Liliane Bedford Joins Confluential Films As SVP, Film And Television
EXCLUSIVE: Liliane Bedford has joined Confluential Films (Fancy Dance), the Black-founded and Black-owned banner of Tommy Oliver, as Senior Vice President of Film and Television, the company announced on Wednesday.
Bedford joins from Stacey Sher’s Shiny Penny Productions, where she served as Vice President of Development and Production. In her new role, she will help to manage the film and television development slates for Confluential, while expanding the company’s array of diverse content.
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“Confluential Films has a long legacy of inclusivity and championing change, and I look forward to joining the talented team in continuing that tradition,” Bedford stated. “From the narratives they tell to the culture they promote, I cannot wait for this next chapter with Confluential Films in continuing the company’s rich history of powerful and meaningful content.”
In addition to Bedford’s appointment, Confluential Films has announced that Kay Dillard has been promoted from Film Coordinator to Creative Executive. With the company now for over a year, Dillard works across Confluential’s robust slate of film and television and has helped shape its creative direction by identifying and developing stories that reflect the company’s mission.
“Liliane has exquisite taste and a passion for telling nuanced, commercial, and elevated stories from creators of color, and I’m thrilled to have her on the team,” Oliver told Deadline. “It’s also been a joy to watch Kay develop as a young executive and I’m happy for all that these two will do together moving forward.”
During her time at Shiny Penny, Bedford co-produced the upcoming A24 horror pic Heretic, from the A Quiet Place duo of Scott Beck and Bryan Woods, while spearheading the expansion of a robust development slate in both film and TV. Previously, she worked as a creative executive at Issa Rae’s Hoorae Media, coming there after working with director Melina Matsoukas on notable projects such as Rae’s acclaimed HBO series Insecure. While at Hoorae, Bedford co-produced the second season of A Black Lady Sketch Show for HBO.
With a background in both set and development roles, Dillard has previously worked at 51 Entertainment, Bad Robot, and Circle of Confusion.
Developing, producing and financing across film, TV, unscripted, audio, documentaries, and docuseries, the L.A.-based Confluential Films last month sold its acclaimed drama Fancy Dance to Apple Original Films. Directed by Erica Tremblay and starring Academy Award nominee Lily Gladstone, the film world premiered to strong reviews at last year’s Sundance Film Festival and is slated for release later this year.
Recently, Confluential also saw its critically acclaimed documentary Going to Mars: The Nikki Giovanni Project, on poet and activist Nikki Giovanni, secure both an Independent Spirit Award nomination and a spot on the Oscars’ shortlist for Best Documentary Feature. Also bowing out of Sundance, this film has been distributed by HBO.
Previously producing Netflix’s NAACP Image Award-nominated rom-com The Perfect Find, starring Gabrielle Union and Keith Powers, the company also has Ambries-nominated podcasts at present in Sol Affirmations with Felica & Karega and The Africas vs America.
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