Paris-based EuropaCorp has launched a US acquisitions team that will be on the ground in Toronto and is headed by French executive Federica Sainte-Rose based in Los Angeles.

Sainte-Rose will be joined by former FilmNation acquisitions executive John Zois in the role of director of worldwide acquisitions.

The new division will acquire films for US distribution through EuropaCorp’s recently launched joint distribution operation with Relativity – Relativity EuropaCorp Distribution (RED) – as well as multi-territory film rights including France.

Sainte-Rose was previously head of acquisitions for StudioCanal in Paris, where she was involved in deals to acquire Silver Linings Playbook, The Place Beyond The Pines and Moonrise Kingdom.

From there, she moved to Los Angeles to join Universal’s worldwide acquisitions team, where she reported to evp Peter Kujawski. In her new position, she will report to EuropaCorp CEO Christophe Lambert (pictured).

“We are excited to welcome this amazing acquisitions team to the studio,” said Lambert. “EuropaCorp is becoming a new distribution alternative for film-makers, who will benefit from close interaction with world-class acquisitions and productions executives as well as a robust marketing and distribution infrastructure both domestically and internationally.”

The creation of the new division is part of an ongoing EuropaCorp strategy to increase the number of English-language films on the US slate and strengthen its international reach.