Cinedigm, Rapid Eye Film Ink Distribution Deal

29 Apr, 2014 By: Erik Gruenwedel

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Cinedigm Corp. said it signed a North American multipicture distribution and production deal with Rapid Eye Film for 15 independent movies.

Under terms of the agreement, Cinedigm will handle the theatrical and home entertainment release and distribution strategy for the movies, which include science-fiction and suspense. Rapid Eye Film will produce and manage the marketing. Cinedigm will be involved in all stages of production, which include three-to-four films annually.

Red Eye Film was founded by Marco Weber, whose indie production credits include Igby Goes Down with Kieran Culkin, Clare Danes, Susan Sarandon, Bill Pullman and Jeff Goldblum; The Thirteenth Floor, starring Craig Bierko and Grethchen Mol; Unthinkable, with Samuel L. Jackson and Carrie-Anne Moss; The Informers, with Billy Bob Thornton, Kim Basinger, Winona Ryder and Mickey Rourke, and Fireflies in the Garden, with Ryan Reynolds, Willem Dafoe, Emily Watson and Julia Roberts.

The deal signifies a critical shift in Cinedigm’s content and distribution strategy, according to Bill Sondheim, president of Cinedigm Entertainment.

Following last year’s acquisition of Gaiam Vivendi, Cinedigm heralded itself as the leading home entertainment distributor of independent content. Adding indie fare in popular genres featuring 'A'-list stars should help Cinedigm secure coveted packaged-media shelf space among both mass merchants and select retailers, according to Sondheim. 

“We are now one of the industry's strongest independent distribution businesses, with unparalleled mass merchant physical capabilities, along with strong theatrical and digital expertise,” he said in a statement. “Leveraging these attributes — along with our growing cable and broadcast reach, allows us to acquire productions with higher profile casts in commercially popular genres.”

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