Black Bear signs “Sebastian” director Mikko Mäkelä

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Black Bear’s management arm has signed Mikko Mäkelä, the Finnish-British writer and director of “Sebastian”. Mäkelä is a rising force in international queer cinema who has made films that explore sexuality and identity.

Mäkelä’s directorial debut A Moment in the Reeds premiered at the BFI London Film Festival and has been screened at nearly a hundred festivals worldwide, including Gothenburg Film Festival, Seattle International Film Festival and Frameline in San Francisco. The film was nominated for a ‘Discovery Award’ at the 2018 British Independent Film Awards.

Mäkelä’s second feature, Sebastian, premiered in the Sundance 2024 World Dramatic Film Competition to critical acclaim. The film will be distributed by Kino Lorber and will be released on August 2, 2024.

Mäkelä was named by IndieWire as a “Rising LGBTQ Filmmaker”. In its Sundance review, the site went on to praise “Sebastian” as a “provocative, explicit and ultimately tender drama.”

Before his feature film debut, Mäkelä directed a number of music and fashion promotions and worked as an editor on commercials. He is an alumnus of the BFI Network x BAFTA Crew, Berlinale Talents and BIFA Springboard, as well as a member of the European Film Academy.

Black Bear’s management arm is led by partners Keith Redmon and Joanne Roberts Wiles. His client list includes Karyn Kusama (“Yellow Jackets”), Johan Renck (“Chernobyl”), Cooper Raiff (“Cha Cha Real Smooth”), Morten Tyldum (“The Imitation Game”), John Hillcoat (“The Road”) , Kodi Smit-McPhee (“The Power of the Dog”), Olmo Schnabel (“Pet Shop Days”), Ilker Çatak (“The Teacher’s Hall”) and Simona Tabasco (“The White Lotus”).