Director of Film, Television, and Media Rights
BAFTA-nominated film producer Pouya Shahbazian heads up New Leaf’s Film, Television, and Media Rights division and is the point of contact for all film, television, and new media inquiries. His entertainment experience includes the representation of screenwriters, authors, and playwrights as well as the development and production of film, TV, and literary projects. After working as an attorney in Los Angeles, he entered the entertainment industry at Warner Brothers and later joined The Broder-Webb-Chervin-Silbermann Agency’s motion picture literary department. He co-founded ManDown Pictures & Management in 2007, where he developed and produced film and television, including the Independent Film Channel’s travel series YOUNG, BROKE & BEAUTIFUL. In 2013, The Hollywood Reporter named him to its Next Gen “35 under 35” list of industry up-and-comers. Publishers Weekly also named him to their “Star Watch” honoree list of the brightest new talent in the publishing industry in 2016. As a producer, some of his projects include the adaptations of Veronica Roth’s #1 New York Times bestselling DIVERGENT series, whose three films earned more than $750 million at the worldwide box office; acclaimed writer/director Andrea Arnold’s AMERICAN HONEY, which won the Grand Jury Prize at the 2016 Cannes Film Festival, and was nominated for Best British Film at the 2017 BAFTA Awards; and director Greg Berlanti’s LOVE, SIMON for Fox 2000, starring Nick Robinson, Jennifer Garner, and Tony Hale, which premiered in March of 2018 to rave reviews. Current development projects include New York Times bestselling author Patrick Lee’s RUNNER, Victoria Aveyard’s #1 New York Times bestseller RED QUEEN at Universal, and Kiera Cass’ #1 New York Times bestseller THE SELECTION at Warner Bros with director Thea Sharrock (ME BEFORE YOU).
*Please note: Pouya does not accept or view any unsolicited queries.
