Rakish Partners with Commonwealth for East Coast Representation

Emily Friendship to propel Rakish’s East Coast market impact

Los Angeles-based Rakish, the production company co-founded and led by managing director Preston Garrett and Golden Globe-nominated feature film director Marc Forster, proudly announces its strategic partnership with Emily Friendship of NYC-based Commonwealth for East Coast sales representation. Friendship will manage Rakish’s commercial and branded content projects, enhancing their market impact and aligning perfectly with their latest successes, including the launch of the company’s new long-form division headed by Zack Williams, Head of Creative Development. Friendship will also collaborate closely with Chiara Useche, Rakish’s Head of Sales, to drive the company's ambitious growth and innovative vision.

Friendship’s career has been underpinned by storytelling in all its forms, weaving together a wealth of experience that perfectly complements Rakish's evolved direction. With a respected 15-year career in feature film production and international sales, including her notable tenure as SVP of International Sales at Inferno Films, Emily brings unparalleled expertise to Rakish’s evolving vision across the combined advertising and long-form narrative space. Her extensive background in feature films and subsequent transition to advertising provides a solid foundation in talent relations, creative development, production, and sales.

Sharing her enthusiasm in aligning with Rakish, Friendship shares, "It is with uncurbed pride we welcome Rakish to the Commonwealth, a partnering that marks not only the beginning of an epic creative journey, where visions are blended and standards surpassed, but also the joining of like-spirited people for whom ambition and a love of craft are the driving force."

Preston Garrett, Managing Director at Rakish, expresses, “Emily isn’t like anyone else I’ve met in this bizarre business, let alone anyone who’s working in commercial sales. Her fluency with all things filmmaking, the business of long form, and her ability to speak the elusive language of ‘Director’ across commercials and films is unique to her. In that way it’s totally apt to call our working relationship a partnership. She thinks like a filmmaker, a producer, a writer, who just happens to work in sales.”

Chiara Useche, Head of Sales and Creative Producer at Rakish adds, “This collaboration is a testament to our commitment to pushing creative boundaries. With Emily on board, we are poised to achieve remarkable things and forge new paths in the industry."

Friendship elaborates on the significance of this partnership, “In representing Rakish, it’s the fulfillment of a long-held aspiration to marry a deep love of filmmaking with the business of advertising in a way that is meaningful, inspiring, and creatively impactful. Rakish’s caliber of talent, the expertise of the team, and the collective missions of us all spark the potential for something truly extraordinary."

This marks the final step in what Rakish self-describes as an “internal evolution.” Says Garrett, “Our identity is fully formed. The arrival of Emily is the cherry on top of going all in on it.”

What is that identity? “A mix between Kubrick’s signature chin-down-eyes-up portrait shots and the spirit of Cassevetes in the 70s. Menace and mischief for the sake of singular cinema. I’ll die planting that flag on top of Mount Rakish, adds Garrett”

Rakish joins an esteemed roster of clients at Commonwealth, including Farm League, Lost Planet, Happy Place, and Domo. Their representation is rounded out by Hero Management on the West Coast, Nikki Weiss & Co. in the Midwest, and ENID in the UK and Amsterdam.