Metrograph is expanding its theatrical distribution business and has hired former A24 executive David Laub as head of Metrograph Pictures.
Laub will reported to CEO Christian Grass and will assemble a team to build a slate of prestige theatrical releases covering independent, international, and documentary.
The company aims to acquire completed films and board projects at earlier stages to potentially provide financing, and is looking at projects with an aim to get up to 10 “robustly supported” releases per year.
Laub will attend Berlin next week to scour the festival and market for potential acquisitions.
Until Tuesday’s announcement the company, founded by Alexander Olch in 2016, focused on restorations. It runs a New York cinema where it screens first-run films and restorations as part of its repertory programme, and operates the SVoD service Metrograph At Home under CEO Christian Grass.
Laub worked at A24 for nine years on all aspects of film distribution including acquisitions, marketing, publicity, and exhibition. He oversaw Aftersun, The Souvenir and The Souvenir: Part II, Showing Up and First Cow, and the restored version of Jonathan Demme’s Stop Making Sense, among others.
He worked on campaigns for best picture Oscar winner Everything Everywhere All At Once and a host of other films including Hereditary, Midsommar, Uncut Gems, Lady Bird, The Florida Project, Moonlight, The Witch and The Lighthouse.
Prior to A24, Laub spent three years as co-president of Oscilloscope Laboratories and two years as their head of acquisitions, where he worked on Exit Through The Gift Shop, The Messenger, Wendy And Lucy, and We Need To Talk About Kevin. He started his career at ThinkFilm.
Grass said, “Metrograph Pictures is an important building block in our strategy to continue the strong growth of the Metrograph brand. It was important for us to find someone as passionate, strategic and experienced as David to lead this venture. His passion for film and filmmaker relationships are as impressive as his knowledge of all aspects of the business. We are really excited to work with him on building this into a significant distribution label.”
Laub hailed Metrograph’s “taste and passion for cinema” and “incredible ability to connect great movies with fresh and enthusiastic audiences”.
No comments yet