 FilmDistrict logo | |
| Company type | Private |
|---|---|
| Industry | Film |
| Founded | August 30, 2010; 15 years ago (2010-08-30)[1] |
| Founder | Graham King Timothy Headington Peter Schlessel Bob Berney |
| Defunct | September 23, 2014; 11 years ago (2014-09-23) |
| Fate | Merged intoFocus Features Library acquired by Content Partners LLC |
| Headquarters | 1801 Century Park EastLos Angeles,California, USA |
Key people | 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) Clark Lewis (Film Executive) Michael Harper (Film Executive Assistant) |
| Products | Motion pictures |
| Services | Film distribution Film financing |
Number of employees | 45 |
FilmDistrict Distribution LLC was an American independent[1] motion picture company based inLos Angeles. It specialized in acquisitions, distribution, short film production, and financing. It was founded on August 30, 2010 byBob Berney and Peter Schlessel in partnership withGraham King andTimothy Headington.[1] The production and film financing operations of FilmDistrict Distribution (FDD) were discontinued and have been managed byFocus Features since 2014. What remains of Film District Distribution today is its independent short film production and film agency, specializing in acquisitions and film adaptations.
FilmDistrict's releases were distributed bySony Pictures Home Entertainment for home media, with the exception ofRed Dawn, which was released on home media byMGM Home Entertainment firstly through20th Century Fox Home Entertainment and then throughWarner Bros. Discovery Home Entertainment. FilmDistrict was merged into Focus Features in 2014.Soul Surfer,Looper,Evil Dead andPompeii were retained byTriStar Pictures after 2014.
FilmDistrict acquired and released between four and eight wide release, commercial titles per year. This includes select titles fromGK Films andSony Pictures Worldwide Acquisitions.[2][3] In December 2010, FilmDistrict andNetflix signed aPay-TV deal.[4][5]
FilmDistrict partnered withTriStar Pictures on select films such asSoul Surfer andLooper. 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 throughOpen Road Films. Open Road releasedLockout, theLuc Besson-produced sci-fi action movie that starsGuy Pearce andMaggie Grace, on April 13, 2012. Open Road also released theRed Dawn remake on November 21, 2012. On Open Road's official website they list both theRed Dawn remake andPlaying the Field, even though Open Road was never involved in distributing those two films.[6]
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 onThe Help,Real Steel andWar Horse when she was atDreamWorks.[7] On April 12, 2012, Schlessel announced Jim Orr has joined FilmDistrict as the new President of Distribution. He held similar positions when he was atMGM andParamount Pictures.[8] At the2012 Cannes Film Festival, FilmDistrict bought the U.S. rights for romantic thrillerDead Man Down[9] and, fromIntrepid Pictures,Oculus.[10] 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.[11] On June 25, 2012 FilmDistrict announced they have hired Elissa Greer as Senior Vice President of Publicity.[12]
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."[13]
On October 2, 2013, it was announced that Peter Schlessel would be replacingJames Schamus as CEO ofFocus Features effective January 2014, and FilmDistrict was shut down as a distributor. Future FilmDistrict titles would be absorbed and released under Focus Features, the first beingThat Awkward Moment.[14] FilmDistrict's last film isPaul W. S. Anderson'sPompeii, which the company produced and financed with German-basedConstantin Film.TriStar Pictures handled the U.S. distribution.
In 2020, the rights to FilmDistrict's library were purchased by Content Partners, an investment company who also ownsRevolution Studios.[15]
| Release date | Title | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| April 1, 2011 | Insidious | FilmDistrict's first release; co-production withBlumhouse Productions,Alliance Films,Stage 6 Films andIM Global |
| April 8, 2011 | Soul Surfer | co-production withTriStar Pictures,Mandalay Pictures, Enticing Entertainment and Brookwell/McNamara Entertainment |
| August 26, 2011 | Don't Be Afraid of the Dark | co-production withMiramax |
| October 7, 2011 | Drive | co-production withBold Films andOddLot Entertainment |
| November 4, 2011 | The Rum Diary | co-production withGK Films andInfinitum Nihil |
| December 2, 2011 | In the Land of Blood and Honey | co-production withGK Films |
| April 13, 2012 | Lockout | co-production withCanal+,Ciné+ andEuropaCorp; theatrically released byOpen Road Films |
| June 8, 2012 | Safety Not Guaranteed | co-production withBig Beach |
| September 28, 2012 | Looper | US co-distribution withTriStar Pictures; produced byEndgame Entertainment,FilmNation Entertainment andDMG Entertainment |
| November 21, 2012 | Red Dawn | co-production withContrafilm,United Artists andMetro-Goldwyn-Mayer |
| December 7, 2012 | Playing for Keeps | co-production withMillennium Films |
| January 25, 2013 | Parker | co-production withSidney Kimmel Entertainment and Incentive Filmed Entertainment |
| March 8, 2013 | Dead Man Down | co-production withIM Global,WWE Studios andOriginal Film |
| March 22, 2013 | Olympus Has Fallen | co-production withMillennium Films and Nu Image |
| April 5, 2013 | Evil Dead | co-production withTriStar Pictures andGhost House Pictures |
| September 13, 2013 | Insidious: Chapter 2 | US distribution only, co-production withEntertainment One,Blumhouse Productions andStage 6 Films |
| November 27, 2013 | Oldboy | co-production with40 Acres and a Mule Filmworks andGood Universe |
| February 21, 2014 | Pompeii | US co-distribution withTriStar Pictures only; produced byConstantin Film andImpact Pictures |
| September 23, 2014 | Wer | uncredited; co-production withSierra Pictures, Incentive Filmed Entertainment,Prototype, and Room 101, Inc.; released byFocus World andUniversal Pictures Home Entertainment |
| Release date | Title | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| September 6, 2013 | The Ultimate Life | co-production with ReelWorks Studios, LLC |
| October 18, 2013 | I'm in Love with a Church Girl | co-production with RGM NewBreed |
| April 18, 2014 | Make Your Move | co-production withCJ Entertainment,Robert Cort Productions, andSM Entertainment |
| September 25, 2015 | The Green Inferno | co-production withBH Tilt,Worldview Entertainment, and Dragonfly Entertainment |
| May 13, 2016 | The Darkness | co-production withBH Tilt and Chapter One Films |
| December 2, 2016 | Incarnate | co-production withBH Tilt,IM Global,WWE Studios, andManiac Productions |
| November 18, 2016 | The Take | co-production withStudioCanal,Anton Capital Entertainment,Amazon Prime Instant Video, andAnonymous Content |
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