Ryan Werner hasjoined Palm Pictures as head of theatrical distribution, where he will reportto Karol Martesko-Fenster, head of film & RES Media Group, and David Koh,head of acquisitions and production, on all distribution matters. Werner willwork with Koh on acquiring titles for theatrical and DVD distribution and willoversee marketing, distribution and publicity for the audio-visualentertainment company's expanding slate. Overall he will be responsiblefor overseeing theatrical initiatives for eight to 10 pictures a year.

'Ryan willbe a key player for Palm Pictures as we build our label as the place to go fordirectors and producers that want a progressive approach,' said Koh in astatement released yesterday. 'We look forward to the coming year.'

Before arrivingat Palm, Werner was the vice president of Magnolia Pictures, where he wasinvolved with the release of Jacques Audiard's Read My Lips and Dover Kosashvili's Late Marriage. Prior to that, he was vice president ofacquisitions and distribution for Shooting Gallery, where he played a part inthe launch of the Shooting Gallery Film Series that released pictures like MikeHodges' Croupierand Bahman Ghobadi's Camera d'Or Winner A Time For Drunken Horses. Prior to that, he served at theSundance Channel and the Independent Feature Project and remains a programmerat the Woodstock Film Festival.

Palm Pictures' recent and upcoming slate includes JulioMedem's Sex And Lucìa,Baltasar Kormakur's The Sea,Marc Singer's Dark Days andJennifer Arnold's American Mullet.