Humphrey Bogart Estate Launches Production Company, Unveils First Trailer (Exclusive)

Humphrey Bogart left an indelible mark on the movie world through his many iconic film performances. Now the actor’s estate is taking his legacy one step further by getting into the film business.

The Humphrey Bogart Estate is partnering with filmmaker Steve Anderson to establish Santana Films, The Hollywood Reporter has learned exclusively. The company will be funded by Los Angeles-based boutique venture capital fund Orange Equity, which has pledged $5 million for the initial slate of films to be completed over the next three to five years.

Santana’s first feature film, This Last Lonely Place, was written and directed by Anderson and is currently in postproduction. The drama stars Rhys Coiro, Xander Berkeley and Carly Pope. The company’s next film, The White Orchid, is now casting and will begin shooting this fall.

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“My father has inspired generations of film lovers and filmmakers,” said Stephen Bogart, the son of Bogart and Lauren Bacall and co-managing partner of the Bogart Estate. “In 1948, my dad was one of the first stars to leave the studio system, because he wanted to be free to make movies his way. He started his own independent film company, Santana Productions, named after his beloved sailboat. Starting Santana Films is the perfect way to carry on our family tradition.”

Anderson praised Bogart’s artistic and business sense.

“Bogart was a risk taker. He took on challenging material and loved to work with other independent iconoclasts, like directors Nicholas Ray and John Huston,” Anderson said. “We’re going to let ourselves be guided by this spirit. Santana Films will focus on low-budget projects, but they’ll be elevated genre films, films that Bogart might make if he was making films today. They’ll be quality, filmmaker-driven films. There’s a demand out there for quality genre films, and we intend to meet that demand by embracing the Bogart legacy. As you’ll see with This Last Lonely Place, this means a focus on Old Hollywood storytelling, great acting, and New Hollywood fundraising and marketing.”

This Last Lonely Place was funded by a successful Kickstarter campaign. The Bogart Estate leveraged its social media presence to carry the campaign past its $75,000 goal to raise more than $90,000. 

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The estate’s Facebook page has more than 225,000 fans, and its Twitter account boasts more than 30,000 followers. Anderson says social media will be important to Santana Films’ future success.

“This potent and creative combination of the old world and the new world is very inspiring,” he said. “We’ll continue to embrace crowdfunding strategies and harness the power of social media. It’s a new world out there.”

“The Bogart Estate has been focused on finding relevant, engaging ways to celebrate Bogie’s legacy,” added Robbert de Klerk, founder of Orange Equity and co-managing partner at the Bogart Estate. “For example, earlier this year, it hosted the inaugural edition of the Humphrey Bogart Film Festival in Key Largo, Florida. And now, with Santana Films, the estate aims to create the kind of well-told noirs, thrillers and crime movies that Bogie loved. It’s a worthy endeavor, and it makes business sense. Orange Equity is proud to back the effort.”

Watch the first trailer for This Last Lonely Place below. Find out more about Santana Films at its official website.