In this special edition of The Cinematic Schematic, The Cinematropolis co-founders Jacob and Zachary Burns join host and co-founder Caleb Masters to spotlight the most exciting work happening in horror with the executive producer of Skinamarink, Jonathan Barkan.
Meet Jonathan Barkan: Horror Cinema Enthusiast, Writer, Film Acquirer and Distributor, and (most recently)Filmmaker
Currently serving as Head of US Distribution at VMI Worldwide, Jonathan Barkan has had an incredible career working in the horror film genre. Starting with his years as music editor at Bloody-Disgusting.com, he subsequently transitioned into a managing editor role at Dread Central before becoming the editor-in-chief in 2018. In 2019, Barkan took his horror film career in a different direction and jumped into the vice president of acquisitions and distribution role at The Horror Collective.
Fun Fact: While working for The Horror Collective, Barkan discovered our parent entity, Planet Thunder Productions' movie, Shifter. Longtime listeners may recall our in-depth series documenting the making of the time travel body horror film.
Furthermore, Barkan continued his work with filmmakers in horror film acquisitions in his later roles at Mutiny Pictures and Bayview Entertainment. It was through this stint in acquisitions he discovered one of 2023's most noteworthy films to date, Skinamarink.
In today's conversation with Barkan, we talk with him about how he found his way into the business of horror cinema. Next, we cover his secret to discovering and distributing films like Skinamarink. Lastly, we'll get insight into the latest updates on his upcoming directorial debut, Mental Health and Horror: A Documentary. The discussion concludes with a two-minute rapid-fire interview round where Barkan spills his secrets.
Skinamarink is now streaming on Shudder and will be available on Blu-ray on June 20th. Mental Health and Horror: A Documentary is in production.