Kevin Iwashina has resigned from Fifth Season as head of documentary, Screen has confirmed.
The former agent’s departure comes as he issued an internal statement on Wednesday obtained by Screen in which he acknowledged that he had on occasion spoken to colleagues using language which “can range from creating discomfort to being received as aggressive”.
The statement continued, “I have worked diligently on this issue during my years at this company, with professional help, but have not yet been able to attain a satisfactory result for anyone involved, including, most importantly, myself.”
Iwashina joined what was known as Endeavor Content in 2017 (prior to last year’s company renaming) and oversaw the documentary department with Liesl Copland, assuming sole oversight in February 2021 when Copland departed for Participant.
Before that he served as an agent at CAA before going on to co-found production, finance and sales company Preferred Content with Ross Dinerstein in 2010.
The industry veteran has worked on hundreds of documentaries in his career as a producer and sales agent and attended the Berlinale in February with festival acquisition titles Superpower and Kiss The Future.
The statement apears below.
I have always been committed to my work and this company and with it comes a deep passion and a commitment to excellence. Unfortunately, my passion can sometimes make me verbalize things that I regret. With a more mature perspective, I can see how my words may be perceived as aggressive or causing discomfort. I have worked hard on this issue with professional assistance during my years in this company, but I have not been able to achieve a satisfactory outcome for anyone involved, and most importantly, for myself. I am determined that I will find an emotional balance which allows me to thrive and those I interact with to flourish. I am in a difficult position. I truly love my work, this organization and the people inside of it, but I know we are all making the right decision.
I am appreciative of the time we spent together and am thankful for all that you have taught me.[Taylor, Fifth Season co-CEO]With much sincerity,[Rice, Fifth Season co-CEO]IWAS
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