Bill Pohlad's Minneapolis and Los Angeles-based production companyRiver Road Entertainment has hired three key hires as it expands its LosAngeles operations.

Former Sobini Films production chief Robin Schorr joins as head ofcreative production, producer Frank Hildebrand arrives as head of physicalproduction, and former Film Finance Corporation Australia's Deborah Zipser hasjoined as head of business affairs.

The company, whose credits include Brokeback Mountain, APrairie Home Companionand Sean Penn's upcoming Into The Wild, has also appointed Teodora Kerkeniakova as director ofproduction and development.

"We had a vision for River Road to not only make great films,but also to build an environment that supports and nurtures distinctive andchallenging films and filmmakers," Pohlad said.

"Hopefully with films like Brokeback Mountain and A Prairie Home Companion, we have started to deliver on the firstpart of that vision. Now, with the addition of this remarkably talented team,we're set to deliver on the rest."

Schorr most recently produced Lionsgate's Peaceful Warrior and the Paramount-Lionsgateco-production The Prince And Me. She previously served as head of production at Trimark Films.

Hildebrand most recently produced Wes Craven's The Hills HaveEyes for FoxSearchlight, also serving as executive vice president of production atKushner-Locke.

At Film Finance Corporation Australia, Zipser spearheadedfinancing on such projects as the UK-Australia co-production Death DefyingActs and Ray Lawrence's Jindabyne, which played in Directors Fortnight atCannes this year.

Kerkeniakova, who will serve as a liaison among River Road'sproduction, creative and business affairs departments, joins the company fromAmerican Entertainment Investors.