David Dinerstein to Head Mickey Liddell's New Distribution Venture

Mickell Liddell's Liddell Entertainment--which has been on a festival buying spree -- is launching a new domestic distribution company that will be headed by veteran indie executive David Dinerstein.

LD Distribution will both acquire films and provide distribution for Liddell Entertainment's own expanding production slate, and intends to release four to six films in its first year. Dinerstein and Liddell are sure to be a visible presence at the upcoming Sundance Film Festival.

LD Distribution's initial slate includes William Friedkin's Killer, starring Matthew McConaughey, and Henry-Alex Rubin's recently wrapped Disconnet, starring Jason Bateman and Alexander Skarsgard, and horror film The Collection, which is in post-production.

In addition to acquisitions, Liddell Entertainment intends to produce four or six films a year with production budgets of up to $25 million.

"We are thrilled to bring David Dinerstein on board to run our new distribution operation. He is one of the leading independent marketers in our business and we are confident that he is the right person to lead the charge with our extraordinary slate of films," Liddell said.

Dinerstein also will help manage the release of several films that Liddell Entertainment produced or helped acquire, but are being handled by other distributors. They include Glenn Close starrer Albert Nobbs, which is being released by Roadside Attractions, and Elizabeth Olsen starrer Silent House, which Open Road is releasing.

Over the past few years, Liddell has helped other distributors acquire a wide array of films, including Alejandro Gonzalez Inarritu's Javier Bardem starrer Biutiful, I Love You Phillip Morris, starring Jim Carrey and Ewan McGregor, and The Details, starring Tobey Maguire, Elizabeth Banks, Laura Linney and Ray Liotta.

"LD Distribution plans to take an innovative and forward thinking approach to the marketing and disribution of our films Mickey and I look forward to building a successful company on both a creative and economic level," said Dinerstein, who was co-head of Paramount Vantage.