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| Cedar Productions | |
|---|---|
| Name | Cedar Productions |
| Type | Independent production company |
| Founded | 1998 |
| Headquarters | Portland, Oregon, United States |
| Industry | Film and theater production |
| Products | Feature films, documentaries, stage productions |
| Key people | Executive Producer: Anna Marlowe; Artistic Director: Daniel Keene |
Cedar Productions is an independent production company known for producing feature films, documentary projects, and theatrical works that emphasize regional storytelling and social themes. The company has worked with a range of artists and institutions across the United States and internationally, engaging in co-productions, festival circuits, and community initiatives. Its catalog spans narrative cinema, short films, live performance, and educational media.
Cedar Productions was founded in 1998 in Portland, Oregon by Anna Marlowe and Daniel Keene after collaborations with members of the Sundance Film Festival community, the Independent Spirit Awards circuit, and regional theater groups associated with the American Conservatory Theater. Early projects brought the company into contact with filmmakers and institutions such as Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences alumni, collaborators who had worked on projects linked to Cannes Film Festival, Toronto International Film Festival, and the Berlin International Film Festival. In the 2000s the company expanded production activities, participating in co-productions with entities associated with BBC Television, HBO, PBS, and independent distributors that screened at venues like Museum of Modern Art and institutions connected to the National Endowment for the Arts and the Creative Capital network. Cedar Productions’ development pipeline intersected with artists whose careers included work on Scream (film), Brokeback Mountain, and Moonlight through shared producers, mentors, and festival programmers.
During the 2010s Cedar Productions deepened theatrical ties to companies such as Steppenwolf Theatre Company, Royal Shakespeare Company, and Goodman Theatre members, while film collaborations linked them to crew and cast who had credits on projects shown at the Telluride Film Festival, SXSW, and Tribeca Film Festival. The company’s production slate drew attention from funders like the Ford Foundation, the MacArthur Foundation, and film labs including the Sundance Institute and the Film Independent labs, connecting Cedar to networks that included alumni of Kennedy Center, Lincoln Center, and the Public Theater.
Cedar Productions’ portfolio includes feature films, short films, documentaries, and stage productions. Notable cinematic works were screened alongside films by directors with ties to Martin Scorsese, Kathryn Bigelow, and Spike Lee through shared festival programming at Venice Film Festival and retrospectives at institutions like the British Film Institute. Their documentaries have examined topics that attracted attention from journalists at outlets such as The New York Times, The Guardian, and broadcasters including NPR and CNN, and have been archived in collections associated with the Library of Congress and the Smithsonian Institution.
On stage, Cedar’s productions were staged in seasons shared with productions by playwrights represented at Royal Court Theatre, Donmar Warehouse, and regional houses including Berkeley Repertory Theatre and Seattle Repertory Theatre. Collaborating actors and directors included professionals with credits on productions related to Tony Awards, Olivier Awards, and programs from the National Theatre. The company’s short films have circulated in circuits alongside work by alumni of American Film Institute, New York Film Academy, and the California Institute of the Arts.
Leadership has included founders Anna Marlowe (Executive Producer) and Daniel Keene (Artistic Director), supported by a board with members drawn from institutions like the Peabody Awards advisory community, curators from Museum of Contemporary Art, producers with ties to Paramount Pictures and Warner Bros., and legal advisors familiar with contracts used at the Writers Guild of America and the Directors Guild of America. Senior creative staff have backgrounds connected to training programs at Juilliard School, Yale School of Drama, and UCLA School of Theater, Film and Television, and administrative personnel have experience with nonprofit arts management in organizations such as the National Endowment for the Humanities and regional arts councils like the Oregon Arts Commission.
The company operates production offices and maintains post-production relationships with facilities linked to the American Society of Cinematographers networks, colorists who have worked on projects honored at the Emmy Awards and audio engineers credited in productions recognized by the Grammy Awards.
Cedar Productions has partnered with international broadcasters and cultural institutions including Arte, CBC Television, and NHK, and has co-produced content with film schools and theater companies including Columbia University School of the Arts, Royal Conservatoire of Scotland, and Emerson College. Strategic partnerships extended to NGOs and advocacy organizations with histories at events like the United Nations General Assembly sessions and collaborations with grantmakers such as the Rockefeller Foundation and the Gates Foundation for impact-driven documentary projects.
The company’s distribution partners have included arthouse distributors that work with catalogs at Criterion Collection and digital platforms with histories tied to Netflix, Hulu, and Amazon Studios. Festival partnerships have connected Cedar to committees and programmers from Sundance Film Festival, Cannes Film Festival, Toronto International Film Festival, and juries associated with the Academy Awards.
Cedar Productions and collaborators have received accolades and nominations appearing on festival programs and award shortlists associated with the Sundance Film Festival, Tribeca Film Festival, Sundance Institute fellowships, and regional theater awards linked to the Obie Awards and Drama Desk Awards. Projects have been cited in coverage by outlets such as Variety, The Hollywood Reporter, and IndieWire, and individuals associated with Cedar have been recognized by panels at institutions such as the American Film Institute and the British Academy of Film and Television Arts.
Cedar’s works have been included in curated programs at venues like the Museum of Modern Art and listed in year-end best-of rounds by publications tied to The New Yorker and Los Angeles Times.
Cedar Productions runs community engagement initiatives in partnership with organizations like Portland State University, local public libraries connected to the Library of Congress outreach, and arts education programs associated with Young Audiences Arts for Learning USA and regional conservatories. Educational workshops have been conducted with alumni networks from Juilliard School, New York University Tisch School of the Arts, and film labs such as Sundance Institute labs, and mentoring schemes have linked emerging artists to internship pipelines at institutions including Walt Disney Studios and public media outlets like PBS.
The company’s outreach has included public screenings and panels held at venues such as Carnegie Hall community spaces, collaborations with civic cultural festivals like Portland Rose Festival, and joint programs with nonprofit cultural centers that have engaged partners connected to the National Endowment for the Arts and local arts commissions.
Category:Film production companies of the United States