FEATURE
KEY:
AGE SELLER BUYER S B
2 B8
3 S9 3 B6
Laird Adamson Head of international sales Magnolia Pictures (US)
■ Attended The Wharton School, University of Pennsylvania, and Amherst College
(Economics). ■ Started out interning for Merchant Ivory
and Universal Pictures. ■ First job was with Miramax International,
then worked in production with Killer Films. ■ Joined HDNet Films in 2006 and moved to international sales in sister company Magnolia Pictures in 2007 where he has represented films from directors such as Brian De Palma, Steven Soderbergh and Hal Hartley. “I was very fortunate in that my fi rst job was at Miramax, with one of the most interesting teams in international distribution, and that my second was with one of the savviest and most internationally attuned producers working today. It was a great foundation, one that informed and, in Christine Vachon’s case, really nurtured my interest in the inter- national marketplace. “Now at Magnolia, Eamonn Bowles,
Mark Cuban and Todd Wagner have created a tremendously innovative and inspiring environment. It is about always looking for a better approach and embracing new ideas. “Moving forward I expect to work closely
with all rights distributors on alternative release strategies which cater to the evolving and unique needs of each territory.
■ 44 Screen International at Cannes May 18, 2012
The expansion of partnerships with digital distribution platforms is also very signifi cant.”
Jeremy Baxter Head of acquisitions Protagonist Pictures (UK)
■ Studied film and literature at Warwick
University. ■ Started in acquisitions with Focus Features
in 2005. ■ Served as worldwide acquisitions manager
at Universal Pictures International from 2006. ■ Joined Protagonist Pictures in 2008. “My initial route into film was as a script reader and via post-production, which pro- vided a good overview of the industry and insights into the challenges fi lms face as they leave the creative realm and enter the market. “An internship at Focus helped me
progress with the acquisitions team at Uni- versal where I fi rst worked with Ben Roberts. Ben has been an incredible guide and men- tor — it will be fantastic to watch what he achieves heading the BFI Film Fund. “At Protagonist I enjoy working across a
broad range of speciality, genre and commer- cial projects, and the excitement of launching emerging talent. The aim has to be ensuring fi lms reach the right audiences, and with the advancement of digital it’s more important than ever for film-makers to form strong sales and distribution partnerships in order to stand out from the crowd.”
Henry Beattie Acquisitions manager worldwide Momentum Pictures/Alliance Films (UK)
■ Studied French and Italian at Oxford
University. ■ In 2006, joined New Line’s London
acquisitions and development office. ■ In 2008, joined Momentum Pictures and was promoted to acquisitions manager in early 2011. Responsible for bringing in titles including The Raid, Headhunters, T and George Lucas’ Red T
ails.
“As an obsessive fi lm fan, I knew I had to try and get a foothold in the industry after grad- uating. I was lucky to land an internship at New Line despite having no knowledge of the business and no contacts. “I have to acknowledge Alexandra Rossi
who taught me all the basics, and then at Momentum Robert Walak who has been a fantastic mentor in terms of my next steps. I really enjoy the search for exciting projects and the chance to help fi lm-makers’ visions reach audiences. I’d love to work even more closely with talent, either within distribution or moving more actively into production. “It’s a tricky time for distributors, given
the technological advances impacting the industry, but if you have good taste and the right fi lms, there will be an audience.”
Dori Begley Senior vice-president of acquisitions Magnolia Pictures (US)
■ Began at Sony Pictures Classics in 2000, as manager of acquisitions, working on titles from directors such as Pedro Almodovar, David Gordon Green, Spike Lee and Robert
rollhunter
Altman. ■ After a stint as associate programmer for the 2007 Tribeca Film Festival, she joined Magnolia Pictures where she is senior vice-president of acquisitions. “Refl ecting on the changing independent distribution landscape drives home how fortunate I am to have spent the bulk of my career with two very distinct industry leaders. “At the start, there was no better place for
fundamental education than Sony Pictures Classics — learning about the business in that unique universe rivals the most robust graduate film programmes. Years later, joining Magnolia sharply expanded that education. While bloated production budg- ets, irresponsible p&a spends and box-offi ce misfi res left the industry littered with failed distribution companies, the team at Magno- lia worked tirelessly on an innovative, hybrid releasing strategy to help fi x the bro- ken model.
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Laird Adamson
Henry Beattie Dori Begley
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