ByIsha Sharma

What’s the story

Neon, a small American film studio and distribution company, has made history by backing films that have clinched the prestigious Palme d’Or at the Cannes Film Festival for five consecutive years.The studio’s winning streak includes Parasite, Titane, Triangle of Sadness, Anatomy of a Fall, and Anora.Notably, two of these films also secured Oscars, with Parasite winning Best Picture and Anatomy of a Fall bagging Best Original Screenplay.

Studio Origins

Neon’s founders and first projects

Neon was established by Tom Quinn and Tim League, with their debut film, Colossal, starring Anne Hathaway, hitting theaters in 2017.The following year saw the release of I, Tonya, which earned Allison Janney an Oscar for Best Supporting Actor.Since then, Neon has never looked back, repeatedly showing support for brave and fierce storytelling that strikes a chord with viewers.

Festival strategy

Cannes Film Festival: A launchpad for Neon’s success

The Cannes Film Festival has been a significant platform for Neon’s global success.The studio often acquires films from the festival before their release, contributing to its record-breaking achievement.This strategy has allowed Neon to support and distribute award-winning films such as Parasite, Titane, and Triangle of Sadness in US theaters, further solidifying its reputation in the industry.Parasite also made history as the first non-English film to win the Best Picture Oscar!

Vision

Neon invests in unconventional stories 

In a conversation with Screen Daily, Neon’s Jeff Deutchman explained the company’s vision.”The only real way to do Cannes is to go see as many movies as you can, because you never know where the next Dogtooth or Border or Hunger or Force Majeure is going to come from.””It’s the rare films that are unique enough to break through the noise and demand that people leave their home for the cinema — that’s [our] single rule.”

Films by Neon

Check out these films by Neon

Neon is also behind several acclaimed Hollywood titles such as The Bad Batch (winner of Venice Film Festival Special Jury Prize), Ingrid Goes West (which won the Independent Spirit Award for Best First Feature), Three Identical Strangers (nominated for a BAFTA), Amazing Grace (which clinched the NAACP Image Award for Outstanding Documentary), among several others.Neon will also release The Seed of the Sacred Fig in North America; the film won a Special Prize at Cannes 2024