Latest in Distribution

EXCLUSIVE: After months of negotiation and speculation over the future of UK distributor Icon Film Distribution, I hear the company and its backer New Sparta has agreed a sale deal to fellow UK outfit Kaleidoscope and its main investor Schneider Media Investments (SMI). The talks with Kaleidoscope have been going on…

Annapurna Pictures now is employing a full marketing and distribution staff as the company expands into truly a mini-studio, reminiscent of the old Miramax but without the Harvey. It now is financing, marketing and distributing its own product and will be officially in full swing to try to hit Kathryn Bigelow's Untitle…

Today our sister publication Variety reported on the Screening Room, a new first-run movie service being pitched around town by Napster co-founder and former Facebook president Sean Parker. His twist on an old idea that has been thwarted before by exhibitors would be that major studio releases could be accessed via…

Theatrical exhibition company Tugg Inc., the movie marketer that allows fans and creators to choose the films that play in theaters, has partnered with Elizabeth Koch’s New Balloon cross-platform media venture on an initiative to help market and distribute culturally significant films, big and small. Their new…

EXCLUSIVE: Universal’s legendary President of Distribution Nikki Rocco is promoting Nicholas Carpou from EVP/General Sales Manager in Distribution to Co-President of Distribution. “For recognition of his 25 years here and 34 years in the biz,” an insider tells me. “He’s a tremendous right hand to Nikki. It’s time.&#8221…

Rebecca Kearey has been promoted to EVP International Marketing and Distribution at Fox Searchlight International. She will continue to oversee international marketing and distribution for Fox Searchlight Pictures and recently took on the same duties at Fox International Productions. She will report to 20th Century…

Relativity Media announced today that it has launched a Television Sales and Digital Distribution Unit that will be led by president David Spiegelman. The group already has closed deals with most digital and video-on-demand platforms and is licensing Relativity films including Limitless, Take Me Home Tonight, Skyline…

Summit Entertainment and Dr. Herbert Kloiber’s Tele Munchen Group have renewed their output deal covering all German-speaking territories through 2013. TMG and Summit have been in business since the latter was formed in 2007, and TMG has distributed the Twilight Saga films and Red. Upcoming films include the final two…

Those 2011 Sundance Film Festival entries keep finding distribution deals. The Cinema Guild acquired U.S. rights to The Interrupters, a documentary about former gang members who disrupt and defuse violent situations as they happen. Pic was directed by Hoop Dreams‘ Steve James and author Alex Kotlowitz. The plan is to…

LOS ANGELES, March 22, 2011  — Following a year of significant global theatre network growth, the best box office results in company history and a record number of films, IMAX Corporation (NYSE: IMAX) (TSX: IMX) today announced it has promoted Phil Groves to Senior VP, Worldwide Distribution, Studio-Exhibitor…

UPDATE: The Weinstein Company has confirmed Deadline’s scoop on Erik Lomis. His hiring gives the company a strong distribution executive who was rusting at MGM. (Release is below) EXCKUSIVE, 12:20 PM: The Weinstein Company is closing a deal with Erik Lomis to become its President of Theatrical Distribution and Home…

Don’t you hate when this happens? Distribution departments at each studio wound up overestimating the weekend box office across the board for the Top 10 movies in release. Everyone is claiming it’s an honest mistake, attributing it to the World Cups finals. But we all know that numbers don’t lie even if studios do: 1…