Saban Films has signed distribution deals with a slate of independent distributors in Europe, including in Germany, France and Spain, that will see the U.S. film group further extend its international footprint.
The agreements further extend Saban’s global reach. Saban signed its first international distribution deal last September, partnering with Altitude Media Group for the U.K. and Ireland.
On Thursday, the company announced new distribution deals with Splendid for Austria and Germany; ACE Entertainment for France; Mis.Label for the Nordic territories; and Key2Media in Spain. The group also inked a distribution deal with Defiant Screen Entertainment for the release of Saban movies in Australia and New Zealand.
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“We have been carefully watching and studying the international marketplace for independent film and know that we’ve found the right partners for what feels like a natural expansion,” said Saban Films president Bill Bromiley. “We’re very excited to broaden our business.”
Saban said it plans to work with its partners to jointly acquire films during the Cannes Film Festival and its market, which kicks off next month. Buyers are already actively acquiring new films at the online-only pre-Screening Cannes Market, which runs through June 25.
Saban Films, an affiliate of Haim Saban’s Saban Capital Group was set up in 2014 and focuses mainly on day-and-date and direct-to-VOD releases, a business that has exploded during the past year as cinemas shut and audiences turned to streaming services for their movies.
Recent Saban titles include the Jaume Balagueró action thriller The Vault starring Famke Janssen, Sam Riley and Freddie Highmore, the Alicia Silverstone wedding comedy Sister of the Groom, and the Aaron Eckhart/Tommy Lee Jones starrer Wander. The company’s upcoming slate includes Twist, a modern-day take on the classic Oliver Twist story, starring Michael Caine, Lena Headey, and Rita Ora, and Todd Randall’s Under the Stadium Lights starring Laurence Fishburne and Milo Gibson.
