Glen Basner has left hisposition as executive vice president of international sales and distribution atFocus Features. He has stepped down immediately from the company, although itis unclear as yet where he will land.
Basner, one of themost accomplished sales executives in the business, had worked ininternational sales under David Linde at Focus and its previous incarnationGood Machine International for many years.
Focus was making no comment,although Linde, co-president of Focus, had sent word to buyers on Tuesdaythat Basner's current contract was over and that he was no longer working atthe company.
Basner could not be reachedfor this story, although speculation was rife that he would be in line to takeup one of several high profile sales positions currently open at companies likeThe Weinstein Company or Initial Entertainment Group.
Focus' sales anddistribution operation will most likely be reorganized in the wake of Basner'sdeparture. Executive talent includes vice president of international marketingand publicity Heta Paarte and vice president of international sales Tim Spence.
The division handles productfrom both Focus and the newly expanded Rogue Pictures such as Jim Jarmusch'sCannes hit Broken Flowers, AngLee's upcoming Brokeback Mountainand Asif Kapadia's untitled supernatural thriller starring Sarah MichelleGellar as well as third party pick-ups like Roberto Benigni's Tiger And TheSnow and Pedro Almodovar's Volver.
No comments yet