Sara Murphy (film producer)

Sara Murphy
OccupationProducer
Years active2005–present

Sara Murphy is an American music video and film producer, known for her works with Philip Seymour Hoffman, Paul Thomas Anderson, Aaron Katz and Barry Jenkins, for which she was nominated at the Academy Awards, BAFTA Award and Grammy Awards.

Through her career Murphy has won the Independent Spirit John Cassavetes Award for Land Ho! (2014), the Independent Spirit Award for Best Film for If Beale Street Could Talk (2018) and the Gotham Independent Film Award for Best Feature for One Battle After Another (2025).

Career

Murphy initially went to school for engineering, and eventually landed a job as Philip Seymour Hoffman's assistant.[1] In 2010 she served as an associate producer on Jack Goes Boating directed by Hoffman.[2]

In 2014, Murphy produced Land Ho! directed by Martha Stephens and Aaron Katz, which won the Independent Spirit John Cassavetes Award.[3]

Hoffman, years later would recommend Murphy to Paul Thomas Anderson after he agreed to direct a music video.[4] She has served as producer on his music videos for Joanna Newsom,[5] Haim,[6] Radiohead,[7] and The Smile.[8] In 2020 Murphy served as producer for Thom Yorke's music film Anima being nominated at the 62nd Annual Grammy Awards for Best Music Film.

In 2020 Murphy has also worked at PASTEL, the production company founded by Barry Jenkins, where she produced Never Rarely Sometimes Always and If Beale Street Could Talk, winning for the latter the Independent Spirit Award for Best Film.[9] In 2021 Murphy has produced Paul Thomas Anderson's Licorice Pizza, earning her a nomination for the BAFTA Award for Best Film and Academy Award for Best Picture.[10][11][12]

In 2022, Murphy launched Fat City alongside Ryan Zacarias, where she has produced Mother, Couch and If I Had Legs I'd Kick You.[13][14] In 2025 she produced with Adam Somner and Paul Thomas Anderson One Battle After Another, for which she won the Gotham Independent Film Award for Best Feature.[15]

Filmography

Producer

Films

Year Title Director Notes
2014 Land Ho Martha Stephens
Aaron Katz
2016 Morris from America Chad Hartigan
Hunter Gatherer Josh Locy
2017 Person to Person Dustin Guy Defa
Gemini Aaron Katz
2018 The Mountain Rick Alverson
If Beale Street Could Talk Barry Jenkins
The Amaranth Albert Chi
2019 Anima Paul Thomas Anderson Short film
2020 Never Rarely Sometimes Always Eliza Hittman
2021 Licorice Pizza Paul Thomas Anderson
2023 Mother, Couch Niclas Larsson
2025 If I Had Legs I'd Kick You Mary Bronstein
The History of Sound Oliver Hermanus
One Battle After Another Paul Thomas Anderson

Music videos

Year Title Artist Director
2015 Sapokanikan Joanna Newsom Paul Thomas Anderson
2016 Daydreaming Radiohead
2019 Now I'm in It Haim
2023 Wall of Eyes The Smile

Awards and nominations

Award Year Work Category Result Ref.
AACTA International Awards 2022 Best Film Licorice Pizza Nominated [16]
Academy Awards 2022 Best Picture Licorice Pizza Nominated [17]
British Academy Film Awards 2022 Best Film Licorice Pizza Nominated [18]
British Independent Film Awards 2021 Best International Independent Film Never Rarely Sometimes Always Nominated [19]
Film Independent Spirit Awards 2019 Best Feature If Beale Street Could Talk Won} [20]
2021 Never Rarely Sometimes Always Nominated [21]
Gotham Awards 2021 Best Feature Never Rarely Sometimes Always Nominated [22]
2025 One Battle After Another Won [23]
[15]
If I Had Legs I'd Kick You Nominated
Grammy Awards 2020 Best Music Film Anima Nominated [24]
Producers Guild of America Awards 2022 Best Theatrical Motion Picture Licorice Pizza Nominated [25]

References

  1. ^ Erbland, Kate (January 20, 2017). "'Person to Person' Producer Sara Murphy On Going From Hollywood Assistant to Indie Mainstay — Sundance Springboard". IndieWire. Retrieved February 28, 2024.
  2. ^ Coates, Tyler (March 19, 2022). "'Licorice Pizza' Producer Sara Murphy on Paul Thomas Anderson's Nostalgic Depiction of the San Fernando Valley". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved February 28, 2024.
  3. ^ "Congratulations to the 2015 Film Independent Spirit Award Winners!". Film Independent. February 23, 2015. Retrieved February 28, 2024.
  4. ^ "A Stroke of Magic: Inside Cooper Hoffman's Casting in 'Licorice Pizza' (Exclusive)". Academy of Motion Pictures Arts and Sciences. March 16, 2022. Retrieved February 28, 2024.
  5. ^ Sharf, Zack (August 10, 2015). "Watch: Paul Thomas Anderson Reunites With Joanna Newsom for 'Sapokanikan' Music Video". IndieWire. Retrieved February 28, 2024.
  6. ^ D'Alessandro, Anthony (March 5, 2022). "'Licorice Pizza' Producers On How Latest Paul Thomas Anderson Movie "Came Out Of The Blue" – Contenders Film: The Nominees". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved February 28, 2024.
  7. ^ Raup, Jordan (May 6, 2016). "Watch: Paul Thomas Anderson-Directed Music Video For Radiohead's 'Daydreaming'". The Film Stage. Retrieved February 28, 2024.
  8. ^ Zelmer, Emily (January 26, 2024). "Paul Thomas Anderson Helms Music Video for the Smile's 'Friend of a Friend'". Rolling Stone. Retrieved February 28, 2024.
  9. ^ Yapp, Virginia (April 3, 2020). "The Producers of 'Never Rarely Sometimes Always' on Shifting the Film's Release to VOD". Sundance Institute. Retrieved February 28, 2024.
  10. ^ Ravindran, Manori (February 3, 2022). "BAFTA Awards Nominations Unveiled: 'Dune,' 'Power of the Dog' Lead Field, Will Smith Earns First BAFTA Nod". Variety. Retrieved February 28, 2024.
  11. ^ Lang, Brent; Moreau, Jordan; Grantham-Philips, Wyatt (February 8, 2022). "Oscar Nominations 2022: 'Power of the Dog' Leads With 12 Nods, 'Dune' Follows With 10 (Full List)". Variety. Retrieved February 28, 2024.
  12. ^ Kroll, Justin; Fleming Jr, Mike (January 10, 2024). "Paul Thomas Anderson & Warner Bros Set Leonardo DiCaprio, Sean Penn, Regina Hall In Film To Shoot This Year". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved February 28, 2024.
  13. ^ White, Peter (October 6, 2022). "Sara Murphy & Ryan Zacarias Launch Production Company Fat City, Strike First-Look Deal With Anonymous Content". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved February 28, 2024.
  14. ^ Lavalee, Eric (August 9, 2023). "A Therapist's Therapist: Mary Bronstein Set to Direct "If I Had Legs I'd Kick You"". ION Cinema. Retrieved February 28, 2024.
  15. ^ a b Goldsmith, Jill; Pedersen, Erik (December 1, 2025). "Gotham Awards: 'One Battle After Another' Takes Best Feature; Three Wins for Jafar Panahi – Full List". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved December 1, 2025.
  16. ^ Tartaglione, Nancy (December 17, 2021). "'Belfast' & 'The Power Of The Dog' Lead Australia's AACTA International Awards Nominations – Full List". Deadline. Retrieved December 17, 2021.
  17. ^ Weatherby, Taylor (September 4, 2017). "Keith Urban & Miranda Lambert Lead 2017 CMA Awards Nominees, Taylor Swift Earns First Nomination in Three Years". Billboard. Retrieved October 2, 2018.
  18. ^ Grater, Tom (February 3, 2022). "BAFTA Film Awards: 'Dune' & 'The Power Of The Dog' Lead Nominations". Deadline. Retrieved February 3, 2022.
  19. ^ Ramachandran, Naman (December 9, 2020). "'Saint Maud,' 'His House,' 'Rocks' Lead British Independent Film Awards Nominations". Variety. Archived from the original on January 9, 2021. Retrieved January 7, 2021.
  20. ^ "2019 Indie Spirit Awards Winners: Complete List". Variety. February 23, 2019. Archived from the original on February 24, 2019. Retrieved February 24, 2019.
  21. ^ Sharf, Zack (January 26, 2021). "2021 Spirit Awards Nominations List: 'Never Rarely' Dominates with 7 Noms, 'Minari' Strong". IndieWire. Archived from the original on January 26, 2021. Retrieved January 26, 2021.
  22. ^ "Nominations Announced for 30th IFP Gotham Awards". Independent Filmmaker Project. November 12, 2020. Archived from the original on December 8, 2020. Retrieved December 6, 2020.
  23. ^ Goldsmith, Jill (October 28, 2025). "Gotham Awards Film Nominations: 'One Battle After Another' Leads Pack; Multiple Noms for 'If I Had Legs I'd Kick You', 'It Was Just An Accident', 'No Other Choice'". Deadline Hollywood. Archived from the original on November 26, 2025. Retrieved October 28, 2025.
  24. ^ "'Homecoming' Puts Beyoncé Back in the Grammy Race". Billboard. Archived from the original on November 7, 2020. Retrieved November 30, 2020.
  25. ^ Pedersen, Erik (January 27, 2022). "PGA Awards Nominations: 'Licorice Pizza', 'Don't Look Up', 'Dune', 'King Richard' & 'CODA' Among Pics Vying For Marquee Prize". Deadline. Retrieved January 27, 2022.
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