Benedict Carver has been promoted to senior vice president, acquisitions and co-productions for Screen Gems, it was announced by Clint Culpepper, president, Screen Gems.

Carver oversees worldwide acquisitions for Screen Gems and for the Columbia TriStar Motion Picture Group (CTMPG). He also initiates co-financing projects with independent film companies.

"Benedict is exceptionally aggressive with a keen eye for commercial fare and is the most valuable acquisitions executive in the business today," said Culpepper.

Carver has been involved in the acquisition and oversight of such productions as Screen Gems' Resident Evil. He is currently working on the sequel Resident Evil: Apocalypse, TriStar's The Medallion, starring Jackie Chan, and Screen Gems' Underworld starring Kate Beckinsale.

In addition, for Columbia TriStar Home Entertainment, Carver was involved in the acquisition of rights for such films as Memento, Enigma, Tortilla Soup and The Dangerous Lives of Altar Boys.

Carver joined CTMPG three years ago as vice president. Prior to that he had been a reporter at Daily Variety, after having served as features editor and West Coast editor for Screen International.

Screen Gems was established as a new marketing label under Sony Pictures Entertainment in December 1998.

Upcoming releases include Jane Campion's In The Cut, starring Meg Ryan, Mark Ruffalo and Jennifer Jason Leigh and Underworld, starring Kate Beckinsale and Scott Speedman.