FilmDistrict
FilmDistrict logo
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| Private | |
| Industry | Film |
| Fate | Merged with Focus Features |
| Successor | Focus Features (Label of Gramercy Pictures in 2015) |
| Founded | August 31, 2010 |
| Founder | Graham King Timothy Headington Peter Schlessel Bob Berney |
| Defunct | February 21, 2014 |
| Headquarters | 1540 2nd Street Suite 200 Santa Monica United States |
|
Key people
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Peter Schlessel (CEO) Adrian Alperovich (COO) Christine Birch (President of Marketing) Jim Orr (President of Distribution) Lia Buman (EVP of Acquisitions) Bob Berney (President of Theatrical Distribution) |
| Products | Motion pictures |
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Number of employees
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45 |
| Website | www |
FilmDistrict was an American independent motion picture company based in Los Angeles. It specialized in acquisitions, distribution, production, and financing. FilmDistrict was founded in August 31, 2010 by Peter Schlessel in partnership with Graham King and Timothy Headington.
FilmDistrict's releases were distributed by Culver City-based Sony Pictures Entertainment for home & media markets, and after January 2014 those operations will be handled by Focus Features and Universal Studios Home Entertainment respectively. Co-productions with Sony, such as Soul Surfer and Pompeii will be retained by Sony-owned TriStar Pictures after 2014.
History
FilmDistrict acquired and released between four and eight wide release, commercial titles per year. This includes select titles from GK Films and Sony Pictures Worldwide Acquisitions.[1][2] In December 2010, FilmDistrict and Netflix signed a Pay-TV deal.[3]
The studio partnered with TriStar on select films starting with Soul Surfer and Looper. FilmDistrict's CEO Peter Schlessel also made alternative distribution arrangements for their film releases. In 2012, Schlessel closed a three-picture distribution deal for their 2012 films to go through Tom Ortenberg’s Open Road Films. Open Road released Lockout, the Luc Besson-produced sci-fi action movie that stars Guy Pearce and Maggie Grace, on April 13, 2012. Open Road also released the Red Dawn remake on November 21, 2012. On Open Road's official website they list Playing The Field as the third film.[4]
On March 23, 2012, Peter Schlessel announced that FilmDistrict hired Christine Birch as President of Marketing as the company rebuilt its distribution team. She worked on The Help, Real Steel and War Horse when she was at DreamWorks Pictures.[5] On April 12, 2012, Schlessel announced Jim Orr has joined FilmDistrict as the new President of Distribution. He held similar positions when he was at MGM and Paramount Pictures.[6] At the 2012 Cannes Film Festival, FilmDistrict bought the U.S. rights for romantic thriller Dead Man Down[7] and horror film Oculus.[8] On May 31, 2012, they have hired three new executives: Tracy Pollard (Senior VP of Creative Advertising), Brad Goldberg (Senior VP of Media), and Anna Baxter (Senior VP of Digital Marketing). FilmDistrict also announced that Adrian Alperovich has been promoted from President of Acquisitions and Operations to COO.[9] On June 25, 2012 FilmDistrict announced they have hired Elissa Greer as Senior Vice President of Publicity.[10]
In April 2013, FilmDistrict announced the launch of a unit, High Top Releasing, which "will provide distribution-for-hire services including sales, in-theatre marketing and print control support, film rental negotiation and collection capabilities to independent producers who have the ability to provide their own prints-and-advertising and marketing resources."[11]
On October 2, 2013, it was announced that Peter Schlessel would be replacing James Schamus as CEO of Focus Features effective January 2014, and FilmDistrict was shut down as a distributor. Future FilmDistrict titles will be absorbed and released under Focus Features, the first being That Awkward Moment.[12] FilmDistrict's final film credit is Paul W.S. Anderson's Pompeii, which the company produced and financed with German-based Constantin Film. TriStar Pictures handled U.S. distribution. High Top Releasing later co-released Eli Roth's The Green Inferno with Blumhouse Tilt and Focus Features' owner, Universal Pictures
Filmography
Released
| Release Date | Title | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| September 14, 2010 | Insidious | FilmDistrict's first release; co-production with Alliance Films, Stage 6 Films and IM Global; UK distribution by Momentum Pictures |
| April 8, 2011 | Soul Surfer | co-production with Mandalay Pictures, TriStar Pictures, Enticing Entertainment and Brookwell/McNamara Entertainment |
| August 26, 2011 | Don't Be Afraid of the Dark | co-production with Miramax and Guillermo Del Toro |
| October 7, 2011 | Drive | co-production with Bold Films, Icon Productions and Odd Lot Entertainment |
| November 4, 2011 | The Rum Diary | co-production with GK Films and Infinitum Nihil |
| December 2, 2011 | In the Land of Blood and Honey | co-production with GK Films |
| April 13, 2012 | Lockout | co-production with Canal+, Ciné+ and EuropaCorp |
| June 8, 2012 | Safety Not Guaranteed | co-production with Big Beach |
| September 28, 2012 | Looper | co-production with Endgame Entertainment and DMG Entertainment; distributed by TriStar Pictures |
| November 21, 2012 | Red Dawn | co-production with Contrafilm, United Artists and Vincent Newman Entertainment; distributed by 20th Century Fox |
| December 7, 2012 | Playing for Keeps | co-production with Millennium Films and Nu Image |
| January 25, 2013 | Parker | co-production with Incentive Filmed Entertainment and Sierra Pictures |
| March 8, 2013 | Dead Man Down | co-production with IM Global, WWE Studios and Original Film |
| March 22, 2013 | Olympus Has Fallen | co-production with Millennium Films and Nu Image |
| April 5, 2013 | Evil Dead | co-production with TriStar Pictures and Ghost House Pictures |
| September 13, 2013 | Insidious: Chapter 2 | co-production with Blumhouse Productions, Stage 6 Films and Entertainment One |
| November 27, 2013 | Oldboy | co-production with Universal Pictures, 40 Acres and a Mule Filmworks and Good Universe Films |
| February 21, 2014 | Pompeii | co-production with TriStar Pictures, Entertainment One, Constantin Film, Summit Entertainment and Impact Pictures |
References
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- ↑ FilmDistrict Netflix Retrieved July 6, 2010
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- ↑ Christine Birch Joins FilmDistrict as Marketing President
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- ↑ Deadline.com
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