Title:GEMA Alumni Spotlight – Arvand Khosravi (SFS’07), Senior Vice President and Head of Scripted Television Strategy, Fifth Season

Arvand is SVP and Head of Scripted Television Strategy at Fifth Season, a leading global film and TV production and distribution company. He is responsible for the financial structuring, packaging, and sales & distribution of the company’s scripted slate. He works primarily in the international co-production space, taking shows from outside the U.S. and finding homes for them in America. The BBC/Hulu series Normal People is a prime example of something he worked on, among dozens of other titles over the years.

What was your first “big break”? Or, what is the most significant experience you have had that has made your success possible?

I was toiling in the mailroom at WME, a very “best of times and worst of times” Dickensian experience. An agent in the TV group named Erin Junkin took a chance on me and hired me to be her assistant. That was the beginning of my career in television. Wouldn’t have happened without her!

What is the most challenging part of your job? What is the most rewarding part?

There is so much that is outside of one’s control when you’re trying to get shows made. The key is to anticipate pitfalls as much as possible while maintaining a healthy perspective. I’m not an ER doctor, after all. The most rewarding part of my job is having a hand in turning someone’s creative vision into reality. I am so lucky to work in the industry of story-telling, an ancient tradition that bonds us together as humans, no matter our differences.

What is something current you are working on that you are excited about?

Not sure I should mention this because it hasn’t been announced yet . . . I’m working on the adaptation of one of my favorite novels, called The Heart’s Invisible Furies. Can’t go into too many details, but it’s going to be an absolutely beautiful series.

How is the ever-changing media landscape affecting your industry?

There’s been a tremendous sense of instability and fear over the last few years due to the pandemic hangover, the strikes, the guild disputes, and a hyper-active M+A landscape. It feels like there are fewer viable buyers for series, fewer creative risks being taken, and less money to play with. But where there’s instability, there is also opportunity if you’re smart and nimble. You just have to remember that in media & entertainment, chaos is constant, stability is a myth. The question remains, however, whether in an era of unfettered capitalist fervor if true artistry can survive on screen.

Are there any ways that you feel Georgetown especially prepared you for your career?

Georgetown gave me the gift of exploring subjects that have nothing to do with my career. I don’t believe an undergraduate degree, for the most part, should be approached as vocational training. Learning all sorts of “random” subjects will actually serve you better in life than staying focused on just one lane.

What is your best advice to those who are starting out in your field?

Read as much as you can, watch as much as you can, develop your palette. Ultimately, your taste is your calling card, and it takes years to refine.

Best Business Advice Received:

I have a multi-part answer: (1) Find a mentor. This is critical. (2) Learn one new thing a day related to your job, no matter how small. The aggregate of those bits of new knowledge turn out to be significant in the long run. (3) Don’t let other people set the agenda for how you spend your time (your inbox is not a to-do list!). (4) If you’re the smartest person in the room, find another room.

Trait You Most Admire in People: 

A sharp sense of humor.

Favorite App, Website, Podcast or Social Platform (other than related to your own company):

I can’t seem to quit Twitter (I refuse to call is X), it unfortunately gives me much joy. I play the New York Times puzzles (Wordle, Connections, Strands, Pips) every day. And my favorite podcast is “Acquired,” I’ve learned so much from those guys.

Favorite Georgetown Professor:

Father Fields, and Scott Redford in a close second place.

Favorite Georgetown Restaurant or Bar:

Cafe Milano if my parents were in town, followed by a raucous late-night dance party at The Tombs with my friends and punctuated by 2am slices at Philly Pizza (RIP!) with extra ranch dressing.

Favorite Georgetown Memory:

The camaraderie among those of us pulling all-nighters at Lauinger. We’d take a break by piling into my friend’s car and driving around the DC monuments in the middle of the night with the windows down, music blasting. Life was good.

To read other Alumni Spotlights, click here.