Following a number of high-profile buys at Cannes, Germany'sSenator Entertainment AG has established a US office in Hollywood to findpictures with international crossover appeal for its distribution pipeline.

Senator's chief content officer Marco Weber will serve aspresident and chief executive officer of Senator Entertainment Inc, overseeingall creative aspects including development, production, distribution andacquisitions.

Later this summer Senator will absorb Atlantic Streamline, thecompany Weber founded in 1999, as an exclusive production label.

Atlantic Streamline's production credits include Igby GoesDown, The 13th Floor andGrimm Love, theGerman-US thriller inspired by the Armin Meiwes cannibal trial that concludedrecently in Germany.

Vanessa Coifman, who has worked with Weber for the past six years,will serve as executive vice president of production for Senator Entertainmentand will run day-to-day business on the US division's development andproduction slate.

"Internationally, Senator is committed to acquiring anddistributing the highest calibre of independent movies on the market,"Weber said.

"Through the formation of our US division, we will furtherour company mandate via original independent productions that showcase theworld's most recognisable talent and filmmakers."

Last December Weber and his partner Helge Sasse, who serves asSenator AG chief executive officer in Berlin, took over majority ownership ofthe company with the aim of broadening the company's international reach.

Senator AG's Cannes acquisitions last month include MichelGondry's upcoming comedy Be Kind Rewind starring Jack Black, Richard Linklater's Fast FoodNation, and RichardShepard's comedy caper Spring Break in Bosnia, which stars Richard Gere and TerrenceHoward.