Fox Searchlight Hires Former Netflix Exec Chan Phung to Lead Acquisitions Division

She previously worked at Sony Pictures where she helped acquire “Arrival,” “Spotlight,” and “Whiplash.”

Fox Searchlight

Fox Searchlight Pictures has tapped Chan Phung to lead its acquisitions department, as senior vice president of acquisitions and production, the studio announced on Monday. The appointment, which will take effect Nov. 4, was made by Fox Searchlight co-chairmen Stephen Gilula and Nancy Utley.

Phung moves to the studio from Netflix, where she served as director of original independent film. At Searchlight, she will report to Matthew Greenfield and David Greenbaum, the presidents of production for film and TV, respectively.

She will be responsible for the acquisition of finished films, as well as working closely with the entire production team to identify and evaluate potential acquisitions of films at the package stage.

“I am excited about taking on this new opportunity and joining the amazing Searchlight team is a privilege second to none,” Phung said in a statement. “I have long been a fan of Searchlight’s incredibly diverse slate of films.”

At Netflix, Phung was in charge of a robust slate of acquisitions and productions. Her movie credits include upcoming films including Jane Campion’s “The Power of the Dog,” Simon Stone’s “The Dig,” Mikael Hafstrom’s “Outside the Wire,” and festival breakouts “I Am Mother,” “The Breaker Upperers,”  “The Perfection,” and “The Ritual.”

Before joining Netflix, Phung was vice president of worldwide acquisitions at Sony Pictures, where she was an integral part of numerous company successes including the acquisition of Oscar-winning films such as “Arrival,” “Spotlight,” “Manchester By the Sea,” and “Whiplash.”

“Chan is a tremendous talent in the industry, and we are thrilled to have her as an indispensable part of the Searchlight team,” Greenfield and Greenbaum said in a joint statement. “She demonstrates exceptional knowledge and expertise in identifying the type of distinctive films that Searchlight gravitates towards.”

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