Rakish
How do you describe your company?
Pronounced RAY-kish -- It means ‘casual swagger.’ Our company motto is: If it don’t feel right then it ain’t. Rakish was founded by Preston Garrett and feature film director Marc Forster.
The inception of Rakish was inspired by the following ideals:
A willful embrace of being a production boutique. Tight staff, tight roster. Why? Lifestyle preference. Closer relationships and less bureaucracy within the company make for more flexibility and more meaningful experiences.
The wish to pass on more projects that, as a company and as humans, we don’t feel right for. Without feeling the financial pressure to engage and book everything.
Cultivating lasting and life-defining relationships makes an incredibly hard line of work worth all the challenges. Therefore, an everlasting pursuit of transparency and empathy is the backbone of our preferred style of working. Life is too short to do business in a way you are not proud of, with people you’d rather not spend time with. The roster, staff, and client list should share this MO.
The films we make might be part of Rakish’s legacy, but they are not THE legacy. Our legacy is the experience remembered by all of our collaborators.
A desire to do *one thing* impeccably; as opposed to a million things sufficiently.
What's attractive about your company from a new director's point of view?
1. We love cinema and filmmaking. We’re obsessed with it. As producers and fans of all things film, we love and want to be a part of all genres, shapes, sizes, and budgets of films – so long as the filmmaking is good.
2. To us, the best filmmaking is defined by a director who has a clear vision – and who goes all in on that vision. This looks and sounds different from film to film, but it feels unmistakeable – a fully realized vision hits a certain way.
3. We take the work very seriously, but not ourselves. We play pretend and film it for a living, after all. If you don’t laugh along the way then you’re doing it wrong.
4. Manners matter. This is an MO the staff, roster, vendors, and all collaborators must perpetuate to be invited to play with Rakish. We expect the same
Diversity Leadership:
As Shiny members, we are supporting free entries for Shiny’s education & training partners (Mama Youth, Brixton Finishing School, Creative Mentor Network, LSA, ELAM and universities & colleges worldwide).
Also as we are on the jury panel for the Shiny awards, we donate prizes to support new & diverse filmmakers.
Awards
Official Selection / Special Mention of the Jury at Tribeca Film Festival 2024
Jaci Judelson // Kotex - "Progress Feels Like"
