LOS ANGELES & MOSCOW--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Fox International Productions (FIP), a division of 20th Century Fox, has entered into an exclusive first look pact for Russian-language films with Paul Heth and Michael Schlicht. FIP President Tomas Jegeus and Twentieth Century Fox EMEA Executive Vice President Paul Higginson, along with Heth and Schlicht, made the announcement today.
Heth and Schlicht are longtime producing partners. Heth is a Moscow-based media entrepreneur, who is widely credited with the revitalization of the Russian theatrical exhibition sector. He also is an owner, and serves as CEO of Karo, one of Russia’s leading cinema companies. Schlicht is one of Russia’s most accomplished film executives, having overseen the release of five of the top 10 grossing local language films of the modern Russian film era, including Irony of Fate 2 and the Night Watch franchise.
Tomas Jegeus stated: “We are delighted to again be working with Paul and Michael as we expand our production activities in Russia and CIS and look to international distribution opportunities with this new deal. Michael and Paul are proven film entrepreneurs who also are forward-thinking, global-minded businessmen.”
Heth & Schlicht said: “We are really excited, and look forward to working with Tomas Jegeus, Paul Higginson, Vadim Smirnov and the whole Fox team as we continue developing and investing in the vision of our Russian filmmaking partners, who have, to date, created some of the highest quality, most commercially successful films in Russian cinema history.”
The arrangement encompasses both co-productions and acquisitions of Russian-language films and is supplemental to Fox’s continuing co-production and acquisitions relationships and activities in Russia and CIS. Heth and Schlicht will work closely with 20th Century Fox International’s Managing Director for Russia, Vadim Smirnov.
Heth and Schlicht’s previous producing credits include such films as Stalingrad (the highest grossing film in Russian box office history), the Very Best Movie comedy franchise, Vysotsky: Thank God I am Alive, and Battalion.
Russia is currently one of the World’s top ten cinema markets. In 2014 Russian box office was $1.247 billion, with locally produced films accounting for $215 million of the total.
About Fox International Productions
Fox International Productions (FIP) builds upon 20th Century Fox’s industry-leading international motion picture activities and upon parent company 21st Century Fox’s unparalleled global media reach by aligning all the company’s international film productions under one banner. FIP also complements Fox’s worldwide film releases with films sourced through partnerships with international producers, filmmakers, financiers, and strategic production & distribution agreements.
About 20th Century Fox Film
One of the world’s largest producers and distributors of motion pictures, 20th Century Fox Film produces, acquires and distributes motion pictures throughout the world. These motion pictures are produced or acquired by the following units of 20th Century Fox Film: Twentieth Century Fox, Fox 2000 Pictures, Fox Searchlight Pictures, Fox International Productions, Twentieth Century Fox Animation and Blue Sky Studios.