Howard Cohen
Producer · Born August 24, 1959 (67) · Lewiston, Maine, USA
Howard Cohen is an American film producer, acquisitions executive, and media entrepreneur best known as the Co-Founder and Co-President of the independent film distribution company Roadside Attractions. Over a career spanning more than three decades, Cohen has become a prominent figure in the American independent film industry, helping to shepherd dozens of critically acclaimed and commercially successful indie films to global audiences. Before launching Roadside Attractions in 2003 alongside his husband and business partner Eric d'Arbeloff, Cohen built a robust foundation in Hollywood's corporate and creative sectors. He served as the head of the independent film department at United Talent Agency (UTA), where he packaged and represented independent projects. Prior to his time as a talent agent, he held high-level creative and acquisitions roles at Samuel Goldwyn Films and The Samuel Goldwyn Company. Under Cohen’s leadership, Roadside Attractions grew from a boutique start-up into a premier distribution powerhouse, eventually securing a major minority investment from Lionsgate. He has overseen the theatrical distribution and marketing of numerous culturally impactful films and Academy Award winners, including Super Size Me, Manchester by the Sea, The Peanut Butter Falcon, Judy, and Winter's Bone. Today, he continues to lead the company's film acquisitions strategy, scouting global festivals for compelling, adult-driven cinema.
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Biography from IMDb.
- August 24, 1959 (67)
- Lewiston, Maine, USA
- Producer
- 6 on MovieCove
What are Howard Cohen's films like?
Across their 6 MovieCove titles with a thematic analysis, their films lean Self and Survival.
Themes
What they feel like to watch
Ironic 0 · Wry 1 · Earnest 4
A split, not a type: Light 2 · Serious 1 · Dark 2
Grounded 4 · Stylized 1 · Heightened 0
Gentle 1 · Charged 3 · Intense 1
Steady 3 · Shifting 2 · Whiplash 0
A split, not a type: Straight-faced 2 · Some laughs 3 · Funny 0
Slow burn 3 · Even-paced 2 · Relentless 0
A split, not a type: Casual 3 · Engaged 1 · Full focus 1
Easy watch 1 · Affecting 4 · Heavy 0
Resolved 1 · Open-ended 4 · Ambiguous 0
Moods and endings
- Bittersweet1
- Ambiguous5
AI-generated from each title's plot synopsis and cast list, with extra plot summaries, reviews and Parents Guide notes for titles the model may not know, and the model's own knowledge of the ones it recognizes. Only analyzed titles count, so this covers part of the filmography; the feel axes count films only for now.
Where can I watch Howard Cohen's films?
As of October 24, 2026, 4 of their 6 MovieCove titles stream on a subscription or free service.
Subscription and free streaming for Howard Cohen's titles on MovieCove; rent and buy are not counted. Titles are listed by Midcredits score, highest first, at most 12 per service; a dashed chip is a producer credit or a minor one, such as a thanks. A service opens the browse page, which counts movies only, so its number can differ.
Filmography
6 credits, 6 with a MovieCove page; 2 appearances as themselves are hidden until asked for.
Lucky Strike(2026)
Midcredits score: 25th percentile of all films
Riff Raff(2024)
Midcredits score: 26th percentile of all films
Shortcomings(2023)
Midcredits score: 56th percentile of all films
Professionals(2020)
Midcredits score: 16th percentile of all shows
All Is Lost(2013)
Midcredits score: 78th percentile of all films
Vanity Fair(2004)
Midcredits score: 43rd percentile of all films
Career shape
A full career of 4 titles from 2004 to 2023.
How do Howard Cohen's films land?
Their typical MovieCove film has a Midcredits score in the 43rd percentile, the median of all 5; across their 5 films with reception data, the typical film sits in the 40th percentile for acclaim.
- 75th and up1
- 50th to 74th1
- 25th to 49th3
- Below 25th1
Shape of the crowd
3 of their 6 titles are Broadly Agreed.
- Cult Classic1
- Crowd Pleaser1
- Broadly Agreed3
- Mixed1
Percentiles are each film's standing among all films on MovieCove; the typical film is the median, so one outlier cannot drag it. Percentiles and reviewer scores count the films IMDb credits them on, for now; the Midcredits score bands, the shape of the crowd and the two cards count their MovieCove titles, shows included (a show ranked among shows), appearances as themselves left out. A descriptor is the shape of a title's IMDb rating distribution against the catalog; "most divisive" needs a spread wider than half of all titles, and a card names only a principal credit: a craft role, and on a show a crew role or a run of episodes, never a courtesy credit or a one-off guest spot.
Is Howard Cohen's work okay for kids?
Across a limited sample of up to 4 MovieCove titles with content scores.
Severity 0–100 from the Content Guide. Categories with under 10 votes on a title are not counted.
Who does Howard Cohen work with?
People who share at least 2 of Howard Cohen's MovieCove titles; Eric d'Arbeloff shares the most, 5.
- Eric d'ArbeloffShared titles: Lucky Strike (2026), Riff Raff (2024), Shortcomings (2023), Professionals (2020), All Is Lost (2013)See all 5 shared titles with Eric d'Arbeloff
- Jennifer BermanShared titles: Shortcomings (2023), Professionals (2020)See all 2 shared titles with Jennifer Berman