Fright Club: The Power Players Behind Modern Horror
Moderator:
Jake Carter, Agent, UTA
Panelists:
Jacob Jaffke, SVP, Oddball Entertainment (MaXXXine, Pearl)
J.D. Lifshitz, Founder, BoulderLight Pictures (Weapons, Barbarian)
Raphael Margules, Founder, BoulderLight Pictures (Weapons, Barbarian)
Alayna Glasthal, Director of Creative Production, Atomic Monster
Speakers
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Jake CarterAgent, UTAJake Carter is an agent at UTA in the Independent Film Group where he specializes in global film finance, distribution and marketing strategies for independent and co-financed features, helping the world’s most acclaimed independent filmmakers see their work reach global audiences. Recent notable films on which Carter helped structure financing and distribution include Oz Perkins’ LONGLEGS, THE MONKEY and Oliver Hermanus’ HISTORY OF SOUND. Carter joined UTA from 30WEST, where he worked from the company’s inception and helped found the New York office. Prior to 30WEST, Carter worked at Black Bear Pictures, and began his career at Sloss Eckhouse Dasti Haynes LawCo, Cinetic and at FilmBuff—the sales and distribution company that was acquired by Gunpowder & Sky.
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Jacob JaffkeSVP, Oddball EntertainmentJacob is the SVP of Production & Development for Wes Ball and Joe Hartwick’s Sony backed production company Oddball Entertainment. He is also the co-founder of Motel Mojave which he started with his partner Élan Klein Jaffke in 2020 and is in postproduction on Mark Heyman’s psychological cult horror Pendulum, which stars Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Phoebe Dynevor, Norman Reedus and Jacki Weaver. He is also the producer of A24’s first original franchise; X (2022), Pearl (2022) and MaXXXine, (2024) all directed by Ti West and starring Mia Goth. In total, he’s a producer on eight films for A24 including Kristopher Borgli’s Dream Scenario starring Nicolas Cage (2023), Trey.
Edward Shults’ Waves (2019), The Safdie Brothers’ Uncut Gems (2019), Halina Reijn’s Bodies Bodies Bodies (2022) and Lila Neugebauer’s feature debut Causeway (2022) starring Jennifer Lawrence and Brian Tyree Henry.
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J.D. LifshitzFounder, Boulderlight PicturesJD Lifshitz and Raphael Margules are the cofounders of Boulderlight Pictures whose films include Barbarian, The Vigil, Becky, Anna Kendrick’s Netflix thriller Woman of the Hour and Andrew DeYoung’s A24 comedy Friendship. As of 2023, BoulderLight Pictures entered a first-look deal with New Line Cinema where they produced Drew Hancock’s sci-fi thriller Companion and Zach Cregger’s horror epic, Weapons. Beginning 2026, JD and Raphael will spearhead a new label for Paramount Pictures specializing in ‘premium pulp’ genre movies. They are represented by Range Media Partners.
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Raphael MargulesFounder, Boulderlight PicturesJD Lifshitz and Raphael Margules are the cofounders of Boulderlight Pictures whose films include Barbarian, The Vigil, Becky, Anna Kendrick’s Netflix thriller Woman of the Hour and Andrew DeYoung’s A24 comedy Friendship. As of 2023, BoulderLight Pictures entered a first-look deal with New Line Cinema where they produced Drew Hancock’s sci-fi thriller Companion and Zach Cregger’s horror epic, Weapons. Beginning 2026, JD and Raphael will spearhead a new label for Paramount Pictures specializing in ‘premium pulp’ genre movies. They are represented by Range Media Partners.
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Alayna GlasthalDirector of Creative Production, Atomic MonsterAlayna Glasthal works as the Director of Creative Production at Atomic Monster, overseeing development and managing production for the film team.
Alayna holds a B.A. in Psychology from the University of Southern California (USC) where she also took part in Dr. Stacy L. Smith’s Media, Diversity, and Social Change Research. After graduating, she worked as an assistant at Paradigm Talent Agency before becoming the assistant to Atomic Monster president, Michael Clear, in 2018.
Alayna has worked on the majority of Atomic Monster’s slate since then, including the television series ARCHIVE 81, THE CONJURING Universe, and M3GAN Franchise. Most recently, she was co-producer on THE CONJURING: LAST RITES and the upcoming film OTHER MOMMY, starring Jessica Chastain.