Sev Ohanian

2013–2017: Early career

Ohanian dropped out of USC in 2012 on the advice of faculty member John Watson to co-produce Fruitvale Station, written and directed by fellow USC classmate Ryan Coogler.^[5][6] Fruitvale Station went on to win the top audience and grand jury awards in the U.S. dramatic competition at the 2013 Sundance Film Festival, and also was awarded the Prize of the Future at 2013 Cannes Film Festival.^[7][8]

In 2014, Ohanian produced a two-minute Google Glass spot called Seeds, directed by Aneesh Chaganty. The short became an internet sensation after garnering more than one million YouTube views in 24 hours,^[9] and earned him a spot on The Wrap's 2014 Innovator's List of "Thought Leaders who are Changing Hollywood."^[10] Ohanian produced Andrew Bujalski's film Results, which premiered at Sundance in 2015, and was acquired by Magnolia Pictures.^[11] He also produced Clea DuVall's The Intervention, which premiered at Sundance 2016, and was acquired by Paramount.^[12]

Ohanian taught producing as an adjunct professor at USC's School of Cinematic Arts from 2014 to 2018.^[13]

2018–present: Searching and beyond

Ohanian co-wrote and produced the film Searching, starring John Cho and Debra Messing, with his frequent collaborators and fellow USC alums Aneesh Chaganty and Natalie Qasabian.^[14][15] Searching premiered at Sundance in 2018, where it won the NEXT Audience Award and Alfred P. Sloan Feature Film Award, and was theatrically released by Sony Screen Gems, making $75 million worldwide against an $880,000 budget.^[16] That year, Ohanian was the recipient of the Sundance Institute/Amazon Studios Narrative Producers Award.^[17][18][19]

Ohanian co-wrote and produced the film Run, which sold to Lionsgate after a bidding war.^[20] Run, which stars Sarah Paulson and Kiera Allen, was released in 2020 on Hulu, dropping plans for a theatrical release due to the worldwide COVID-19 pandemic.^[21] In its opening weekend, it broke records as Hulu's most-watched film premiere.^[22]

In 2018, Ohanian partnered with Ryan Coogler and Zinzi Coogler to form a multimedia production company, Proximity Media. They have so far produced Space Jam: A New Legacy, starring LeBron James and the Looney Tunes, the Academy Award-winning Judas and the Black Messiah, starring Daniel Kaluuya and Lakeith Stanfield, and Creed III, directed by and starring Michael B. Jordan.^[23][24] Creed III opened to $100.4 million globally, setting a franchise box office record, and went on to gross over $276 million worldwide.^[25]

In August 2019, Ohanian was announced as a producer of Missing, the follow-up to Searching, alongside Natalie Qasabian and Aneesh Chaganty.^[26] The film was directed by Will Merrick and Nick Johnson, who co-wrote the screenplay based on a treatment by Ohanian and Chaganty.^[27]

In February 2021, it was announced Ohanian's company Proximity Media had signed a five-year exclusive TV deal with Disney.^[28] Also in 2021, Ohanian was selected by The Hollywood Reporter for their annual 35 under 35 Rising Executives list. Notably his sister, attorney Ramela Ohanian, was also selected for that year's list.^[29]

In 2025, Ohanian produced Sinners alongside Ryan Coogler and Zinzi Coogler. The film received critical acclaim, grossed $368 million at the global box office and garnered a record sixteen nominations at the 98th Academy Awards.^[30][31]

In August 2025, Ohanian was named one of Variety's 41 leaders under 40. ^[32] In September, the Armenian Film Society inducted him into its Armenian Film Hall of Fame, and he was awarded keys to the city of Glendale.^[33]