Farhoud Meybodi is launching Ritual Arts, a new production company, and has secured a first-look deal with Wayfarer Studios, the independent studio co-founded by Justin Baldoni and Steve Sarowitz. The company will focus on storytelling that inspires culture change through purpose-driven television and film.
An award-winning writer, director, and executive producer, Meybodi recently worked on “My Last Days,” a docuseries about people living with a terminal illness that is currently in Season 5 on the CW Network. Meybodi previously co-founded Wayfarer Entertainment with Ahmed Musiol and Justin Baldoni, and the trio has teamed up on a variety of commercials, films and television shows. Meybodi is a member of the Directors Guild of America and the Television Academy, and is also a board member of the Muslim Public Affairs Council’s Hollywood Bureau.
“During these divisive times, it’s critical that we, the creative community, break free from our echo chambers and speak to the heart and soul of this nation,” Meybodi said in a statement. “Storytelling has always been a pathway for building bridges, and at Ritual, we aspire to create motion pictures that really move people…. ideally sparking meaningful dialogue between liberals, conservatives and everyone in between, in hopes of healing and unifying this great country.”
Ritual Arts also announced that Carra Greenberg will be the company’s head of production and operations, overseeing the current slate of productions and partnerships. She will co-produce feature films and TV series for Ritual Arts, and has previously produced commercials, docuseries, and feature content at a variety of companies. Her feature doc “Daughters of the Sexual Revolution,” about the original Dallas Cowboys Cheerleaders, won a Grand Jury Prize at SXSW.
“I am thrilled to be part of a team working towards measurable change through mission-driven content,” Greenberg said in a statement. “Farhoud has a proven track record of journalistic integrity through filmmaking. His work speaks to the critical stories of our time. I look forward to pushing creative boundaries and celebrating powerful diverse stories and voices of change.”
Dr. Caroline Heldman also joins the company as head of social impact. Her published books include, “Protest Politics in the Marketplace: Consumer Activism in the Corporate Age,” “Women, Power, and Politics: The Fight for Gender Equality in the US” and “Madam President? Gender & Politics on the Road to the White House.” Heldman also co-founded the New Orleans Women’s Shelter and the Lower Ninth Ward Museum.
Ritual Arts has raised more than $4 million for the production of its preliminary slate. Upcoming projects will be announced in the coming months.
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