Jeff Sackman, former president of Lions Gate Films, is returning to the North American distribution market with a new outfit accompanied by some familiar names, including former Lions Gate Releasing co-president Mark Urman and Andy Myers, a veteran of Canada's distribution scene.
The new company, ThinkFilm, will be headed by Sackman as president and CEO with Urman leadingthe US theatrical releasing arm from New York and Myers, formerly of now-defunct Blackwatch Entertainment, heading Canadian distribution from the company's Toronto headquarters.
ThinkFilm is getting more than just Myers from the remains of Blackwatch. The company has acquired a substantial portion of the bankrupt company's library - 40 titles in all -- including 29films licensed by Sony Pictures Classics, such as Crouching Tiger, HiddenDragon; five fromnow-defunct The Shooting Gallery, such as You Can Count On Me; and Bruce Sweeney's The Last Wedding, for which Blackwatch held world rightsoutside the US. By happy coincidence, The Last Wedding will open the 2001 Toronto InternationalFilm Festival.
While hewasn't giving anything away as to his financial backing, Sackman told ScreenDaily that ThinkFilmwould be in aggressive acquisitions mode at the upcoming Toronto Film Festivalin September.
"We have a well and fully capitalizedoperation," he said, "and we expect to be highly competitive playersby the time of Toronto, where we will be present in full force."
Sackman saidthat the new company aims to re-claim the specialised niche once occupied byLions Gate during his initial tenure in the mid-1990s.
"In thenear term, we're going to create the distribution apparatus. That's what I'mmost familiar with as the base for success," he said. "Beyond that,we'll do what makes sense. We won't be producing from scratch nor fullyfinancing a film, but we'll help get films completed in exchange forrights."
While Sackmansaid he has no desire to enter the international sales arena, Blackwatch assetslike The Last Weddingmay force his hand.
Like the original Lions Gate, the new company's mainoffice is in Toronto with a New York satellite. Asked if there was a particularadvantage to this set-up, Sackman said: "The situation in Canada isn'thealthy because there is one dominant distributor [Alliance Atlantis]. We wantto build a Canadian operation." He pointed to economies of scale insupporting a North American releasing business from one location.
He said he fought LGF's move to LA. "New York'senergy is more suited to the indie business." His viewpoint is clearlyshared by others such as Bingham Ray, who is re-locating his United Artists toNew York where it will compete alongside Miramax Films and Sony PicturesClassics, among others.
Other executiveslined up to join ThinkFilm are Marc Hirshberg, recently departed vice presidentof Lions Gate's home entertainment division, who will assume the role ofvice president, finance and operations, and Randy Manis, former Lions Gate vicepresident of acquisitions and business affairs, who will hold the same title atThinkFilm. Tamara Shannon, a longtime associate of Sackman's, will serveas director of development and acquisitions. All will be based in Toronto.
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