LOS ANGELES--(BUSINESS WIRE)--DreamWorks Studios is pleased to announce that, through their existing collaboration with David Garrett’s Mister Smith Entertainment to represent DreamWorks Studios' films for Europe, the Middle East and Africa, they have concluded a further ten key partnership deals with leading independent distribution companies.
DreamWorks has entered into multi-year output agreements to distribute the company's films in all media with international distributors: Acme in the Baltics, Blitz for Croatia/Slovenia/Serbia; Odeon in Greece; Sam Film in Iceland; United King in Israel; Andrea Leone Film in Italy; Monolith in Poland; Lusomundo in Portugal; through a joint venture between Tri Pictures & DeaPlaneta for Spain; and Fida Film in Turkey.
"On behalf of Steven Spielberg and Stacey Snider, we are delighted to now have in place our remaining key international distribution partners. We look forward to working with these premier companies as we expand the global reach of our films in the marketplace. Our thanks to David Garrett and his team at Mister Smith Entertainment who continue to be a key partner," said Jeff Small, DreamWorks' President and COO.
As part of the Company’s strategy to create a network of partnerships for their product internationally with a view to additional financial flexibility and capitalizing on the expanding global market, DreamWorks previously announced partnerships with Constantin Film, Entertainment One (eOne), Nordisk Film, and Italia Film in Fall 2012. DreamWorks’ domestic distributor, The Walt Disney Company, will continue to handle North America, Latin America, Asia, Russia and Australia. Reliance continues to finance production of DreamWorks’ films and hold distribution rights in India.
Mister Smith CEO David Garrett commented, “It is a true affirmation to the Olympian status of DreamWorks Studios that they have been able to secure partnerships with the cream of the independents across Europe, the Middle East and Africa. Every single one of these partners are leaders in their field, and this is reflected in their undoubted professionalism, and their shared passion for movies. These strategic partnerships create an outstanding network of distribution for the upcoming DreamWorks Studios slate.”
Upcoming features under the DreamWorks deal with Mister Smith Entertainment include: "Delivery Man" (Vince Vaughn, Chris Pratt, Scr./Dir. Ken Scott) currently in post-production, the Wikileaks drama "The Fifth Estate" (Benedict Cumberbatch, Daniel Bruhl, Laura Linney, Anthony Mackie, David Thewlis, Peter Capaldi, Dan Stevens, Alicia Vikander and Carice van Houten, Dir. Bill Condon) currently in production, and "Need for Speed" (Aaron Paul, Dominic Cooper, Imogen Poots, Dir. Scott Waugh) which starts principal photography in April.
About DreamWorks Studios
DreamWorks Studios is a motion picture company formed in 2009 and led by Steven Spielberg and Stacey Snider in partnership with The Reliance Anil Dhirubhai Ambani Group. The company’s recent releases include Spielberg's "Lincoln," starring Daniel Day-Lewis, Sally Field and Tommy Lee Jones. The film has grossed over $160 million at the U.S. box office and has been nominated for twelve Academy Awards® including Best Picture and Best Director. Other releases include "Real Steel," starring Hugh Jackman and directed by Shawn Levy, Steven Spielberg’s "War Horse," based on Michael Morpurgo’s award-winning book and was nominated for six Academy Awards® including Best Picture, and "The Help," which resonated with audiences around the country and earned over $200 million at the box office and received four Academy Award® nominations with Octavia Spencer winning one for Best Supporting Actress. Upcoming films include the comedy "Delivery Man," starring Vince Vaughn, the WikiLeaks drama "The Fifth Estate," and car racing actioner "Need for Speed."
DreamWorks Studios can be found on Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/DreamWorksStudios and on Twitter at http://twitter.com/dw_studios.
About Mister Smith Entertainment
Led by CEO David Garrett, Mister Smith Entertainment is involved in the financing, co-financing and licensing of high-quality mainstream feature films and filmmaker driven movies for the global market. The company is a joint venture between Garrett and Constantin Film. Mister Smith Entertainment's current film slate includes: Inimitable Pictures’ "Imagine," Dan Fogelman’s directorial debut starring Academy Award® winner Al Pacino, Academy Award® nominee Jeremy Renner and Academy Award®nominee Julianne Moore, which starts filming in April; Constantin Film's "The Mortal Instruments: City of Bones," the first film in the highly anticipated action fantasy franchise based on Cassandra Clare's #1 best-selling book series and scheduled for release in August 2013 through Screen Gems; Constantin Film's compelling true story "3,096 Days" based on the autobiography of Natascha Kampusch, the Austrian girl who was held captive for over 8 years and whose escape made headlines around the world, which is due for release in early 2013; and Constantin Film's romantic comedy “Love, Rosie” which is based on the best-selling novel Where Rainbows End by internationally renowned author Cecelia Ahern, starring Lily Collins, Sam Claflin, directed by Christian Ditte and scheduled to commence principal photography in May 2013.
About Acme Film/Baltics
ACME Film is one of the largest theatrical distributors in the Baltics, distributing films from Sony Pictures, Warner Bros., Lionsgate/Summit, Lakeshore and many other top independent producers.
Blitz Film & Video Distribution/Croatia/Slovenia/Serbia
Blitz Film the leading film distributor in Croatia and the countries of former Yugoslavia, including film distribution of motion pictures and other content through standard types of distribution – theatrical, video, TV - as well as through new technologies such as Video on Demand, IPTV, internet etc. Founded in 1992 in Croatia, the company has extended its operation to almost all countries of ex-Yugoslavia through its own group of companies: Blitz Slovenia, Blitz Bosnia-Herzegovina, and Millennium Serbia. Blitz has represented U.S. Studios including Warner Bros Pictures International, Universal Pictures International, Paramount Pictures International, DreamWorks Animation, and 20th Century Fox with respect to exclusive theatrical distribution, and is also the exclusive video distributor of Sony Pictures Home Entertainment, Paramount Home Entertainment Global, DreamWorks Animation Home Entertainment LLC and DreamWorks LLC. Blitz has a very successful long-term cooperation with a number of independent companies including Icon Entertainment, Europa Corp, Lakeshore Entertainment, Summit Entertainment, Pathe Distribution, Studio Canal, LionsGate and others, whose film it distributes throughout all media.
https://www.facebook.com/CineStarMultiplexi
http://www.blitz-cinestar.hr/cinestar
About Odeon / Greece
Odeon S.A. is one of the leading theatrical distribution companies in Greece and Cyprus. While operating 40% of the territory's film theatres Odeon also manufactures and distributes DVDs and BDs and is the exclusive licensee for FOX, MGM/UA (theatrical and home entertainment), Paramount Pictures (home entertainment only). Odeon has also been developing and producing Greek films over the last two decades that includes "Loufing & Camouflage: Sirens of the Agean" and "Brides".
About Samfilm/Iceland
Samfilm was founded by Mr. Arni Samuelsson, its CEO, in 1975 and is the biggest distribution company in Iceland. Samfilm is the local distributor for Warner Bros, Paramount and Walt Disney, both on theatrical and DVD. On the gaming side, Samfilm handles distribution for Disney Interactive and Warner Interactive. Samfilm exhibition side runs 5 locations, 3 cinemas in Reykjavik with a total of 13 screens and two outside Reykjavik with a total of 4 screens. Market share in both Distribution and Exhibition has been around 45-55% in recent years. SAMcinemas have been vigilant for new opportunities which live presentations via satellite from the Metropolitan Opera and National Theatre in London as well as other live events prove.
About United King/Israel
United King Films Israel is one of the largest exhibitor and distributor of mainstream and art house cinema. United King Films owns a chain of the largest cinema complexes in Israel, which brings around 35%-40% of box office admissions in Israel. At the moment the chain includes 6 complexes with 5 more to be built within the next 3 years. United King Films distributes around 50 films each year such as; "The Twilight Saga," "Zero Dark Thirty," "Crash," "The Pianist," "Beasts of the Southern Wild," "Rust & Bone," "Holly Motors" and many more.
United King Films is also the biggest producer of Israeli Films including two Oscar nominated films "Beaufort" and "Footnote" as well as "Lebanon," "Walk on Water," "The Bubble" and many more.
About Andrea Leone Film/Italy
ANDREA LEONE FILMS was founded in 1989 by Sergio Leone and is currently owned by Andrea and Raffaella Leone, respectively the son and daughter of the Director. The company handles the renowned library of western pictures directed by Sergio Leone for Italy and co-owns rest of the world along with co-producers MGM, PARAMOUNT, UA. Besides the Sergio Leone estate the company owns and or controls a library of over 400 titles for ITALY.
ALF has output or volume deals with the main independent TV movie production companies acquiring 50/60 pictures per year. And in 2000 ALF moved into the theatrical arena with bigger budget theatrical titles acquiring 10 to 20 feature films per year in the US $10 to US $60 million range from companies such as LIONS GATE, MILLENNIUM FILMS, LAKESHORE etc. ALF has recently increased its library for ITALY acquiring prestigious libraries from independent distributors such as CAPITOL (LARGO/INTERMEDIA/FRANCHISE), LIONSGATE, LAKESHORE, ECHOBRIDGE /ALLIANCE, FIRST LOOK, PANDORA, FILM FOUR etc.
Created as a branch of ALF in 2010, PACMEDIA is a new product placement and major events company based in both Rome and Los Angeles. Pacmedia is already strongly placed in the market with an extensive client roster headed by Italy’s leading car group FIAT/LANCIA/ALFA ROMEO and in the US the CHRISLER/JEEP/DODGE group.
In 2012 ALF has also been appointed as exclusive representative for the TV Library of NEW REGENCY.
About Monolith Films/Poland
Monolith Films, Poland’s leading independent film distributor, has been operating in the Polish market since 1998. In 2012 the company signed an output deal with Lionsgate/Summit. Monolith Films has distributed such blockbusters as: "American Pie,” “What Women Want,” “Hannibal,” “The Passion of the Christ”, “Alexander,” “Mr & Mrs Smith,” “Apocalypto,” “Step up,” “Twilight Saga” and “Taken”. In addition to distribution, Monolith Films is active in the production of the local movies.
About Lusomundo/Portugal
About ZON - www.zon.pt
ZON is the leader of the Portuguese Pay TV market, with 1.6 million customers and the leading provider of next generation broadband, cinema distribution and exhibition. ZON is also the only operator of fixed telephony to grow.
About Tri Pictures & DeaPlaneta for Spain
DeAPlaneta, the result of a joint venture between two major European communication groups – DeAgostini and Planeta – is a role model in the Spanish audiovisual sector. In addition to acquiring and distributing films for cinema, Home Entertainment and television, it distributes contents in fiction, documentaries and children’s entertainment through DeAPlaneta Distribución and Planeta Junior.
DeAPlaneta is the second largest independent distributor in Spain. Its catalogue includes Oscar-winners such as "The Pianist," "The Hurt Locker" and "The King's Speech," together with major commercial hit films such as "Planet 51" and "The Knowing." Upcoming films include from the anticipated film adaptations of Stephenie Meyer’s new saga "The Host" and Noah Gordon’s worldwide Bestseller "The Physician" to prestigious Steve McQueen’s "Twelve Years a Slave" or the film adaptation of 2008 Pulitzer Prize "August: Osage County."
TRIPICTURES was founded in 1987 and is one of the leading independent distributors in Spain focused on commercial titles for all windows of exploitation. Tripictures’ catalogue includes films like "Seven Years in Tibet," "Golden Compass," The Asterix Franchise," Alexander the Great," "Sex and the City" or the recently Oscar nominated "Flight." Today, TRIPICTURES has a catalogue of over 360 titles. In 2006, VOCENTO, a leading Spanish multimedia publishing group, acquired 70% of TRIPICTURES, allowing the company to integrate and create synergies with other television production and services companies within the group. Upcoming titles include the next film from Oscar nominated director David O’Russell, "The Place Beyond the Pines" starring Ryan Goslin and Bradley Cooper, "Non Stop," starring Liam Neeson or the epic action adventure, "I, Frankenstein."
About Fida Film/Turkey
For the last 48 years, Fida Film has been the leading company in cinema advertising, acquisitions and film production in Turkey. Fida Film started acquiring theatrical, home video and television rights for foreign films in 2004. Fida Film has more than 400 feature films in its current slate from partnerships with several prestigious studios and production companies.