; Christopher Andrews’ debut “Bring Them Down” starring Christopher Abbott and Barry Keoghan; and Elizabeth Sankey’s “Witches.”
Mubi is also a co-producer on a flurry of hot titles, notably Jim Jarmusch’s next film Father “Mother Sister Brother” starring Adam Driver, Mayim Bialik, Tom Waits, Charlotte Rampling, Cate Blanchett, Vicky Krieps, Indya Moore and Luka Sabbat; Karim Aïnouz’s “Rosebush Pruning” starring Callum Turner, Riley Keough, Jamie Bell, Lukas Gage, Elena Anaya, Tracy Letts, Elle Fanning and Pamela Anderson; and Michel Franco’s “Memory,” and Mia Hansen-Løve’s One Fine Morning.
The company’s roster of recent releases include Sofia Coppola’s “Priscilla,” Andrea Arnold’s “Bird,” Wim Wenders’ “Perfect Days,” Charlotte Wells’ “Aftersun,” Park Chan-wook’s “Decision to Leave,” Joachim Trier’s “The Worst Person in the World,” Lukas Dhont’s “Close,” and Aki Kaurismäki’s “Fallen Leaves.”
On top of distributing and producing films, Mubi is also behind a cinema-going app called Mubi Go which is available in select countries, and runs three podcasts as well as a recently unveiled publishing arm.
