Ira Deutchman

As one of the founders of Cinecom Pictures and later Fine Line Features, Ira Deutchman is one of the most respected names in the independent film business. 

Duetchman has been involved in producing, distributing, or marketing some of the most important indie films of the 1980s to the present, including “Sex, Lies, and Videotape,” “A Room with a View,” “Stop Making Sense,” “Hoop Dreams,” and “El Norte.”  

Deutchman is connected to many of the filmmakers in the Mavericks and Makers collection, as he:

  • Acquired and distributed Robert Altman’s “The Player” and “Short Cuts”
  • Marketed John Sayles’ “The Brother From Another Planet” and “Matewan” 
  • Executive produced Alan Rudolph’s “Mrs. Parker and the Vicious Circle”  
  • Distributed Jonathan Demme’s “Stop Making Sense” and “Swimming to Cambodia” through Cinecom 
  • Distributed Nancy Savoca’s “Household Saints” through Fine Line

profiles of two men, in serious conversation, facing each other
Ira Deutchman talking with director Martin Scorsese (right) during the re-release premiere of Scorsese's film "New York, New York," 1981.

The collection includes film festival catalogs, one-sheets, and distribution materials. Numerous letters, correspondence and memos between himself, filmmakers, and other leading figures in the business world provides a unique insider perspective.

Finding aid

profile of a white man speaking into a handheld microphone

Ira Deutchman giving the keynote address at Filmmaker's Bootcamp, 2012.

Contact

https://umich.libcal.com/appointments/phallman
Philip A Hallman

Film Studies Field Librarian

734-615-0445

phallman@umich.edu