Searchlight’s Matthew Greenfield On Getting People Into Movie Theaters & Finding New Talent On YouTube — TIFF: The Market
News Source
•Sat, 12 Sep 2026 17:35:00 +0000
📰 What Happened
Matthew Greenfield, who runs Searchlight Pictures, spoke at TIFF's market about two big topics. He said YouTube is a great place to find new storytellers, because creators can build an audience without gatekeepers. He also talked about the fight to get people into theaters in the age of streaming. "YouTube is an incredible resource," he said.
🔍 The Backstory
Studios are now scouting YouTube for ideas after hits like Obsession and Backrooms came from the platform. Greenfield said new talent used to come from short films and first features that had to pass through gatekeepers. On theaters, he said the challenge is familiarity. Everyone must decide whether to leave home and pay, or stay in and stream anything ever made.
🎯 Why It Matters
This explains how movies get chosen and why theaters are struggling. It also means a YouTuber could one day become the next big filmmaker.
Matthew Greenfield, who runs Searchlight Pictures, spoke at TIFF's market about two big topics. He said YouTube is a great place to find new storytellers, because creators can build an audience without gatekeepers. He also talked about the fight to get people into theaters in the age of streaming. "YouTube is an incredible resource," he said.
Studios are now scouting YouTube for ideas after hits like Obsession and Backrooms came from the platform. Greenfield said new talent used to come from short films and first features that had to pass through gatekeepers. On theaters, he said the challenge is familiarity. Everyone must decide whether to leave home and pay, or stay in and stream anything ever made.
This explains how movies get chosen and why theaters are struggling. It also means a YouTuber could one day become the next big filmmaker.