Benaroya Pictures and Miscellaneous Entertainment have entered into a joint venture to launch International Film Trust (IFT), a new sales company that will in part represent the theatrical feature film productions from their own banners on a non exclusive basis as well as titles from other producers and third party productions, it was announced today by IFT co-founders Michael Benaroya and Miscellaneous Entertainment principals D. Todd Shepherd and George Waud.
IFT also launches with an initial fund of $15 million to acquire and provide minimum guarantees on third party productions for international sales.
Making its debut at Cannes 2013, IFT is helmed by company president Ariel Veneziano, who will oversee the sales, acquisitions, distribution and marketing for the company. Veneziano has worked at leading media companies from Alliance Atlantis Communications as a Sales and Acquisitions Executive to GreeneStreet Films International, as President and Icon Entertainment International as President. During this time, he handled international distribution on an eclectic array of titles, including the highest grossing documentary of its time, Michael Moore’s BOWLING FOR COLUMBINE, the highest grossing independent film of all time, Mel Gibson’s THE PASSION OF THE CHRIST, and America’s most watched television show “CSI: Crime Scene Investigation.” He most recently served as President and CEO of Recreation Media, a sales and consulting company he founded in 2010.
Christian De Gallegos joins Veneziano as Head of Sales of IFT. With ten years of entertainment industry experience, De Gallegos recently served as Vice President of Sales and Distribution at Voltage Pictures. During his tenure at the company, he handled international distribution for over seventy new titles, including the Oscar winning THE HURT LOCKER, Robert Redford’s THE COMPANY YOU KEEP, Joseph Gordon-Levitt’s DON JON’S ADDICTION and the upcoming films DALLAS BUYERS CLUB starring Matthew McConaughey and Terry Gilliam’s THE ZERO THEOREM, starring two time Oscar winner Christoph Waltz
Industry veteran, Peter Wetherell, joins IFT as Head of Operations. After more than 10 years as an international sales executive, Wetherell then formed Magus Entertainment in 1996 to provide senior advisory and executive producer services. Since then, he has represented a diverse group of film financiers, producers, distributors, film commissions, studio facilities and film festivals, as well as exec producing numerous films.
Comedy KING OF THE KASTLE starring Clive Owen and Academy Award nominee Jacki Weaver from Benaroya Pictures and horror thriller EXISTS from Miscellaneous Entertainment, acquired by IFT in a bidding war for the international rights to the film, are the first two titles announced as part of the company’s developing international sales slate.
KING OF THE KASTLE – Written and to be directed by THE SITTER scribes Alessandro Tanaka and Brian Gatewood, Clive Owen will take the lead role in this comedy about a philanderer who is blackmailed by a teenager. Academy Award nominee Jacki Weaver is also attached to star. A Benaroya Pictures production, KING OF THE KASTLE is produced by Jonathan Gordon (SILVER LININGS PLAYBOOK) and Michael Benaroya and will start production this fall in Georgia, US.
EXISTS – is IFT’s first acquisition. After an early screening by the producers of the film, IFT outbid several parties to secure international sales rights to this horror thriller directed by Eduardo Sanchez (THE BLAIR WITCH PROJECT) and written by Jamie Nash. In post-production, the film follows a group of friends who venture into the remote Texas woods for a party weekend only find themselves stalked by the legendary Bigfoot. Sanchez worked with world renowned creature experts Spectral Motion (PACIFIC RIM, HELLBOY 1&2) to bring the terrifying Bigfoot to life. Shot in Texas at Spiderwood Studios, EXISTS is the second co-production between Court Five and Haxan Films. Producers are Robin Cowie (THE BLAIR WITCH PROJECT), Jane Fleming (THE FROZEN GROUND), Mark Ordesky (THE LORD OF THE RINGS), and Andy Jenkins. Executive producers are Reed Frerichs, Gregg Hale, George Waud and D. Todd Shepherd.
The deal for EXISTS was brokered on behalf of the Producers by WME Global and Stuart Rosenthal at Bloom Hergott.
The company is currently in negotiations to represent the feature film productions from a number of other high profile producers as part of strategic multi-pictures relationships and these will be announced shortly.
On announcement of the new company Benaroya said, “As producers now acting as sales agents, we know what is the most important service to provide to our producing partners – reliable estimates and a sound distribution strategy. These core values are the backbone of IFT and will set us apart from other companies in the market. We are a sales company run by producers for producers.”
Miscellaneous Entertainment’s Shepherd and Waud continued, “Having worked with Michael on PARTS PER BILLION we were kindred spirits in wanting to find a good partner to represent our films. By launching IFT we have found a way to share our goals with other top producers in town and under Ariel’s guiding hand feel we have made the first step in the right direction.”
Veneziano added, “The diverse and highly skilled pool of producers behind this exciting new operation has demonstrated a continued ability to attract fresh material and top talent, while maintaining responsible budgets – a perfect recipe to stand out in today’s demanding worldwide marketplace.”
BENAROYA PICTURES – MICHAEL BENAROYA
Michael Benaroya of Benaroya Pictures develops, finances and produces theatrical feature films. His most recent project KILL YOUR DARLINGS, starring Michael C. Hall, Daniel Radcliffe, Jack Huston, Ben Foster and Elizabeth Olsen, bowed in competition at the 2013 Sundance Film Festival and will be released domestically by Sony Pictures Classics. Other recent titles include the romantic mystery THE WORDS starring Bradley Cooper, Zoe Saldana and Jeremy Irons, which was released by CBS Films. Also released recently by The Weinstein Company was the thriller LAWLESS, staring Shia LaBeouf, Tom Hardy, Jessica Chastain and Mia Wasikowska. The company’s financial thriller MARGIN CALL was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Original Screenplay and won the Best First Feature Award at the 2011 Independent Spirit Awards. Benaroya produced PARTS PER BILLION starring Rosario Dawson, which is currently in post-production with IFT partners Miscellaneous Entertainment.
MISCELLANEOUS ENTERTAINMENT – D. TODD SHEPHERD and GEORGE WAUD
D. Todd Shepherd and George Waud are partners at Miscellaneous Entertainment, which focuses on the development, financing and production of feature films, as well as scripted TV and emerging online content.
Waud has decades of experience including VP of Production posts for Norman Lear, Donald De Line and New Line Cinema. With De Line he was a producer on the John Travolta/Vince Vaughn thriller DOMESTIC DISTURBANCE and developed the script for the hit movie, THE ITALIAN JOB. At New Line he oversaw and executive produced the popular web-sensational film SNAKES ON A PLANE.
Shepherd is a serial entrepreneur who has co-founded seven and sold four technology and media companies.
Miscellaneous co-financed and executive produced the big foot movie EXISTS with director Eduardo Sanchez and producers Mark Ordesky and Jane Fleming and drama PARTS PER BILLION with writer/director Brian Horiuchi and producer Mike Benaroya, both in post-production.
