Arts Alliance Media describes itself as the global leader in cinema software and services and that is not mere marketing copy. Its software reaches more than 42,000 digital screens worldwide. Its Network Operations Centre supports several thousand more. Its clients include some of the largest and most recognizable cinema chains on the planet: AMC, Regal, Cineworld, HOYTS, National Amusements, Alamo Drafthouse, Cinema City and others.

When a company of that scale enters administration, operators, distributors and technology partners across the industry find themselves asking a very uncomfortable question: what happens now?

For some, the anxiety was about continuity of service. For others — particularly exhibitors already running AAM’s Theatre Management System (TMS) — it was more existential: what does this mean for the long-term viability of the software that keeps their cinemas running?

The answer has now arrived and it comes from a company few industry observers initially had at the top of their shortlist of potential acquirers: Qube Cinema.

What Is a TMS, and Why Does It Matter?
For those less familiar with the operational side of cinema technology, a Theatre Management System is exactly what it sounds like: the software backbone that ties a cinema’s digital operations together.

A TMS communicates with digital cinema servers and projectors to automate show scheduling and playback, manages content ingestion and key delivery for DCP titles, monitors equipment health, and, in more sophisticated implementations, coordinates everything from screen automation (lights, curtains, audio) to reporting and circuit-wide analytics.

In the early years of digital cinema, when the industry was transitioning away from 35mm film, TMS platforms were deeply embedded in the Virtual Print Fee (VPF) infrastructure. When VPFs wound down, the category commoditized somewhat, but the operational dependency never disappeared.

Today, a modern multiplex without a functioning TMS is a significantly more labor-intensive operation. For cinema chains managing dozens or hundreds of sites remotely, it is essentially non-negotiable.

AAM’s flagship TMS product, Screenwriter, has long been considered one of the most capable in the market. Its enterprise-level counterpart, Producer, enables cinema chains to manage and monitor their entire circuit from a single head-office interface.

The Monopoly Concern
One of the more acute anxieties that ran through the industry following AAM’s administration was the question of who might acquire it and what that would mean competitively.

The TMS market is not crowded. AAM and Unique X are the two dominant global players in cinema operations software, with GDC holding meaningful share in certain territories.

Had Unique X acquired AAM, it would have consolidated an uncomfortable proportion of the global cinema software market under a single owner. That scenario, effectively reducing meaningful choice for exhibitors running at scale, made operators nervous.

When one provider becomes too dominant, innovation tends to slow. Pricing leverage shifts. Upgrade negotiations begin to feel less like partnerships and more like inevitabilities. In exhibition technology, monopolies age about as well as milk left under a xenon lamp.

Other names circulated as potential buyers, including Vista Group and GDC. In the end, the company that stepped forward and prevailed was one few observers would have predicted: Qube Cinema.

Meet (or Re-Meet) Qube Cinema
Here is the honest truth about Qube Cinema: it has been building one of the most comprehensive end-to-end digital cinema technology stacks in the world for over two decades and in recent years has steadily expanded its global presence through platform scale, partnerships and acquisitions. They have done this so quietly that a significant portion of the global cinema industry isn’t even aware.

Qube Cinema is an Indian company in the fullest sense. It was not a Western brand that relocated operations to India for cost reasons. It was conceived, built and scaled from India, a distinction that Rajesh Ramachandran, Qube’s Chief Technology Officer, is quick to make.

“We started from India, and then we took it out to the world,” Ramachandran told me. “This is a brainchild of our team in India. For us, engineering from India is not outsourcing, it is insourcing. It is our natural posture.”

Today, Qube employs over 1,000 people globally. It manufactures DCI-compliant digital cinema servers — now in their fourth-generation Qube XP line — and operates what it believes is the largest mastering service in the world by volume, processing roughly 2,000 titles per year. Under its EPIQ brand, the company has entered the premium large format (PLF) space, while JusTickets serves as its cloud-based SaaS ticketing platform and Moviebuff operates as a widely used movie information service in India. This is also where Qube operates one of the country’s largest digital cinema advertising networks — Qube Cinema Network (QCN) — powered by its proprietary Qube Slate platform, giving it centralized control of on-screen advertising across thousands of screens.

Most notably, Qube runs Qube Wire; a global content delivery platform that services 135 countries. In the United States, Qube Wire is now directly connected to more than 1,200 theatres, and globally, Qube Wire reaches over 6,200 theatres. That translates to a distribution footprint touching over 33,000 screens around the world.

“Box selling can only get you so far,” Ramachandran acknowledged. “What you really want to be is in a service business, because that’s where you have recurring revenue and a network. It means that with one API you can reach over 33,000 screens. You have to be very precious about that customer base and screen base, and build upon it.”

The Missing Piece
For all of Qube’s breadth, there was one conspicuous absence: a Theatre Management System.

That absence reflected the market reality Qube grew up in. In India, and in many high-growth markets where Qube first established its server business, the labor economics of cinema operations did not create the same urgency for automation seen in Western circuits. As Ramachandran explained, “For the license price of a TMS, you could get a human being to operate.”

Qube compensated with clever engineering. Its servers were among the first to feature a web-based user interface, eliminating the need for a dedicated monitor at every screen. Central, browser-based control substituted for some of what a TMS would otherwise provide.

Qube Wire, meanwhile, was built on a fundamentally different architectural assumption than most legacy TMS products. Early digital cinema systems were designed for a disconnected world. Qube Wire assumed connectivity as a given.

“You can’t blame Arts Alliance or Unique for building the way they did,” Ramachandran said. “Ten or twenty years ago, that was a very practical model. But the connected scenario we are in today changes a lot of things.”

Rather than build a conventional TMS from scratch in an already crowded category, Qube began layering TMS-like functionality into its Qube Wire exhibitor portal, moving toward the space without formally entering it. The AAM acquisition gives Qube something far more efficient: established IP, a proven product, active contracts, and a global installed base.

One of Ramachandran’s more telling observations was not about cloud or AI, but about priorities.

“An exhibitor only has one model of server and one model of projector,” he said. “They’re looking for depth, whereas the typical TMS manufacturer is busy building breadth.”

Compatibility matrices matter. But exhibitors ultimately care about reliability, responsiveness, reporting flexibility and how quickly their vendor can adapt to operational realities.

If the TMS category has felt stagnant in recent years, it is not because it lacks features. It is because the pace of meaningful workflow innovation has lagged.

Platform Vision, Not Just Product Rescue
The current TMS buying and implementation experience remains remarkably heavy for what is fundamentally a software product. Hardware procurement, compatibility validation, site configuration and extended implementation timelines make it feel more like enterprise ERP deployment than modern SaaS.

Qube’s ambition is to change that trajectory.

“Somebody just goes on the website, just like you would get any SaaS product — that’s the direction we want to go,” Ramachandran said.

More ambitious still is the platform layer.

“Regal has a need for a different kind of report than AMC,” he said. “Today, that means negotiating a custom development project. If they are working on a platform where they can describe the report they want in plain language, and the platform has all the underlying data to support it, the report generation code can be generated.”

This is not about closing ecosystems. Digital cinema operates within established DCI and SMPTE interoperability standards, and that open architecture is not going anywhere. The opportunity is not vertical lock-in. It is workflow acceleration inside a connected framework.

Stability, Structure and What Comes Next
Technically, Qube acquired AAM’s intellectual property, contracts and operating personnel rather than the corporate entity itself. The Arts Alliance Media name will be retained, at least for the time being, to preserve continuity for clients.

Approximately 19–20 people are coming with the acquisition — roughly 14 in the UK and about five in the US — who will now operate under the Qube umbrella. Qube’s US operations are based in Hawthorne, California, just outside Los Angeles.

For exhibitors, the immediate message is stability. Support teams remain in place. Contracts remain intact. The platform remains operational.

Innovation, however, is the longer-term test.

Over the next 6–12 months, the signals that matter most will be:

• Release velocity: Are meaningful updates arriving faster?
• Implementation simplicity: Does deployment become lighter and less resource-intensive?
• Workflow innovation: Are reporting, analytics and integration capabilities materially improving?
• Communication clarity: Are exhibitors getting transparent roadmaps and consistent support messaging?

“Beyond stability and continuity, there is a lot of innovation that needs to come into this space,” Ramachandran said. “That is what we are excited about. That is the real story here.”

Qube Cinema has spent two decades building cinema infrastructure quietly in the background. Servers. Mastering services. Content delivery. A PLF format. A ticketing platform. One of the widest-reaching cinema technology networks on the planet.

Now the company that was always there has just made itself impossible to ignore.

The post A Quiet Player Makes a Big Move: Qube Cinema Acquires Arts Alliance Media appeared first on Celluloid Junkie.

The last five years have indeed redrawn the theatrical map. Local content, once considered supplementary, has  become the stabilizing backbone of the Nigerian cinema business. In some quarters, it is more than  just a cinema business; it’s the differentiator, the engine, and arguably the only segment still showing structural resilience in a market battered by piracy, inflation, insecurity, and shifting consumer habits.  

In recent times, the rise of local cinema is no longer a hopeful narrative pushed by filmmakers; it is a  measurable phenomenon with direct impact on exhibitors’ balance sheets. And if recent box office data is any indication, Nigeria is in a new era where domestic titles are increasingly shaping  performance cycles, investor confidence, and long-term viability.  

A Decade of Change in the Numbers and Authenticity  
As of 2014, Nollywood films accounted for just under 10% of total annual domestic box office revenue  in Nigeria, according to industry tallies from the Cinema Exhibitors Association of Nigeria (CEAN). By 2019, that share rose to 28%, helped by breakout titles like “The Wedding Party” (2016), “Sugar Rush” (2019), and “King of Boys” (2018).  

Then came 2020, the pandemic year that ironically created the conditions for Nollywood’s accelerated rise. With global release schedules disrupted and Hollywood theatrical release slates shrinking by over 70%, local filmmakers were forced to step up. They did, and audiences responded. Since 2021, Nigerian titles have consistently represented 35-45% of annual box office revenues, depending on quarter and region. 

The most telling shifts would be between mid 2022 and late 2024, where, for the first time in recorded CEAN data, local films outperformed Hollywood releases across multiple high-traffic months, not due to a lack of foreign releases but because indigenous titles had become strong enough to take up release dates and hold attention on their own. Hollywood remains important, but the era when Nigeria cinemas relied entirely on U.S. blockbusters to survive is gone. Local titles now anchor annual performance. Yes, anchoring is the right word. Because in weeks where imported content underperforms, Nollywood now graciously fills the revenue gap almost predictably.

According to CEAN’s national chairman, Opeyemi Ajayi, NGN ₦11.5 billion was realised in the year 2024 from ticket sales across cinemas in Nigeria, as against NGN ₦7.2 billion made in 2023. In 2024, cinemas accommodated 2.66 million persons and 2.54 million persons in 2023.

“We have recorded 60% growth in revenue in 2024 and about 4.5% growth in admissions despite the harsh economic climate. This is a  remarkable achievement and it is a testament to the industry’s resilience, creativity and determination. It is also the first time we are seeing a growth in admissions since 2020, signaling a significant upturn  in the cinema subsector”, he said.

In an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in July 2024, Ajayi acknowledged with  excitement that revenue generated from Nollywood and Hollywood films in cinemas were beginning to be on a par, and he described the development as the way to go. According to him, Nollywood films  raked in NGN ₦2,325,930,952 while Hollywood films generated NGN ₦2,321,273,174 in revenue during the first half of 2024. “We also recorded 559,122 total admissions for Hollywood films and 640,539 for Nollywood  films”, he added.

By the end of August 2025, Nigeria’s box office had attained yet another milestone, generating more  than NGN ₦10 billion in ticket sales. This figure reflects a 58% increase from the NGN ₦6.4 billion recorded during the same period last year. Admissions also surged to 1.84 million, an almost 16% increase from 1.59 million in 2024. This revalidates the growing strength of Nollywood and cinema culture in Nigeria. Should this trend continue, total box office revenues would likely exceed NGN ₦16 billion by the end of  December. This would mark yet another historic milestone for the industry. 

What Changed?
Post-pandemic was a trying time for businesses across the globe. While some thrived, many  struggled and some failed to recover. Nollywood was indeed favoured. When exchange-rate volatility pushed imported film licensing fees upward, local titles became a safer, more predictable bet. By 2024, Nollywood films delivered higher net margins for exhibitors than Hollywood releases, even when overall attendance was similar. Exhibitors maximized every advantage and made the best out of them. From a programming flexibility perspective, Nigerian films often run longer than foreign releases  because they grow through word-of-mouth rather than opening-day hype. What this means is that  exhibitors nowadays tend to program for longevity, not volatility. They exploit social media, collaborating with local influencers to drive engagement that authentically connects with the audience. This engineers audience loyalty. Anecdotal audience response suggests local content is pulling in groups like families,  female-heavy audiences, and culturally specific demographics who otherwise might never prioritise cinema outings.  

A mid-2024 CEAN analytic summary noted that local content is now a key stabiliser for cinemas outside Lagos and the capital Abuja, where Hollywood attendance fluctuates more dramatically. This is crucial; Nollywood isn’t just rising in urban hubs, it’s anchoring performance in mid-tier cities too.  

Ken Okwuosa, Co-Founder & Chief Executive Officer of Filmhouse Group, revealed  that Nigeria has a powerful local market and the cinemagoers are spending heavily on watching local  content in cinemas while speaking with  the founder of the Nigerian International Film & TV Summit, Ijeoma Onah, in 2024. Speaking on the rise of the Nigerian film industry and content, Okwuosa said, “In 2024 H1, Nollywood took 48% of the total market share in cinemas while Hollywood claimed 52%.”

He also said that Filmhouse has an enviable 82% market share in film distribution and up to 35% market share in cinema screening.

The Creative Side: Story Trends Driving the Boom
Nollywood did not arrive by accident: structures and intentionality took effect. A pattern has  emerged among the biggest local hits that led to the current shift, creating a phenomenon. Stories rooted in authentic, everyday Nigerian realities – films about family conflict,, cultural  identity, traditional power dynamics, and Lagos hustle tropes – consistently outperform others.  Nollywood connected with their own people, their culture, their personalities, their realities and,  eventually, their pockets with ease. While comedy and dramedy remain dominant, humour translates more consistently across regions and drives repeat viewing. In exploring genre experiments, titles in action (“Brotherhood”), period epics (“Aníkúlápó”), social thrillers (“Orah,” “Breath of Life”), and crime dramas (Shanty Town universe) signal a growing versatility. 

There is a popular Nigerian slang saying, “No gree for anybody”, meaning: do not let anyone  intimidate you – hustle and never give up. Nigerian women in Nollywood seem to take that slang a little more seriously. Funke Akindele has redefined commercial viability. “A Tribe Called Judah” alone grossed over NGN ₦1.4 billion, becoming Nigeria’s first billion-naira film. 

Cultural relevance is clearly outperforming spectacle. Nigeria’s median age is 18. Entertainment spending among young audiences is increasingly tied to relatability, not scale. Hollywood can bring budget and spectacle, but Nollywood brings familiarity, with characters grounded in Nigerian authenticity: glam, humour, conflict, aspiration, and social dynamics. 

A data review from FilmOne’s box-office insight unit shows that repeat viewership for top Nollywood titles is 2.2x higher than for most mid-tier  Hollywood releases. That is not an accident. Films like  “A Tribe Called Judah,” “Battle on Buka Street,” “Brotherhood,” and “Aníkúlápó: Rise of the Spectre” blend heightened drama with cultural specificity, appealing to audiences who want to “see themselves”.  

Global studio outputs are reducing, and it’s widening the opportunity gap. The U.S. theatrical recovery is still sluggish. Production delays from both the pandemic and the 2023 strikes created a multi-year content shortage. In 2024, global studios released roughly 25% fewer films compared to 2018. Fewer titles mean fewer high-performing weekends for exhibitors globally, but Nigeria has bucked the trend  as cinemagoers favour “event” films. In the past, exhibitors filled weak U.S. months with Bollywood or  European titles. That strategy has become increasingly ineffective. Non-local, non-Hollywood titles contribute barely 3-5% of the annual Nigerian box office.  

Nigerian distributors now program strategically around Hollywood calendars, not behind them. This shift has birthed a competitive advantage that no other market on the continent enjoys at this scale. Local filmmakers are responding by boosting production value, and audience perceptions are changing. Budgets for top Nigerian theatrical titles used to be NGN ₦50 – ₦80 million in the early 2010s. Now, they  range from NGN ₦200 to NGN ₦500 million. Cinemas are adjusting to accommodate and optimize in line with the new reality. Nigerian films are no longer supporting acts, they are headline content. The transformation is not just cultural but phenomenal.  

The Challenges
Of course, the rise is not without headwinds. Nollywood’s theatrical growth may be promising, but the terrain remains uneven. Inflation is suppressing discretionary spending. Ticket prices have increased by 40 – 60%, which has contributed to the box office increase, but admissions continue to rise (4.5% in 2024). Distribution bottlenecks are still major challenging factors. While exhibition has arguably improved over time, capacity is still under 90 screens   nationwide. This is far too low for an emerging market with a population over 200 million. Marketing  budgets remain modest. The average Nollywood theatrical marketing budget is NGN ₦10 – ₦20 naira,  limiting the required nationwide hype to drive more awareness and revenue. Piracy, amongst others, is undercutting long-term revenue. For every successful cinema run, there is an illegal digital leak within weeks. However, despite these pressures, Nollywood holds a massive opportunity with indigenous stories waiting to be told, while local films continue to outperform expectations. 

Ladun Awobokun, the Chief Content Officer, FilmOne Group, stated in an interview with Pulse Nigeria that there are many existing untold stories yet to get to the screen. She affirmed that, “If you position any film as a film to watch that should be watched, the Nigerian audience will watch it. They’re coming out for different types of films. They are coming out to watch these films in their numbers. There are so many, folks are coming out for biopic, romance, and epic and they’re doing great numbers. If you do the work, people will come out to see it. People are now asking questions. Because of that, you have to pay more attention to what you’re doing. How is it shot, what does it look like, and how was it  produced.” 

Nollywood is a market maturing into its own identity. The story of Nigerian cinema is no longer about catching up to global industries. It’s about defining its own commercial logic, one where local content drives growth, audience loyalty, and creative innovation. One with revenue opportunities where exhibitors are realizing how much they need Nollywood, just as filmmakers need the box office. Audiences are continuing to show up for stories they recognise. And for the first time in a long while, the incentives are aligning. Local content is not just rising; it is becoming the spine of the industry. And if this trajectory continues, the Nigerian film market will stand as one of the few in the world where the local beats the global at the gate.

The post The Rise of Local Cinema: How Nigerian Cinemas are Rebuilt on Indigenous Films appeared first on Celluloid Junkie.

Ferguson, who has worked at Pearl & Dean for 14 years, has a wealth of experience partnering cinema chains with luxury brands like Jaguar and Range Rover. “We had previously proposed Everyman proactively to the agency in the previous year, but the timings weren’t quite right,” she adds. Yet now the flight times were spot on. As part of its ‘Fly Better’ campaign, the premium airline Emirates was looking to align itself with another quality brand.

“Essentially, Emirates was looking to shift perceptions so that people could think that Emirates was worth paying more for,” says Ferguson. “It’s all about quality perception. They wanted people to really feel the difference in quality. And you can see these things in advertising, but to really shift that consideration, they wanted people to really feel the difference.”

Shared Values
A partnership with Everyman seemed just the ticket, with Ferguson stressing the brands boast “shared values”. “They’re very much experience-led. It’s all about attention to detail, luxurious surroundings, customer focus.” After initial conversations, Pearl & Dean was presented with a budget, target audience and timings. “Really the brief was: How can we get Everyman customers to see and feel the quality of Emirates and believe that it’s a brand worth paying more for?” Ferguson notes. “That was essential.” 

Emirates is no stranger to sponsorship – whether it’s a long-standing relationship with Arsenal Football Club or as the Official Airline Partner of the Wimbledon tennis championships. Yet aligning itself with the world of movies, and a boutique cinema like Everyman, was a natural step. “They’re very renowned for their in-flight entertainment system. It’s award-winning. It’s exceptionally great quality,” notes Ferguson. “And if you think about when people fly long haul flights, for a lot of people, the way that they experience travel is they’re just watching films back-to-back at 30,000 feet.” 

Still, why did Ferguson feel like cinema was the perfect medium to tie with Emirates? “Cinema…it’s such a special thing, isn’t it? If we think about cinema as a medium, it’s a place that we go to spend time, not waste time. Our phones are stealing our attention every day with the internet, but actually, cinema is a place where we go, either solo or with our loved ones, and for brands to be part of that experience, it can be a very special thing,” she says. “There’s so much you can do to take the brand off the screen and really bring them into the experience for the audience and add value and enhance it.”

After an eight-week period of initial consultation and exploration, Ferguson joined forces with Adam Reynolds, Head of Brand Partnerships for Everyman, to pitch to the Dubai-based Emirates an idea geared around the upcoming awards season. Titled ‘World-Class Cinema’, the concept was to offer Everyman audience members the chance to enjoy nationwide preview screenings of awards-worthy films with an added touch of Emirates-style luxury.

Key to this was the offer of a complimentary glass of Moët & Chandon champagne upon arrival, echoing the experience of stepping on board an Emirates aircraft and into business or first class. “We always have to think with a partnership, how can the brand enhance the audience experience?” says Ferguson. “We don’t want to interrupt it. We want to enhance. So people going to an Emirates screening and having a glass of complimentary Moët is just a really nice, simple, elegant thing to bring into the mix.”

The Right Priorities
In a first for Everyman, a 48-hour members-only presale was also introduced, a nod to priority boarding that gave loyal audiences early access to tickets. “Sometimes it doesn’t need to be all singing or dancing. It can be quite subtle,” says Ferguson. Audience members were also presented with their own bespoke popcorn in a bright red Emirates-Everyman co-branded box.  The finishing touch was a premium competition: the chance to win two nights at The Grove hotel in Hertfordshire, complete with spa treatments and fine dining. 

“Everyman has been partnered with The Grove for several years now,” says Ferguson. Previously, the cinema has staged its ‘secret garden’ pop-up inside the hotel’s walled garden, a blend of films, dining and entertainment held over the summer months. Here, the lucky prize winners would be collected by the Emirates chauffeur service, wherever they lived in the UK, and whisked to The Grove. “Just like you would if you fly Emirates business class.” Once there, they would enjoy complimentary meals and spa treatments.

As this brand partnership began to take shape, Ferguson and co. needed to create a bespoke campaign identity. With awards season fast approaching, the time crunch was felt by all. “Ideally we’d have twelve weeks. We did it in five,” she says. Emirates was presented with three potential routes to go down. The first was an illustrative look, using what Ferguson calls “a “Catch Me If You Can”-Saul Bass look”, with graphics recalling the renowned visuals created by Bass. The second was showcasing beautiful interior shots of both Emirates aircrafts and Everyman venues. “And then the third route was a bit more co-branded, a bit safer,” she adds.

Ultimately, Emirates went for option two, “bringing the two worlds together in terms of the interiors”. Meanwhile, the search was on to find the right films to complement this partnership. “Everyman had discussions with the distributors,” explains Ferguson, who notes how the choice of movie was crucial to the success of ‘World-Class Cinema’. “It’s not about filling seats,” she adds. “It’s about picking films that Emirates want to be associated with and shining a spotlight on those films as well.”

The first nationwide preview screening took place on November 19, 2025, with those that booked treated to a preview of the Netflix-made, Noah Baumbach-directed comedy “Jay Kelly”, starring George Clooney. Given the film sees Clooney play a Hollywood A-List star, the film’s baked-in luxury was perfectly tailored to the experience. “It felt very fitting,” says Ferguson. “The assets for that, it just made so much sense. ‘World Class Cinema’…you’ve got the lovely image of George Clooney…it looked really, really classy.”

Added Value
The second preview arrived in December, with Joachim Trier’s “Sentimental Value” being selected to screen for audiences. Already a winner at the Cannes Film Festival, where it received its world premiere and claimed the Grand Jury Prize, it dovetailed perfectly with the awards-season theme. The day after negotiations with the film’s distributor MUBI were completed, the film received eight nominations at the Golden Globes (and later won Best Supporting Actor for Stellan Skarsgård, who plays a celebrated film director).

A special launch event was organised at Everyman at The Whiteley in Bayswater, London, with the film screened and guests greeted by not only complimentary champagne but also something else to reflect the Emirates experience. “Emirates sent all these amenity kits… just like you get on board in Business class. You opened it, there was Bulgari soaps in there and things like that. So it was a very nice touch,” says Ferguson, who would love to expand that idea in the future. “I think, budget-depending if we continue the partnership, maybe we could look at doing more of that.”

In the run up to Valentine’s Day, the third act of the Emirates-Everyman partnership comes on February 11^th – an invite-only “special screening” of Emerald Fennell’s anticipated take on Emily Brontë’s “Wuthering Heights”, starring Jacob Elordi and Margot Robbie. This one has the feel of something ultra-exclusive. “Everyman have sent invitations to some of their members for that,” says Ferguson. “And then Emirates have an allocation for Emirates VIPs and some media.”

Undoubtedly, it’s a unique way for a premium brand like Emirates to reach new heights, although Ferguson is careful to add a caveat: “I definitely don’t want to downplay the impact of normal cinema advertising, because it definitely is very effective. It can do a lot.” For Pearl & Dean, it’s a continuation of work in this arena, what Ferguson calls “these deeper, more involved partnerships”, bringing brands together. “We’re always looking to do more. And we’re really proud of this partnership. We think it’s been a really great team effort.”Although Emirates has since switched media agencies to Havas, Ferguson is hopeful the partnership with Everyman can return. “We’ll have to see what 2026 holds. But we would love to continue working with them in some way.” Could there be a chance to take the Emirates-Everyman partnership into the skies, with an on-board experience? “That would be a great thing to ladder up to,” she says, noting that “integrating the partnership and Everyman in the sky would obviously be a dream going forward”.

For the moment, the teams are concentrating on shepherding the World-Class Cinema season into the world, although with one eye on the future. “We’re conducting a second wave of research next month. So we did an initial dip pre-Christmas, and we have some quite good results, even just from having been live for a month,” reveals Ferguson. “I think Everyman and Emirates does feel like a very natural fit. And so hopefully there’s potential to do more.” Or to quote from “Casablanca”, “I think this is the start of a beautiful friendship.”

The post Pearl & Dean Partner Emirates with Everyman for a First-Class Experience appeared first on Celluloid Junkie.

In 2026, that rhythm plays out one last time.

This year’s Sundance Film Festival arrives carrying more meaning than usual. It’s the final edition to take place in Park City, Utah — a town that, for better or worse, became inseparable from the festival’s identity. It’s also the first Sundance without its founder, Robert Redford, whose belief in independent voices helped transform a regional event into one of the most influential cultural institutions in American film.

There’s no way around it: Sundance 2026 will feel different when it commences on 22 January. But not in the way people might expect.

Despite the temptation to frame this year as an extended goodbye tour, the festival itself doesn’t seem particularly interested in wallowing in nostalgia (though it has programmed a small retrospective of its past award winners). Instead, Sundance is doing what it has always done best — turning outward, engaging with the present, and quietly setting the terms for what comes next.

If anything, this lineup feels like a reminder that Sundance was never really about a place. Park City was the backdrop. The films were always the point.

Narrative Films That Don’t Look Away
At its best, Sundance is a festival of mirrors; films that reflect the anxieties, contradictions, and blind spots of their moment, sometimes warped, sometimes brutally clear.

That instinct runs powerfully through Sundance’s narrative cinema, where fiction isn’t used as escape but as a way of processing the world in real time. Over the years, the festival’s narrative selections have often been as socially engaged as its documentaries, simply operating through metaphor, character, and tone rather than direct address.

In recent years, that engagement has increasingly taken on an international shape, and Sundance 2026 leans fully into that evolution. This year’s World Cinema Dramatic Competition lineup spans Nigeria, Greece, the Philippines, Israel, and New Zealand; less as a curatorial statement than as an acknowledgment of where independent filmmaking energy currently resides.

One of the more transporting entries is “Levitating,” an Indonesian film that drops audiences into the rarely depicted world of shamanic trance parties, where participants channel spirit animals through music, dance, and ritual. It sounds surreal — and it is — but the film grounds its strangeness in recognizably human stakes: love, competitiveness, and the pressures of forced migration.

That same willingness to immerse audiences in unfamiliar worlds runs through several other standout narrative selections, such as NEXT. In “zi,” filmmaker Kogonada returns to Sundance with an elliptical, sci-fi–inflected meditation following a Hong Kong woman who begins encountering her future self over the course of a single night. Less concerned with mechanics than mood, the film explores dislocation, memory, and choice with a quiet confidence that trusts the audience to lean in.

In the U.S. Dramatic competition, “Ha-chan, Shake Your Booty!” brings the festival into Tokyo’s competitive ballroom dance scene, where grief, desire, and reinvention collide. What begins as a character study gradually opens into something more joyful and kinetic, using dance as both metaphor and release valve.

What unites these films isn’t geography or genre, but a shared belief that specificity is strength. Sundance has long been a place where filmmakers are encouraged not to universalize prematurely — to tell the story in front of them first and trust that meaning will travel.

Comedy, too, emerges as an unexpected through-line this year. That may sound counterintuitive given the state of the world, but Sundance has always understood humor as a survival mechanism rather than an escape hatch. Buzz has already started building around “Gail Daughtry and the Celebrity Sex Pass” from director David Wain, perhaps about a married couple who decide to use their titular passes. Macon Blair brings “The Shitheads” to the Premieres, a comedy about transporting a rich teen to rehab. Hijinks ensue.

Many of the festival’s comedies find laughter in grief, absurdity in systems that no longer function, and catharsis in saying the quiet part out loud. It’s a reminder that Sundance has never been comfortable with easy tonal binaries. Films here are rarely just one thing. They’re funny and sad. Angry and hopeful. Messy and sincere.

Stars, Spectacle, and the Sundance Equation
That balance between reflection and reinvention is also where Sundance’s relationship with star power comes into focus.

Despite its indie bona fides, Sundance has never existed in opposition to recognizable faces. In fact, part of its enduring appeal lies in its ability to place familiar performers inside unfamiliar stories — often to surprising effect. Actors come to Sundance not to repeat themselves, but to recalibrate, to take risks that wouldn’t survive in more risk-averse environments.

That recalibration is especially evident in “The Gallerist,” directed by Cathy Yan and starring Natalie Portman, which places its characters inside the rarefied and ruthless machinery of the contemporary art world. Centered on a gallery owner desperate for relevance ahead of Art Basel Miami, the film uses dark comedy to interrogate taste-making, influence, and moral compromise — themes that feel particularly at home at Sundance.

Meanwhile, Charli XCX isn’t “crossing over” into film so much as curating her screen identity in real time, appearing across multiple Sundance titles — including the self-reflexive mockumentary “The Moment” — in ways that collapse the distance between pop stardom, authorship, and performance. Elsewhere, Olivia Wilde arrives at Sundance not just as an actor, but as a filmmaker reasserting creative control, premiering a tightly wound chamber drama in “The Invite” while also embracing provocation in Gregg Araki’s “I Want Your Sex.” For longtime Sundance fixtures like Ethan Hawke and Jay Duplass, returning with projects like “The Weight” and “See You When I See You” respectively, the festival once again serves as a space for reinvention rather than validation — a place where careers aren’t only launched but also recalibrated, or quietly redirected.

That tension — between discovery and expectation, between commerce and craft — has always been Sundance’s tightrope. It’s also why the festival continues to matter in an increasingly fragmented media landscape.

A Festival That Changes Things (Sometimes Without Asking Permission)
If Sundance’s narrative films explore the world through metaphor and character, there’s another side of the festival that has always dealt in stark reality.

One of Sundance’s most enduring legacies is its relationship with documentary cinema, not simply as a showcase, but as a catalyst. Over the years, the festival has premiered nonfiction films that didn’t merely win awards, but actively entered the cultural bloodstream.

“Super Size Me” changed how Americans talked about fast food. “An Inconvenient Truth” shifted the mainstream conversation around climate change. “American Factory” offered a ground-level look at globalization’s human cost. More recently, “20 Days in Mariupol” helped reframe the war in Ukraine for audiences far removed from the conflict.

And then there are the documentaries that create consequences.

In 2013, “Blackfish” arrived at Sundance as a tightly constructed investigation into captive orcas. What followed was something far rarer: a documentary that didn’t just provoke outrage, but contributed to measurable change. SeaWorld eventually ended its orca breeding program and the theatrical exploitation of killer whales. That outcome wasn’t guaranteed — but Sundance gave the film the visibility, credibility, and momentum it needed to matter.

That tradition continues in 2026 with “Sentient,” a documentary that peers into a world most people would rather not see: the widespread use of animals in laboratory testing and research. It’s an uncomfortable film by design, less interested in shock than in sustained moral pressure. The question it poses is simple and devastating: now that we know more, why do we continue as before?

That urgency carries across several other nonfiction selections. “The Lake,” from director Abby Ellis, is an urgent film programmed in the U.S. Documentary competition that hits close to home for Sundance, as it follows two scientists and a political operative as they race to save the Great Salt Lake from a catastrophic ecological disaster. “When a Witness Recants,” directed by Dawn Porter, revisits a decades-old miscarriage of justice rooted in coerced testimony, examining not just institutional failure but the long shadow such cases cast over entire communities.

At the other end of the spectrum, “The History of Concrete” from filmmaker John Wilson transforms the ostensibly mundane into something quietly revelatory. Using the built environment as a lens, the film explores modern life, capitalism, and the strange systems we take for granted. It’s a reminder that Sundance documentaries don’t always shout — sometimes they sidestep, observe, and let meaning accumulate.

Looking Back to See Forward
For all its urgency, Sundance has never been allergic to history. Some of the festival’s most beloved documentaries are explicitly backward-looking, yet deeply relevant to their moment.

“Man on Wire” wasn’t just about a daring high-wire act, it was about obsession, artistry, and risk. “Searching for Sugar Man” used archival mystery to interrogate fame and authorship. “Summer of Soul” resurrected a lost cultural moment while forcing a reckoning with why it disappeared in the first place.

The 2026 lineup continues that tradition with films that examine the past as something alive rather than settled.

“Give Me the Ball!” revisits the career and cultural impact of Billie Jean King, not as a victory lap, but as an exploration of how one athlete helped reshape the conversation around gender, power, and fairness in sports — debates that remain unresolved today.

Meanwhile, “Once Upon a Time in Harlem” resurrects long-unseen footage from a 1972 gathering of Harlem Renaissance figures at Duke Ellington’s apartment. What emerges is less a history lesson than a living conversation, artists reflecting on legacy while unknowingly creating it in real time. That’s especially true of “Public Access,” which delves into New York City’s cable television archives to document an era of underground creators defying censors raising questions about free-speech which persist to this day.

These films don’t treat history as a museum exhibit. They use it as a tool — one that helps decode the present rather than escape from it.

Saying Goodbye to a Place (Without Romanticizing It)
There’s no denying that Park City will be missed, more for its unique setting than the ever-rising cost of attending the festival.

The Egyptian Theatre. The Eccles. The Ray. The strange alchemy of bumping into filmmakers, executives, and critics while waiting for coffee. The sense that, for 10 days, a small mountain town became the center of the independent film universe.

But it’s also true that Sundance outgrew Park City years ago. The logistical challenges became part of the mythology, but they were still challenges — limited housing, transportation bottlenecks, and accessibility issues that disproportionately affected emerging filmmakers and marginalized voices.

The move to Boulder, Colorado for the 2027 edition, represents change — but not abandonment. Sundance didn’t start in Park City, and its identity was never meant to be fixed in place. What matters is not the zip code, but the commitment to fostering independent voices and creating a space where risk is rewarded rather than punished.

In that sense, Sundance 2026 feels less like an ending than a transitional moment.

The Redford Question
It would be impossible to write about this year’s festival without acknowledging the absence of one of its founders, Robert Redford. His influence is everywhere, not just in archival screenings or institutional tributes, but in the very idea that independent film deserves infrastructure, mentorship, and visibility.

What’s striking, though, is how little the festival seems interested in canonizing the actor / director. Redford’s legacy isn’t being preserved in amber. It’s being carried forward through work that aligns with his original ethos: independence, curiosity, and a belief in artists who haven’t yet been validated by the marketplace.

If anything, Sundance 2026 feels like a quiet affirmation that the systems Redford helped build are resilient enough to function without him at the center. That may be the most meaningful tribute of all.

Why Sundance Still Matters
In an era when the economics of independent film feel increasingly precarious, Sundance remains one of the few places where films are still allowed to arrive on their own terms.

Not everything here will work. Not every film will find its audience. But the festival continues to operate on a radical premise: that cinema is worth the risk.

As Sundance prepares to leave Park City, it does so not by looking backward, but by programming forward. The 2026 lineup is dense, international, politically engaged, occasionally unruly, and often deeply human. It doesn’t feel like a victory lap. It feels like a continuation.
Which is exactly the point.

Sundance has never been about endings. It’s about beginnings; sometimes messy ones, sometimes uncomfortable ones. And if this is the final chapter in Park City, it’s a fitting one: full of questions, full of voices, and very much alive.

This year’s Sundance Film Festival will take place in Park City and Salt Lake City, Utah from 22 January through 1 February.

The post As Sundance Says Goodbye to Park City, Its Films Look Forward appeared first on Celluloid Junkie.

And that’s what this CJ Tech series seeks to address, to help operators, engineers, and audio visual managers make informed choices around one of the biggest hardware decisions in cinema: your digital cinema infrastructure. Whether you’re retrofitting a single screen, planning a new multiplex, or weighing up long-term savings, we’ll be breaking down the key tech decisions, starting with the biggest question of them all: which projection system is right for your cinema; xenon or laser?

But before we compare performance, let’s take a look at how each type of technology actually works.

Xenon Projection: Arc Lamp Workhorse
Xenon projectors use high-intensity lamps filled with, surprise, xenon gas. When a high voltage is connected, an arc forms between two electrodes inside the bulb, creating a brilliant white light that mimics daylight. This light is then directed through an optical engine (most manufacturers use Digital Light Processing, or DLP, light engines) to project the image onto the screen.

Xenon lamps have been the backbone of digital and 35mm projection for decades. Their spectral qualities offer strong white point performance, and their long-standing presence means replacement parts and technical knowledge are widespread, at least for the time being.

Why some cinemas still prefer xenon projectors comes down to a combination of practical and financial considerations. Xenon projectors are often more affordable to purchase outright, making them appealing for budget-conscious operators or sites with limited capital expenditure. Most booth engineers are already trained in lamp alignment, reflector adjustments and airflow management, so there’s no steep learning curve when maintaining these systems. Xenon light tends to produce smoother fields with fewer artifacts like speckling, which is especially noticeable on 2D flat backgrounds or preshow material. With the right care, xenon systems can run for years, offering proven reliability where lamp replacements are predictable, and downtime is usually minimal when on-site spares are available.​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​

Despite these advantages, xenon projectors are increasingly becoming a dying breed in the cinema industry. Lamps degrade over time and often need replacing every 500 to 2,000 hours, depending on usage and brightness settings, leading to frequent maintenance cycles. Xenon systems run hot and draw significantly more power from the mains, which translates to higher HVAC demand and a bigger carbon footprint compared to modern alternatives. Many original equipment manufacturers are phasing out xenon lines, meaning longer lead times on replacement parts and limited firmware updates for aging systems. Even well-maintained xenon projectors tend to hit a performance wall over time, with issues like colour drift, brightness loss, and diminishing returns that ultimately limit their operational lifespan.​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​

Laser Projection: Solid-State Revolution
Laser projection replaces the xenon lamp with laser diodes — solid-state light sources that emit a tightly controlled, highly efficient beam. There are two main types used in cinemas: phosphor laser (blue laser with a yellow phosphor wheel for colour mixing) and RGB laser (dedicated red, green, and blue laser diodes).

Instead of producing light through heat and plasma arcs, lasers emit photons directly via electron transitions inside a semiconductor. This results in cooler operation, precise wavelength control, and dramatically extended lifespans — all without the need to swap bulbs.

Laser projectors are winning the future of cinema for several compelling reasons. Most laser projectors run for tens of thousands of hours — often exceeding 20,000 — without significant degradation in brightness or colour, which means far less downtime compared to traditional lamp-based systems. With reduced power consumption, no consumables to replace, and less strain on HVAC systems, laser projectors deliver lower running costs that pay back their initial investment over time. They also offer enhanced colour and brightness capabilities, producing brighter whites, deeper blacks, and a wider colour gamut that’s especially important for HDR content and large format screens.

Unlike xenon lamps, which dim and shift over time, lasers provide stable light output that ensures a more consistent experience for audiences while reducing the frequency of recalibration work for technicians. Additionally, laser engines are often more compact, allowing greater flexibility in booth layouts, ceiling installations, or even projector placement inside auditoriums themselves.​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​

However, laser projection isn’t without its drawbacks. Even with falling prices, laser projectors can still cost significantly more upfront than xenon counterparts — especially in the RGB category — making the upfront investment a substantial barrier for many operators. Laser speckle, a shimmering artifact that can be noticeable on silver screens or with certain content, remains an issue, although manufacturers have developed various solutions to reduce it. And unlike xenon systems, laser projectors aren’t as DIY-friendly when it comes to repairs; when the light engine fails, it often requires a factory repair or full module replacement rather than a simple in-house fix.

Which One Makes Sense for Your Site?
For some sites, particularly smaller venues, laser technology may simply be overkill — on a small screen with low attendance and limited content variation, the advantages may not justify the investment. Xenon still makes sense for sites running fewer daily shows, screens under 10 meters wide, and operators with limited upfront budgets. Conversely, laser is ideal for multiplexes or flagship auditoriums, venues with high show volumes and premium content like 3D and HDR, and operators who are able to prioritize long-term savings and sustainability over immediate costs.​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​

And overall, this isn’t a “winner takes all” scenario. Some of the savviest operators are opting for hybrid models using laser projection in high-traffic or premium auditoriums, while retaining xenon in smaller screens. The key is context: how your site operates, who your audience is, and what your budget allows.

But one thing’s clear: while xenon is far from obsolete, the industry’s trajectory is unmistakably moving toward laser projection. For operators planning the next decade of their cinema strategy, the wisest approach is to plan as if that future has already arrived.

The post CJ Tech: Choosing the Right Projection System: Xenon vs Laser Projection appeared first on Celluloid Junkie.

Following the strong response to the ninth edition of our sister list, Top Women in Global Cinema, published earlier this year, we wanted to once again shine a light on the women shaping how films reach audiences worldwide. While film distribution remains a male-dominated sector, recognising and amplifying female leadership in this space continues to be both necessary and overdue.

As has become customary with our Top Women lists — whether focused on cinema exhibition or distribution — the volume and quality of nominations made narrowing the field especially challenging. We’re therefore particularly pleased that 16 of the women featured this year are new entrants, reflecting both emerging leadership and the continued evolution of distribution roles across markets, platforms and release strategies.

At the same time, we remain conscious that some territories are still underrepresented, or not represented at all. This is not due to a lack of intent on our part, but rather a reminder of how dependent these initiatives are on industry participation and nominations from across the global ecosystem.

For 2025, we also continued with clearly defined eligibility criteria for distribution nominees, introduced to ensure consistency and relevance across the list. As a result, some senior executives whose roles extend well beyond film distribution — however influential — are not included here.

Our sincere thanks once again to AMC Theatres, DCDC and Event Cinemas for supporting our ongoing editorial mission of spotlighting standout talent across the global film industry.

Elissa Federoff

Chief Distribution Officer, NEON

Elissa Federoff is Chief Distribution Officer at NEON, a role she was promoted into in 2024 after overseeing the company’s theatrical distribution strategy since its founding in January 2017. She guides NEON’s release approach across the slate, helping establish the company as a major theatrical player with both large exhibition circuits and the independent arthouse community. Under her leadership, NEON released “Anora,” which went on to win the Academy Award for Best Picture in 2025, further cementing the company’s reputation for filmmaker-driven cinema with substantial commercial and awards impact. This year, NEON picked up Jafar Panahi’s  “It Was Just An Accident” during Cannes, making it the sixt year in a row one of the company’s films has won the Palme d’Or. Federoff previously held roles at The Orchard, boutique label RADiUS, Oscilloscope Laboratories and Lionsgate. She received the Dan Fellman Show “E” Award at ShowEast in 2023.

Veronika Kwan Vandenberg

President of Distribution for Universal Pictures International (UPI)

As head of distribution at Universal Pictures International (UPI), Veronika Kwan Vandenberg oversees the studio’s international theatrical distribution operations across both company-owned territories and independent partner markets. Over the past year, she has led the global rollout of some of the studio’s biggest recent releases, including both “Wicked” films, “Jurassic World Rebirth” and the live-action remake of “How To Train Your Dragon,” helping drive sustained international box office growth across a wide range of genres and audience segments.

Prior to Universal, Kwan Vandenberg spent nearly three decades at Warner Bros. Pictures, including 18 years as President of International Distribution, steering the studio’s global theatrical strategy during some of its most successful box office periods. Over the course of her impressive career, she has supervised the international distribution of hundreds of titles and worked closely with filmmakers including Christopher Nolan, helping shape the modern global studio distribution model.

Cathleen Taff

President, Production Services, Franchise Management and Theatrical Distribution, Disney Entertainment, Studios

Overseeing global theatrical distribution is just one part of Cathleen Taff’s expansive remit at The Walt Disney Studios, where she works across Disney’s live-action and specialty banners as well as Pixar Animation Studios, Walt Disney Animation Studios, Marvel Studios, Lucasfilm, 20th Century Studios and Searchlight Pictures. In addition to distribution, Taff leads franchise management and audience insights, helping align the studio’s theatrical strategy with long-term brand stewardship and audience engagement across The Walt Disney Company.

A 32-year Disney veteran, Taff also oversees production services, including technology, operations and labor relations supporting both theatrical and streaming content, along with Disney Theatrical Group and Disney Music Group. Across multiple eras of transformation for the studio business, she has played a central role in shaping Disney’s global distribution and franchise strategy during some of its most commercially and culturally significant periods.

Helen Lee-Kim

President of International, Lionsgate Motion Picture Group

Heading up the international licensing and distribution of Lionsgate’s diversified theatrical slate, Helen Lee-Kim plays a central role in shaping the studio’s global release and partner strategy across tentpole franchises and targeted genre titles. As a key member of the Lionsgate Motion Picture Group’s leadership and content strategy team, she works across theatrical and multi-platform releases as the studio continues to expand its international footprint.

In 2025, Lee-Kim and her team guided the global rollout of a slate that included “Ballerina,” “Den of Thieves 2: Pantera,” “The Long Walk,” “Flight Risk,” “Good Fortune” and the latest installment in the “Now You See Me” franchise. Since rejoining Lionsgate in 2017, she has overseen international licensing efforts that have generated nearly USD $1 billion in sales, while stewarding some of the studio’s most commercially durable and globally resonant properties.

Lisa Bunnell

President of Distribution, Focus Features

At Focus Features, Lisa Bunnell leads domestic theatrical distribution for a slate that continues to define the upper tier of specialty cinema. Known for pairing filmmaker-driven titles with disciplined release strategies, she has played a central role in positioning Focus releases for sustained theatrical runs in an increasingly competitive marketplace.

In 2025, Bunnell oversaw the releases of “Nosferatu,” “The Phoenician Scheme,” “Bugonia” and the upcoming literary adaptation “Hamnet,” the latter having already won several festival accolades, reinforcing the studio’s reputation for ambitious, adult-oriented cinema. She brings a rare dual perspective to the role, having spent 17 years at Loews Cineplex before serving as head film buyer for Landmark Theatres — an exhibition background that continues to inform her exhibitor-focused approach to specialty distribution.

Gina Glen

Director of Film Distribution, IMAX

At IMAX, Gina Glen plays a central role in bringing premium large-format releases to audiences worldwide, overseeing global film distribution across the company’s expanding international network. Working at the intersection of studio partnerships and exhibition, she helps coordinate the worldwide rollout of both original IMAX content and IMAX DMR titles, ensuring consistency and scale across diverse markets.

A veteran of more than two decades at IMAX, Glen has been instrumental in supporting the company’s growth as it continues to add new auditoriums and deepen relationships with exhibitors across multiple continents. Her long tenure has spanned numerous shifts in release patterns, technology and audience behavior, positioning her as a key steward of IMAX’s global distribution strategy during a period of sustained international expansion.

Toshi Yamasaki

President & CEO, TOHO-TOWA Company

As President and CEO of TOHO-TOWA, Toshi Yamasaki oversees one of Japan’s most influential motion picture importers and distributors, guiding the company’s acquisition, international partnerships and theatrical strategy across the Japanese market. A subsidiary of major Japanese entertainment company, TOHO, TOHO-TOWA has long handled releases for major Hollywood studios, with Yamasaki playing a central role in shaping and sustaining those global relationships.

In recent years, she has continued to expand the company’s international reach, including securing a new agreement that will see Warner Bros.’ feature slate released theatrically in Japan by the TOHO-TOWA Group beginning in 2026. Fluent in Japanese, English and French, Yamasaki was the first woman to serve as president within the TOHO Group and remains a key figure bridging Japanese exhibition and global studio distribution at a moment of renewed international collaboration.

Kathleen Gallagher

EVP & General Sales Manager Theatrical Distribution, Universal Filmed Entertainment Group (North America)

Leading Universal’s theatrical sales operations across the United States and Canada, Kathleen Gallagher oversees domestic distribution strategy for the studio’s North American releases, working closely with exhibition partners and Universal’s international distribution teams. In her role, she manages regional sales execution across a wide-ranging slate, helping align national strategy with local market dynamics.

A longtime Universal executive, Gallagher has spent more than two decades with the company in senior leadership roles spanning theatrical and home entertainment. Prior to her current position, she served as EVP and Managing Director of North America for Universal Pictures Home Entertainment, experience that continues to inform her cross-platform perspective on distribution and exhibitor relations. Across multiple release cycles and market shifts, she has remained a steady presence within Universal’s domestic distribution leadership.

Elizabeth Trotman

CEO Australia & New Zealand, Studiocanal

As CEO of Studiocanal’s operations in Australia and New Zealand, Elizabeth Trotman oversees theatrical distribution across the region, guiding a slate that spans studio titles, prestige releases and local productions. During her tenure of almost a decade, she has been responsible for the distribution of hundreds of films and continues to play a central role in shaping Studiocanal’s presence across both markets. A veteran of the industry with experience across exhibition, marketing and distribution, Trotman previously held senior roles at Warner Bros. and the HOYTS Group before joining Studiocanal. Her career trajectory — from cinema exhibition to regional studio leadership — has given her a uniquely holistic perspective on the Australasian theatrical landscape.

Helen Moss

Head of International Theatrical Distribution, Amazon MGM Studios

At Amazon MGM Studios, Helen Moss was hired this past year to lead international theatrical distribution, overseeing global release strategy as the studio continues to expand and formalize its presence in cinemas worldwide. In the role, she works across territories and exhibition partners to build cohesive international rollouts for Amazon MGM’s growing theatrical slate.

Prior to joining Amazon MGM Studios, Moss spent more than 15 years at Paramount Pictures, where she oversaw international theatrical distribution across more than 70 markets and played a key role in the global success of major franchises and event titles. Known for her strategic approach to film planning and international execution, she brings crucial, in-depth experience that scales releases across diverse markets as Amazon MGM sharpens its global theatrical ambitions.

Rebecca Kearey

EVP and Head of International Marketing, Distribution & Business Operations, Searchlight Pictures

At Searchlight Pictures, Rebecca Kearey oversees international operations and business strategy, guiding the studio’s global marketing and distribution efforts across its slate. Having been with Searchlight since its inception, she has played a central role in shaping the company’s international identity and approach to releasing prestige, filmmaker-driven cinema worldwide. With over two decades in senior leadership, Kearey has supervised the international rollout of Searchlight’s releases across multiple territories, including numerous award-winning titles. In 2025, she also joined the Board of Directors of the British Film Institute (BFI) America, reflecting her standing within the global film community.

Jody Pope

Director, Distribution EMEA, Universal Pictures International

Overseeing theatrical distribution for Universal Pictures International across more than 20 territories in Europe, the Middle East and Africa, Jody Pope plays a key role in shaping the studio’s regional release strategy and execution. She works closely with local teams and exhibition partners, helping coordinate the rollout of Universal’s theatrical slate, which this year included blockbusters like the “Wicked” films and “Jurassic World Rebirth.” Pope began her career in UK distribution, holding senior theatrical sales roles at Soda Pictures and Revolver Entertainment before joining Universal Pictures UK. She later moved into exhibition as Head of Film at Everyman Cinemas, experience that continues to inform her exhibitor-facing approach to distribution. She returned to Universal Pictures International in 2015.

Finola Mcloughlin

Executive Director, EMEA Theatrical Distribution, Warner Bros. Picture Group

Finola McLoughlin heads up theatrical distribution for Warner Bros. Picture Group across a wide EMEA footprint spanning Central and Eastern Europe, the Baltics, the Balkans, CIS markets, Africa, Portugal, Greece and Israel. In addition to overseeing these territories, she contributes to pan-regional initiatives drawing on more than 19 years at Warner Bros., including earlier experience working across Western European markets. McLoughlin began her career in anti-piracy operations at the Motion Picture Association (MPA) in Brussels before transitioning into studio distribution.

Subha-Orn (Soupy) Rathanamongkolmas

Vice President, South Asia, Universal Pictures

As Vice President for South Asia at Universal Pictures International, Subha-Orn “Soupy” Rathanamongkolmas oversees theatrical distribution across 18 markets spanning South and Southeast Asia. A veteran of nearly three decades in the industry, she began her career at United International Pictures (UIP) Thailand before spending 18 years at The Walt Disney Company, where she held senior regional roles including Head of Distribution for Studio Entertainment in Southeast Asia. Since joining Universal, Rathanamongkolmas has continued to build studio and exhibitor partnerships across the region, earning recognition in 2024 with CineAsia’s Distributor of the Year Award for her long-standing leadership, innovation and commitment to theatrical distribution.

Yit-Ching Lee

Vice President, Distribution EMEA, Paramount Pictures

At Paramount Pictures, Yit-Ching Lee oversees theatrical distribution across the EMEA region, a role she has held since joining the studio’s regional office in 2007. In 2025, she helped guide the rollout of major releases including “Mission: Impossible – The Final Reckoning” and “The Naked Gun,” continuing her long-standing role executing Paramount’s international theatrical strategy across diverse markets. In addition to her distribution leadership, Lee has served as chair and co-chair of Paramount’s inclusion and diversity initiatives for women and parents, and has participated as a mentor for UNIC’s Women’s Cinema Leadership Programme. She began her career at United International Pictures, working on the development of international emerging markets.

Mary Kouinoglou

Senior Vice President, Theatrical, EMEA Licensees, Sony Pictures

Mary Kouinoglou leads theatrical distribution strategy for Sony Pictures across the studio’s EMEA licensee markets, working closely with local partners and exhibitors to coordinate regional release planning and execution. In her role, she supports the rollout of Sony’s theatrical slate including recent releases such as “Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba – Infinity Castle,” “28 Years Later” and “Sisu: Road to Revenge.” Kouinoglou is participating in UNIC’s Women’s Cinema Leadership Programme this year, reflecting her engagement in industry collaboration and commitment to leadership across the region.

Nathalie Grison

Director of Distribution, The Walt Disney Company France

Nathalie Grison is Director of Distribution at The Walt Disney Company France, managing theatrical distribution strategy across the studio’s releases in the French market. Appointed to the role in May 2024, she works closely with the marketing team to coordinate release planning and execution of Disney’s slate, which this year includes the live-action “Lilo & Stitch,” “Zootopia 2” and “Avatar: Fire and Ash.”

Grison joined the company in 1993, when it was named Gaumont Buena Vista International, beginning her career in finance before moving into studio operations and sales, ultimately becoming head of programming for France. With more than three decades of experience within Disney’s French operations, she brings deep institutional knowledge and a long-standing understanding of the French theatrical landscape to her current role.

Satomi Odake

Executive Vice President & Chief Operating Officer, Gaga

Satomi Odake is Chief Operating Officer at Gaga, one of Japan’s most respected independent film distributors, where she has spent nearly three decades shaping the company’s international and domestic film strategy. Having joined Gaga in 1997, she has held a series of senior roles across foreign film acquisition, licensing, procurement and international sales, including leading the company’s global division and overseeing the acquisition and release of numerous internationally acclaimed and Oscar-winning titles. Odake was elevated to COO in 2025 and is currently helping expand Gaga’s presence as a key bridge between Japanese audiences and global cinema by launching Noroshi, a division dedicated to distributing international arthouse titles.

Nathalie Cieutat

Deputy Managing Director, Distribution, Pathé Films

Nathalie Cieutat has led theatrical distribution at Pathé Films for nearly four years, bringing significant experience from across both French exhibition and distribution markets. After training in distribution and exhibition at La Fémis, she held senior sales roles at Warner Bros. France and Wild Bunch Distribution before spending six years on the exhibition side as Director of Programming for Les Cinémas Pathé Gaumont. Since returning to Pathé’s distribution arm, she has helped shape a slate that blends French and international cinema, including recent releases such as Paolo Sorrentino’s “Parthenope” and “Le Chantier,” alongside a range of culturally resonant titles.

Melanie Valera

SVP General Sales Manager, Paramount Pictures

Melanie Valera is Senior Vice President and General Sales Manager at Paramount Pictures, where she oversees the studio’s domestic theatrical sales operations nationwide. A 20-year Paramount veteran, Valera rose through the ranks after previous roles at DreamWorks and Miramax, bringing considerable experience in exhibitor relations, regional sales strategy and team leadership. Widely respected throughout the cinema community, she has long been active in industry philanthropy and mentorship, serving on the boards of the Will Rogers Motion Picture Pioneers Foundation and the Motion Picture Club, and as the founding president of Film Row, an initiative dedicated to cultivating the next generation of industry leaders. In 2024, Valera was honored with ShowEast’s Al Shapiro Distinguished Service Award, recognizing her longstanding commitment to giving back to the theatrical community.

Susan Cotliar

Vice President, Cinema Partnerships, The Walt Disney Studios

At The Walt Disney Studios, Susan Cotliar leads cinema partnerships, overseeing in-theatre marketing strategy across Disney’s theatrical slate in close collaboration with exhibition partners throughout North America. Her remit spans trailer placement, lobby and on-site marketing campaigns, and the coordination of in-cinema assets designed to support theatrical releases. Cotliar previously spent 27 years at Twentieth Century Fox, where she rose to Senior Vice President of In-Theatre Marketing before joining Disney following the studio’s acquisition of Fox. In addition to her studio responsibilities, she serves on the board of Variety of Southern California, reflecting her broader engagement with the industry community.

Patricia Gonzalez

EVP, In-Theatre Marketing, Paramount Pictures

Patricia Gonzalez continues to head up in-theatre marketing strategy for Paramount Pictures’ domestic theatrical releases, working closely with exhibition partners on everything from trailer placement and on-site activations to exhibitor-specific campaigns and theatrical fan events. In 2025, her team supported the cinema rollout of titles including “Mission: Impossible – The Final Reckoning” and “The Naked Gun,” continuing Paramount’s long-standing emphasis on exhibitor collaboration and theatrical visibility. Gonzalez has spent more than two decades at Paramount, following a decade leading in-theatre marketing services at DreamWorks. She is widely respected for her vast experience and exhibitor-first approach to studio marketing. She is a member of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences and serves on the board of Variety of Southern California.

Giselle Abbud

Managing Director, Diamond Films Latam & General Manager, Diamond Films México

Giselle Abbud is pulling double duty as both Managing Director of Diamond Films Latam, while also serving as General Manager of Diamond Films México, where she leads theatrical distribution, sales strategy and exhibitor relations across one of the region’s most competitive markets. With more than 20 years in film distribution, she has guided the release of over 300 films, spanning major international franchises and landmark local successes, including some of Mexico’s highest-grossing domestic titles. Abbud joined Diamond Films more than a decade ago after earlier roles in distribution at Universal Pictures. Earlier this year, she became a member of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences.

Amy Wood

Vice-President, Global Theatrical Distribution, Crunchyroll

Amy Wood has been kept busy over the past year leading global theatrical distribution and crafting international release strategies for Crunchyroll’s expanding slate of anime features. Based in Los Angeles, she manages distribution teams spanning North America, Europe and Australia, coordinating global rollouts for major releases including “Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba – The Movie: Infinity Castle” and “Chainsaw Man – The Movie: Reze Arc.” Prior to joining Crunchyroll, Wood spent a decade at Lionsgate overseeing international distribution, following on from roles on the exhibition side at Pacific and Arclight Theatres — experience that continues to inform her exhibitor-first approach to anime’s growing theatrical footprint.

Ann-Elizabeth Crotty

EVP, Global Customer Experience, Marketing, Sales & Operations Specialist, Sony Pictures Entertainment

In 2025, Ann-Elizabeth Crotty celebrated her 25th anniversary with Sony Pictures Entertainment, where she heads up the team that works with worldwide cinema operators, theatres and even streamers to market the studio’s movies. She has been in exhibitor relations since the late 1990s and has built a reputation as a hands-on leader with a thorough understanding of how studio priorities translate in theatrical settings. Over the course of her career, Crotty has overseen exhibitor-facing initiatives across numerous global releases, which in 2025 helped bring popular franchises back to movie theatres, including “Karate Kid: Legends,” “28 Years Later,” and “I Know What You Did Last Summer.”

Kezia Williams

Managing Director, UK & Ireland, Universal Pictures International

Kezia Williams heads Universal Pictures International’s operations in the UK and Ireland as Managing Director, overseeing theatrical distribution, marketing and day-to-day business across one of the studio’s key territories. She brings more than two decades of experience in film distribution and marketing, having previously held senior roles at Entertainment One, where she served as Managing Director of the UK film business. Williams is returning to Universal, having worked on the studio’s UK marketing team earlier in her career. She is also Chair of MediCinema and a voting member of BAFTA.

Karyn A. Temple

Senior Executive Vice President and Global General Counsel, Motion Picture Association

Karyn A. Temple plays a critical role in protecting the films that reach cinemas worldwide in her capacity as Senior Executive Vice President and Global General Counsel of the Motion Picture Association (MPA). She manages the organization’s global legal affairs and content protection efforts, working with governments, law enforcement agencies and industry partners to combat piracy and strengthen copyright enforcement. A leading authority on copyright law, Temple previously served as Register of Copyrights and Director of the U.S. Copyright Office for eight years and earlier held senior litigation roles at the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA), where she focused on anti-piracy enforcement. Her work continues to shape the legal framework supporting the global theatrical ecosystem.

Christine Eloy

Managing Director, Europa Distribution

Christine Eloy has spent more than a decade representing the interests of independent European distributors as Managing Director of Europa Distribution, the association of independent film distributors founded in 2006. Under her leadership, the network has grown to include around 130 leading distributors across 32 countries in Europe and beyond, serving as both a professional network and a think tank dedicated to strengthening the circulation of independent and non-national European cinema. Eloy steers Europa Distribution’s activities spanning training, knowledge exchange, advocacy and peer-to-peer collaboration, helping members navigate shared challenges around audience development, marketing innovation and policy engagement while reinforcing the sector’s role in cultural diversity and independent theatrical distribution.

Arianna Bocco

Head of Global Distribution, MUBI

Arianna Bocco was hired this year by MUBI to help build the company’s global distribution capabilities. She is responsible for MUBI’s international theatrical strategy as it continues to expand its footprint as both a distributor and a global streaming platform. She joined MUBI following a 16-year tenure at IFC Films, where she rose to the role of president and helped shape the company’s reputation for filmmaker-driven independent cinema. Throughout her career, Bocco has been involved in the release and positioning of a wide range of acclaimed titles, bringing her crucial experience in acquisitions, international rollout and specialty distribution to her new role. Prior to IFC Films, she held senior positions at Miramax Films and the Gersh Agency, and began her career at New Line Cinema and Fine Line Features. Bocco is a member of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences and BAFTA, and previously served as Chair of BAFTA New York.

Silvia Cruz

CEO, Vitrine Filmes

Silvia Cruz is the founder and CEO of Vitrine Filmes, the Brazilian distribution company she launched in 2010 with a mission to bring local and international arthouse cinema to audiences nationwide. Under her leadership, Vitrine has distributed more than 150 titles and established itself as a key platform for contemporary Brazilian auteurs, including films by Kleber Mendonça Filho such as “Aquarius,” “Bacurau,” and the upcoming “The Secret Agent,” which is currently part of the international awards conversation. Since expanding operations to Spain in 2019, Cruz has overseen Vitrine’s activities across both territories, balancing prestigious cinema with audience-building initiatives that strengthen the independent theatrical ecosystem.

A former executive at Pandora Filmes, Europa Filmes and Coração da Selva, she is widely regarded for her close collaborations with filmmakers and her role in amplifying Brazilian cinema on the global stage, as Vitrine marks its 15th anniversary in 2025.

Anna Chettle

Managing Director, International, A24

A24 continues to be an indie darling of the cinema business, releasing hits like “The Materialists” and “Warfare” over the past year. Playing a pivotal role in the company’s continued expansion beyond North America, Anna Chettle oversees A24’s international sales and distribution operations. Based in London, she leads A24’s international strategy across multiple territories as the studio increasingly handles global releases directly rather than relying solely on local partners. Chettle joined A24 after five years at Hanway Films.

Ariane Toscan du Plantier

Director of French and International Cinema Distribution, Gaumont

Ariane Toscan du Plantier oversees French and international cinema distribution at Gaumont, managing the studio’s theatrical releases in France and across international markets. A veteran with nearly three decades at the company, she leads a distribution team of more than 30. In addition to her studio responsibilities, Toscan du Plantier plays an active role in France’s broader film ecosystem as vice-president of the Association for the Promotion of Cinema (APC), the body overseeing the César Awards, demonstrating her long-standing influence on France’s national film culture.

Katarina Nyman

Country Manager & Director of Film Distribution, Nordisk Film, Finland

Katarina Nyman is Country Manager and Director of Film Distribution for Nordisk Film in Finland, where she has spent more than two decades overseeing the theatrical release of both local and international titles. A strong advocate for Finnish cinema, she has played a central role in positioning Nordisk Film as a leading force in the domestic market, including the release of major local successes such as “Sisu.”

Beyond her studio responsibilities, Nyman is President of the Finnish Chamber of Films and is active in industry development, including currently serving as a mentor in the UNIC Women’s Cinema Leadership Programme, reflecting her commitment to strengthening both the national film sector and the next generation of industry leaders.

Eve Gabereau

Director of Distribution, Vue Lumière

Eve Gabereau leads distribution at Vue Lumière, the newly launched film distribution arm of international cinema chain Vue, where she is responsible for shaping the company’s theatrical strategy and release model. Appointed at the beginning of this year to establish and run the division, Gabereau brings substantial experience from the independent sector, having founded and led Modern Films and, before that, co-founded Soda Pictures, where she handled hundreds of acclaimed international and arthouse titles.

Known for championing world cinema and filmmaker-driven releases, she has built a career spanning distribution, production and strategic partnerships, positioning her to bridge exhibition and distribution as Vue Lumière expands its presence in the theatrical marketplace.

Sarah Timlick

Head of Theatrical Distribution, Canada, Amazon MGM Studios

Sarah Timlick began a new role at Amazon MGM Studios in 2025, where she now oversees the company’s theatrical distribution in Canada. Her new position follows more than a decade in Canadian distribution, most recently as Head of Theatrical Distribution at Elevation Pictures, where she managed the release of a wide range of high-profile independent and awards-driven titles. Timlick began her career at Alliance Films and is widely regarded as a leading voice in the Canadian distribution community, serving on the boards of the Canadian Association of Film Distributors and Exporters (CAFDE) and Canadian Picture Pioneers, and as the youngest executive to be elected Chair of the Ontario Film Authority Board of Directors.

Ladun Awobokun

Chief Content Officer, FilmOne Entertainment

Ladun Awobokun is Chief Content Officer at FilmOne Entertainment, where she is in charge of content strategy across distribution, acquisitions, licensing and studio relations throughout West Africa. Promoted to the role in 2024, she oversees the curation and release of both Hollywood studio titles and Nollywood films, while also guiding FilmOne’s approach to cinema, streaming and ancillary platforms as the regional market continues to evolve. Awobokun has been a central figure in advancing greater transparency and standardization within the West African film industry, including playing a key role in the adoption of Comscore across the region. With experience spanning finance, marketing and film distribution, she is widely regarded as one of the leading strategic voices shaping the future of Nollywood and theatrical exhibition in English-speaking West Africa.

Elba McAllister

CEO, Cineplex (Colombia)

Elba McAllister is the co-founder and CEO of Cineplex, the Colombia-based independent distribution company she launched in 1993, which has since grown into a key platform for arthouse and independent cinema across Latin America. Over more than three decades, McAllister has overseen the distribution of over 500 films across theatrical, home entertainment and television windows. Under her leadership, Cineplex has developed tailored distribution strategies spanning festivals, cinemas, OTT platforms and television, releasing an average of 20-25 films per year across multiple territories.

In addition to distribution, McAllister represents Colombian films for international sales, helping bridge Latin American cinema with audiences worldwide.

Erika Lewington

Marketing Director, Universal Pictures UK & Ireland

As Marketing Director for Universal Pictures UK & Ireland, Erika Lewington shapes the theatrical campaigns across the studio’s releases in the territory. She brings more than 20 years of experience in film marketing, having previously held senior roles at Sony Pictures and The Walt Disney Company before joining Universal, where she is now in her ninth year. Throughout her career, Lewington has worked on many of the industry’s most recognizable franchises, including James Bond, “Despicable Me,” “Star Wars,” “Jurassic World” and Marvel titles. Most recently, she oversaw the UK and Ireland campaigns for “Bridget Jones: Mad About the Boy” and “Wicked,” both of which delivered record-breaking results.

Camila Pacheco

Executive Marketing Director, Sony Pictures Entertainment

Drawing on more than two decades in theatrical campaigns, Camila Pacheco shapes Sony Pictures Entertainment’s release strategies across Brazil and Latin America, overseeing promotion for the studio’s regional slate. She joined Sony in 2019 after more than a decade at 20th Century Fox, where she served as Marketing Director in Brazil and led major studio campaigns across multiple platforms and territories.

In recent years, Pacheco has been closely associated with some of Sony’s most high-profile releases in the region, including the Brazilian title “Ainda Estou Aqui” (“I’m Still Here”), which went on to receive Academy Award recognition, as well as a wide range of global studio films.

Isabella Okechukwu

General Manager, Silverbird Film Distribution

At Silverbird Film Distribution, Isabella Okechukwu oversees the company’s theatrical distribution operations across West Africa, guiding film acquisitions, studio relationships and market expansion in one of the region’s fastest-growing cinema territories. With more than a decade of experience spanning distribution and exhibition, she has played a key role in strengthening Silverbird’s partnerships with Hollywood studios such as Universal Pictures and Paramount Pictures while expanding the company’s footprint across Nigeria, Ghana and Liberia. Okechukwu began her career with Silverbird Cinemas, rising through operational leadership roles before transitioning into distribution, where she has been closely involved in bringing both global studio releases and locally produced films to market.

Shannah Miller

Vice President, Marketing, Fathom Entertainment

Shannah Miller manages marketing and communications at Fathom Entertainment, positioning one of the world’s leading specialty distributors of theatrical event content. Since joining the company in 2021, she has guided campaigns for roughly 100 event cinema titles each year, reaching thousands of screens across a global exhibition network, while working closely with studios, content partners and exhibitors.

Miller played a central role in the company’s January 2025 rebrand from Fathom Events to Fathom Entertainment and has helped build strategic partnerships with organizations including Fandango, IMAX, Walmart and Xbox. Prior to Fathom, she held senior leadership roles at Atom Tickets and began her career in the music industry, serving as a senior executive across several Sony Music labels.

Pia Grünler

Head of Nordic Theatrical Distribution, SF Studios

With more than 25 years of experience in Swedish film distribution, Pia Grünler oversees SF Studios’ theatrical business across the Nordic region, with responsibility for both strategy and team leadership. Appointed Nordic Head of Theatrical Distribution in 2023, she directs the release of SF Studios’ own productions alongside local-language titles from leading independent producers, as well as major international films through long-standing studio partnerships, including Sony Pictures and MGM. Grünler joined SF Studios in 2016 after holding senior roles across sales and marketing at Nordisk, and is widely regarded for her extensive market knowledge and ability to navigate a rapidly evolving theatrical landscape.

Danielle Bonatto

Sales Director, Brazil, Sony Pictures Entertainment

Danielle Bonatto has more than 15 years of experience in theatrical distribution and sales, and currently leads Sony Pictures Entertainment’s sales operations in Brazil. She joined the studio in 2019 and was promoted to Sales Director after serving in regional distribution roles across Latin America. Bonatto’s career includes senior positions at Warner Bros. Pictures, Diamond Films and Universal Pictures, with experience spanning major franchises such as “Harry Potter,” “Fast & Furious,” “Despicable Me,” and “Spider-Man.” Over the past year, Bonatto participated in the release of Sony’s 2025 Academy Award-winning title “Ainda Estou Aqui” (“I’m Still Here”), as well as the anime hit “Demon Slayer: Castle Infinity.”

Shelley Schulz

Vice President, Theatrical Sales, Angel Studios

Shelley Schulz heads up theatrical sales at Angel Studios, where she manages release strategies and exhibitor partnerships for the studio’s growing slate. Her career began in exhibition at AMC Theatres before she became an independent sales and theatrical distribution consultant, experience that has given her a strong understanding of the needs and dynamics on both sides of the distribution equation. Since joining Angel Studios, Schulz has risen through the ranks, helping guide the theatrical launches of titles such as “His Only Son,” “Sound of Freedom,” and “David,” while building trusted relationships with exhibitors nationwide.

Natalie Ralph

Director of Distribution, Europe, MUBI

Natalie Ralph has been a key figure in building MUBI’s European theatrical presence since joining the company in 2021, helping shape its international cinema strategy as the streamer-turned-distributor expanded into wider theatrical releases. Her background spans roles at the BFI and Soda Pictures, followed by six years with StudioCanal UK, where she worked on major campaigns including “Paddington 2,” “Manchester by the Sea” and “Room.” At MUBI, Ralph has overseen the rollout of a growing slate of arthouse titles, contributing to box office successes such as “The Worst Person in the World,” “Aftersun,” and “The Substance,” reinforcing the company’s commitment to cinema-first distribution across Europe.

Michelle Maddalena

Global Content and Industry Relations, Dolby Laboratories

Kymberli Frueh

EVP, Content Acquisitions and Programming, Trafalgar Releasing

Kymberli Frueh oversees content acquisitions and programming at Trafalgar Releasing, where she was elevated to Executive Vice President following a record-breaking year for the global event cinema distributor. In her role, she leads relationships with artists, producers and rights holders across a wide range of event content, spanning music, film, faith-based programming and specialty releases. Frueh has been central to the expansion of Trafalgar’s slate, which has grown to its largest-ever lineup, building on a track record that includes high-profile concert films and live cinema events alongside theatrical presentations of cultural programming. Prior to joining Trafalgar, she spent a decade leading programming at Fathom Events, helping establish event cinema as a significant and sustainable part of the global theatrical marketplace.

Cristina Batlle

Head of Theatrical Distribution, Studio TF1

Cristina Batlle has been tapped to build and lead the theatrical distribution division at Studio TF1 as the Paris-based media group expands its cinema ambitions. Joining from Warner Bros. Discovery where she most recently served as Executive Director of Theatrical Distribution in France, Batlle brings extensive experience across sales and distribution leadership roles, including extended tenures at Warner Bros. France, Studiocanal and TF1 International. In her new role, she is tasked with establishing Studio TF1’s in-house theatrical operation, including assembling a dedicated team, as the company prepares to distribute its own film productions in France beginning in 2026. Her appointment is seen as a cornerstone move as Studio TF1 accelerates plans to significantly scale its film output over the coming years.

Nicole Weis

Head of Theatrical Sales, IFC

Heading up theatrical sales for IFC, Nicole Weis has been instrumental in shaping release strategies across the company’s labels, including IFC Films, RLJE Films and Shudder. Since joining the company in 2023, she has helped drive some of IFC’s strongest recent domestic performances, particularly with independent genre titles such as “Late Night With the Devil,” “In a Violent Nature,” and “Good Boy,” through flexible, exhibitor-focused booking approaches.

Prior to IFC, Weis spent four years at A24 as Vice President of Sales and Distribution, contributing to the theatrical success of films including “Everything Everywhere All at Once,” “Midsommar,” “Minari” and “The Whale.” She began her career at Universal Pictures, where she spent seven years rising through the distribution ranks, experience that continues to inform her pragmatic, data-driven approach to theatrical sales.

Amanda Rufener

Vice President, Account Executive, PaperAirplane Media

Amanda Rufener plays a central role at PaperAirplane Media, working closely with studios, distributors and exhibitors to support in-theatre marketing campaigns across North America and select international markets. In her role, she helps shape and execute theatrical marketing strategies ranging from digital asset creation to coordinated exhibitor programs with national, regional and independent cinema partners. Rufener has also been deeply involved in the development of PaperAirplane’s group sales management platform, The Tower, which has become a key tool for exhibitors and distributors running large-scale group sales initiatives. Prior to joining PaperAirplane, she spent more than a decade at Lionsgate as Vice President of Exhibitor Relations, where she collaborated on in-theatre campaigns for over 190 theatrical releases, including franchises such as “The Hunger Games” and “John Wick,” as well as films like “La La Land” and “Knives Out.”

Odessa Stafford

Senior Manager, Film Distribution, EMEA, IMAX

Odessa Stafford manages film distribution for IMAX across the EMEA region, coordinating releases and partnerships across more than 50 markets and a network that continues to expand. With over 15 years of experience in theatrical distribution, she works closely with major Hollywood studios, regional sub-distributors and exhibitors to deliver IMAX presentations of global blockbusters, local-language films, event cinema and alternative content. Stafford joined IMAX in 2020 and has steadily expanded her remit, following earlier roles at Paramount Pictures and Twentieth Century Fox in Ireland, where she built a strong foundation in exhibition relations, booking strategy and campaign execution. Widely respected for her market knowledge and operational fluency, she plays a key role in aligning IMAX’s premium-format strategy with the realities of diverse theatrical markets across Europe, the Middle East and Africa.

Katrin Mathe-Cotillon

Senior Manager of Theatrical Marketing EMEA, Crunchyroll

Katrin Mathe-Cotillon shapes theatrical marketing strategy for Crunchyroll across EMEA, guiding the regional rollout of anime feature films in more than 80 territories. With over 13 years of experience spanning theatrical and event cinema, she oversees integrated campaigns that combine creative positioning, partnerships and audience-driven activations to expand anime’s footprint on the big screen. Most recently, Mathe-Cotillon led EMEA campaigns for titles including “Demon Slayer: Infinity Castle” and “Jujutsu Kaisen,” delivering event-led releases that reinforced anime’s growing cultural and commercial impact across the region. Her earlier career includes senior roles at Kinepolis Group and CGR Events. Mathe-Cotillon is also a participant in this year’s UNIC Women’s Cinema Leadership Programme.

The post CJ’s Top Women In Global Distribution – 2025 appeared first on Celluloid Junkie.

With the story fully developed, Thurman joined the project to play The Bride, while the supporting cast was rounded out by Daryl Hannah, Lucy Liu, Vivica A. Fox, Michael Madsen and David Carradine as the film’s namesake (Warren Beatty was famously courted for the role originally but declined it). Production was delayed when Thurman became pregnant with her second child, however re-casting the role was out of the question for Tarantino.

Once filming commenced in June 2002, it wasn’t until “Kill Bill” entered the editing phase that the producers suggested that Tarantino split the film into two, as it became clear the runtime was heading towards the four-hours plus mark. Understandably, Miramax was nervous about the box office fate of releasing such a lengthy, hyper-violent, exploitation, martial-arts picture.

Tarantino agreed to the split, primarily because doing so would save him from having to make any major cuts to the film, including keeping the revolutionary anime sequence at the film’s centre. With some additional edits mandated by the Motion Picture Association of America (MPAA), he maneuvered their requests by transitioning one of the standout battle scenes to black and white, thereby diluting the impact of some of the bloodier, gorier images, satiating the MPAA in the process.

The Cannes Cut
After their release, both “Vol. I” and “Vol. II” would each go on to be critically acclaimed box office hits, grossing over USD $181 million and $152 million worldwide, respectively. Then, a couple of years later in 2006, Tarantino returned to his original idea and premiered “Kill Bill: The Whole Bloody Affair” as one film at the Cannes Film Festival, albeit with some minor editorial changes necessitated by the new flow of the picture (for example, Vol. I’s cliffhanger when it’s revealed that The Bride’s child is still alive was removed, and that revelation is saved for the third act).

Shifting this major plot point to the climax of the film drives home the emotional impact for the audience as we learn of the child’s fate at the same time as The Bride, adding fuel to her fire as she now realizes the stakes have been raised.

Following this showing, Tarantino would screen the film for the public occasionally on a very limited basis, most frequently in Los Angeles at the New Beverly Cinema (which he owns). More recently, the film enjoyed a very successful run during September 2025, at the Vista Theater in Los Angeles (which he also now owns).

The Long Journey to the Present Day Release
Finally and most recently, it was formally announced on 1 October that Lionsgate would release “Kill Bill: The Whole Bloody Affair” in theatres across the United States on 5 December 2025. A new trailer and teaser poster accompanied the announcement, as well as an additional payoff one-sheet and multiple motion posters, but otherwise the marketing campaign has largely relied on word-of-mouth and fan enthusiasm.

This approach has worked, as internet chatter successfully ramped up anticipation and, of particular interest, new to this release is an additional eight-minute anime sequence. Tarantino has stated that he originally wanted to include the sequence in the 2003 / 2004 release, but it could not be completed in time, nor was there budget for it, which was fortunately not the case this time around.

In fact, the newly animated scene is considered to be a “lost” chapter to the film and plays following the end credits. In the scene, Yuki, the twin sister of school girl assassin Gogo, seeks revenge on The Bride for killing her sister during the battle of The House of Blue Leaves. While the scene does not dramatically alter the story’s overall arc, it enriches the O-Ren Ishii subplot. It also premiered separately within the video game Fortnite, introducing the scene to a younger audience.Along with a planned 15-minute intermission, this definitive version of the film carries a runtime of 4 hours and 35 minutes, making it approximately 27 minutes longer than the “Cannes cut” that first premiered in 2006. The cherry on top for cinephiles is that the film is being screened in 70mm, as well as 35mm, at select locations. 

Released in roughly 1000 US movie theatres – and internationally – this weekend (December 6-7), “Kill Bill: The Whole Bloody Affair” debuted on Rotten Tomatoes with a rare 100% rating from both critics and moviegoers.

Box office business has also been robust with the film earning USD $3.25 million with a per-screen average of USD $2800 on its opening weekend. These are impressive numbers, especially for a movie as long as this one. In a time when it’s often feast or famine for new releases in theaters, it’s always encouraging to see what could technically be considered a repertory title generating this level of ticket sales, illustrating the importance of the big screen theatrical event.

Tarantino’s Legacy and Future
“Kill Bill Vol. I” and “Vol. II,” and now “The Whole Bloody Affair,” were collectively marketed as “the fourth film by Quentin Tarantino,” with the filmmaker himself proclaiming on numerous occasions that his intentions are to formally retire from directing after his tenth feature. For those keeping score, he has directed nine thus far.

For Tarantino’s legacy, going back and reshaping those two films into the version he envisioned is a big win, not only for him but for other filmmakers as well. For anyone who ever had to compromise their vision to meet certain commercial criteria or couldn’t do all the things they wanted to do due to various constraints (budgetary or otherwise), the release of “The Whole Bloody Affair” marks an inspirational example of what is possible and shows Tarantino’s own long-term commitment to artistic control and, indeed, self-revision. Directors’ cuts may not be anything new but what Tarantino has done with “Kill Bill” represents a unique achievement.

While waiting patiently for his next – and supposedly final – film, we can relish this opportunity to revisit his magnum opus as never before and as a full expression of one of his most iconic creations. “Kill Bill: The Whole Bloody Affair” shows just how loyally audiences will champion a director’s vision, at a time when commerciality is often prioritized over artistic creativity.

The post “Kill Bill: The Whole Bloody Affair”: The Long Journey to the Big Screen appeared first on Celluloid Junkie.

One of the most anticipated of those conversations took place on 22 November at the Kala Academy. Filmmaker and IFFI festival director Shekhar Kapur sat opposite Berlinale head Tricia Tuttle for a candid, often provocative exchange on storytelling, technology and how festivals and exhibitors might survive the next decade.

AI’s Disruption Cycle
Kapur began by placing AI within a familiar cycle of disruption. Resistance to digital once felt existential, he reminded the audience, yet “we never had reality. It was the film look, and we loved it. Now we’ve got AI and it will very soon go into an art form, like digital did.”

His most striking claim was financial. According to Kapur, AI will collapse production budgets to an extent that could change who gets to make films in the first place. “A film that cost $300 million will now cost $3 million. And if you do it in AI, it’ll probably cost half a million or even less. It’s so democratic right now.”

The argument is compelling — but also incomplete. Yes, cheaper tools widen the entry point. Yet the industry has barely begun to address what that democratization means for the thousands of artists, VFX workers and craftspeople whose jobs rely on the very processes AI seeks to streamline. It’s a paradox that hovered over the panel but never quite landed: the technology that opens a door for some may close it for many others.

Tuttle shared Kapur’s sense of possibility while injecting a dose of curatorial realism. Lower barriers to entry do not automatically yield better films. “It doesn’t mean all of a sudden that we’re going to get 2,000 better films,” she said. “The tools are not what make a film good. It’s the ideas, the craftsmanship.”

Her vantage point is particularly revealing. “At the Berlinale, we see 8,000 submissions and we choose 200 films… We see a lot of very bad films.” With AI accelerating output, she warned, festival programmers could soon face an incoming wave that overwhelms even the most resilient selection teams. In such an environment, the role of critics — and increasingly, influencers and platform algorithms — may become crucial filters in a landscape overflowing with content.

Kapur later summed up his wariness of AI-polished perfection with a line that became the evening’s unofficial refrain: “Imperfect is beautiful. Perfect is very boring.” For him, the value of storytelling still lies in intuition, risk and what he called “the thrill of failure,” qualities he believes AI cannot replicate.

Kapur’s AI Project: “Warlord”
To illustrate the creative upside of AI, Kapur spoke about “Warlord,” an AI-generated series he has nurtured for a decade but only recently found a way to complete. “It took me 10 years to write that story,” he said, “but it took 10 days to put it together with AI tools.” Its jellyfish-inspired, self-healing spaceships became his shorthand for how fast world-building can evolve.

More radical still was his plan to release the project as open source. “You can take my story, my images and use them — create your own story out of it, adapt it. Could this become a seed that creates a rainforest?”

It’s a utopian sentiment, but also one that exposes an enormous blind spot. In a global environment where copyright laws are inconsistent and often unenforceable, open-sourcing a major cinematic property essentially means abandoning traditional notions of ownership. The legal and economic implications for filmmakers — especially those who rely on IP to sustain their careers — remain practically uncharted territory.

Kapur’s ambivalence about where such work might ultimately live — Netflix, Amazon, or an as-yet-unimagined AI-native platform — echoed a prediction heard elsewhere at Goa. Cannes Next head Sten-Kristian Saluveer suggested that AI will dominate not just high-concept experiments but also low-end, fast-turnover formats: commercials, shorts, previsualizations and even office romances and melodramas. The explosive rise of microdramas across Asia, some made for as little as USD $50–60k, signals how quickly that shift is already underway.

Exhibition’s Structural Limits
When talk turned to exhibition, Kapur highlighted India’s long-standing screen shortage. “Here, we only have 7,000–8,000 working screens. China has 90,000… The exhibition problem is real estate.” His conclusion was simple: without investment in distribution and bricks-and-mortar sites, no amount of AI-powered storytelling will reach its audience.

Tuttle, speaking from a European auteur-festival perspective, echoed the concern. Too few screens for risk-taking cinema; too much pressure from bigger titles. She praised Mumbai’s Regal cinema on their recent initiative to reintroduce classics to rebuild communal viewing — a reminder that innovation sometimes means looking backwards as well as forwards.

Yet any ambitious exhibition strategy now hangs over a broader industry shockwave: Netflix’s pending acquisition of Warner Bros, a deal that — if approved — could reshape global windowing entirely. More moves of similar scale cannot be ruled out. For exhibitors already fighting to maintain margins, such consolidation introduces yet another variable in an already fragile ecosystem.

AI at Festivals
Asked how a festival like the Berlinale intends to handle AI-assisted work, Tuttle said there is currently no plan for separate programming strands. The festival has begun asking filmmakers whether AI was used in any part of a submission, an early attempt to map usage patterns.

But mapping alone feels like a temporary fix. The industry still lacks a workable definition of what constitutes an “AI film.” A feature with minor AI-generated previz sits on the same spectrum as a fully synthetic production, yet the two present vastly different regulatory, artistic and ethical questions. Without clearer categories, any future rules risk becoming unenforceable.

For Tuttle, the core challenge remains discovery. “How will we, in a content-flooded market, find good-quality storytelling?” she asked, a dilemma made sharper by the fact that attention today is increasingly finite. Platforms shape audience habits as much as they respond to them, often pushing shorter, more hyper-stimulated formats that may not resemble what most festivals would recognize as cinema.

Kapur added his own sobering statistic, noting that in the US, “90–92% of viewership is TikTok, gaming and YouTube.” Traditional cinema and television, in other words, now command only a sliver of the attention economy.

Likeness Rights and Ethics
The session concluded with questions about personality rights and AI-resurrected actors. Kapur said many performers are already taking legal precautions. “Most of the actors I know are already dealing with lawyers and copyrighting themselves… and you should copyright yourself if you’re a star.”

Denmark has been an early mover in granting individuals copyright over their likeness, though how long such rights should last after death remains unsettled. Tuttle was clear about her own discomfort: “I love Paul Newman. I don’t want to see a Paul Newman film made with an AI version of Paul Newman.”

The ethical terrain here is vast. Resurrecting dead performers, making them speak or act without consent — even hypothetical consent via approval from a performer’s estate — touches on every fraught intersection of art, law and morality. AI-generated performers, entirely synthetic from the beginning, may sidestep some of these issues, but it’s unclear whether audiences would embrace them with the same affection they hold for human stars.

An Unresolved Future
For a conversation that ranged widely, optimism remained the prevailing mood. Yet some of AI’s most disruptive implications — labour displacement, enforceable copyright, content overload, and the structural weakness of global exhibition — were more acknowledged than interrogated. That may reflect the limits of a festival panel rather than a lack of interest, but the gaps were palpable.

Still, Kapur’s opening provocation lingered: cinema has weathered every major technological shift — from sound and colour to the jump from celluloid to digital. Each change brought panic and promise in equal measure. And history is equally clear that not every new tool rewrites the medium. Some innovations rise, shimmer briefly and vanish (NFTs, Odorama, and the many cycles of 3D among them).

Whether AI becomes another brief fashion or a fundamental redefinition of cinema is still impossible to say. For now, the debate continues — still imperfect, still searching, and perhaps, as Kapur insisted, beautiful precisely because of that.

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Cecil-Dennett has been with Trafalgar since 2014, starting as a production assistant when the company was formerly Picturehouse Entertainment, before working in various other roles. Last month, it was announced that she will now take up the role of director of production, following on from her previous role as head of production. Her new position ties in with “recognising what Trafalgar is doing,” she said, speaking to Celluloid Junkie over Zoom. “[It’s] not just taking finished films and taking them to market for distribution.” Instead, it’s about offering a more complete service, “which we’ve been doing already for a few films”.

Since her arrival at Trafalgar Releasing, Cecil-Dennett has seen a considerable escalation in audience appetite for live event cinema. Increasingly, the demand for seeing a live experience has been on the up, as anyone who scrambled for Oasis or Taylor Swift tickets on their recent tours can attest to. “There’s definitely a trend for people wanting real life experiences, because we live so much of our life online,” she reasoned. “People crave an in-person meeting. They crave actually seeing someone and making connections in certain ways.” 

Of course, this rise in demand has led to inflated ticket prices, especially with the advent of the controversial dynamic pricing tactic inflicted on concert-goers by companies like Ticketmaster. Certainly, Trafalgar Releasing’s mandate of bringing the same event to cinema audiences, for a much more pocket-friendly price, accounts at least in part for why the company has been so successful, especially with its global reach now seeing films distributed in 15,000 theatres in a staggering 132 countries.

“I think the next best thing to going to a concert is seeing it in the cinema,” Cecil-Dennett said. “And even for a play. I think sometimes, in some ways, it can be better, because we take a different lens or a different angle. You literally have the best seat in the house because you do have the screen director’s view and their storytelling through the film.” As she pointed out, the company is increasingly collaborating with creatives, as they did with the recent screening of “Macbeth,” in February of this year, starring David Tennant and Cush Jumbo, filmed live at London’s Donmar Warehouse during its run in 2023.

Speaking to those involved with the production, Cecil-Dennett wanted to go beyond simply filming a live theatre production with a standard multi-camera set-up. “With some of these monologues, it feels like the characters are trying to talk straight to the audience. Why not break the fourth wall and talk straight to the camera?” she explained. This resulted in moments of Tennant doing exactly that. “We’re changing the narrative, but that meant the cinema audience had the best experience.”

Precision, Deadlines and Heavy Metal
Beyond her creative input, Cecil-Dennett has built a firm reputation for no-nonsense organisational skills, and working with artists who are at the top of their game. Behind her in her office, hangs a framed t-shirt created by the team behind heavy metal band Metallica in her honour. One of several Metallica projects that Trafalgar Releasing has worked on, Cecil-Dennett collaborated with the band on a ‘listening party’ for the band’s eleventh studio album, “72 Seasons,” which was released in 2023. 

“It was one of the first that was done on that scale,” she explained. “And that was challenging, because the band had to release the music to us beforehand, which is unprecedented, because they were nervous about it leaking to audiences.” The project came with particularly strict deadlines, with each song accompanied by music videos that needed to be finalised. 

“I kept repeating when the deadlines were, and we were getting closer and closer to them. And the management team went to Metallica and said, ‘Look, we really need this.’ And they said, ‘Who is this voice of doom who keeps telling us that there’s these deadlines?’ So they came back to me and went, ‘Well, you’ve just been called the voice of doom.’” This affectionate nickname is now emblazoned on Cecil-Dennett’s personalised t-shirt that hangs behind her.

Nevertheless, the experience with Metallica on “72 Seasons” turned out to be an amazing one. “It was incredibly successful for everybody in lots of different ways. Commercially. Technically. The fans… everybody loved it.” Subsequently, the band trusted Trafalgar to handle a two-night live broadcast from the AT&T stadium in Arlington, Texas, in August 2023, as part of the M72 World Tour, where they played two career-spanning concerts with unique set-lists. 

A Complete Solution
That whole experience was typical of what Trafalgar is aiming to achieve now, offering artists and management teams a vertically integrated service. “We’re not inventing anything particularly new,” explained Trafalgar CEO, Marc Allenby, “but what we can do is offer any one part – or all – of that whole journey, from finance, from production, whether it’s live or a finished film, through to the cinema and the downstream, ultimately.”

With a wealth of experience, it’s hard not to imagine there being lots of takers, particularly for those not directly tapped into the cinema industry, said Allenby. “If your focus is music and you’re worried about touring and album sales and merchandise… how much headspace do you even have to apply to [the end-to-end process]? What we’re doing is demystifying that and offering a solution which people can choose to take or not. I think that applies to existing partners and lots of people we’ve worked with already, as well as new business.”

According to the CEO, the long-established relationships Trafalgar has carefully nurtured should lead to future projects where bands, artists, theatre impresarios and more trust the company to fully oversee the financing, recording and release of a live-to-cinema project. “I think Metallica, for example, speaks to that,” he added. “But there are others which are similar. We’ve done two Coldplay films, six Nick Cave films, and [the recent Memento Mori concert film with] Depeche Mode is our second film with them as well. By being a good partner, by doing the right things, you can build strong repeat business.”

The numbers are also stacking up, in particular with K-pop concerts. Back in 2023, Trafalgar released “BTS: Yet To Come,” a free show at Busan’s World Expo, which garnered USD $50 million+ around the world. Since then, there’s been collaborations with Japanese band Seventeen, and K-pop band BTS members, j-hope and Jin. Recently, the two-week cinematic event “BTS Movie Weeks” brought the band back into cinemas, a phenomenon that’s already hugely popular in Asian countries. “Every tour, every stop, is broadcast to cinemas, so there’s a real culture of going to see [recorded concerts] multiple times,” said Cecil-Dennett.

Trafalgar even collaborated on the juggernaut that was the Taylor Swift Eras tour, partnering with AMC Cinemas on what became the biggest concert movie of all time. “Our expertise from a global distribution perspective was called upon on that front,” said Allenby, who is understandably cautious when suggesting that Swift’s management team might return for the full package. “Taylor is a unique property, and the likelihood of that service being requested is probably quite slim, but for other artists, I think that’s exactly what we can do.” 

Broadway Challenges and Next Steps
Ironically, despite excellent connections in London’s West End “theatreland”, the company has yet to fully crack the American theatre scene. “Broadway has some commercially significant challenges. Both filming on Broadway and the structures around it are very, very challenging,” said Cecil-Dennett. Logistically, shooting Broadway shows isn’t easy, and then there’s the issue of union organisations. “There’s different unions for the staff in the buildings… there are different fees you have to pay. So commercially, it doesn’t necessarily stack up.”

That aside, Cecil-Dennett promises the company’s “ears are close to the ground about what’s happening,” whether that’s upcoming concerts or stage productions. While she refused to confirm if Trafalgar will be involved in the Radiohead business, with the band currently performing twenty dates across Europe – their first concerts in seven years that were hugely in demand – she added: “I would be surprised if Marc hasn’t already sent a text message [to his contacts] about that.” She also hints that plans are underway for forthcoming theatre shows. “Some things have been announced for 2026… we are in conversations with them about filming it already.”

With Trafalgar on the cusp of taking the business into a much broader sphere, Cecil-Dennett felt it’s a great moment for the company. “I think it’s an exciting time because we are saying that we’re open, and available to help assist people create content. We’ve always been there, but we’re showcasing that and saying, ‘Look at these ones we’ve done in the past. Look at these ones we’ll do in the future.’”

In particular, the ability to help productions that might be struggling financially is being seen as a major boon. “We were in conversations quite recently for something we’re shooting in two weeks,” she added. “There came a point where the original plan didn’t quite work out financially and they had to go spend their money somewhere else. And we stepped in and were like, ‘Well, we can make it happen.’ So that is really exciting, that we can look at stuff in that way. Just because financing gets pulled doesn’t necessarily mean it doesn’t go forward. We can fill that gap.” 

From voice of doom to voice of reason, you might say.

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For Saudi Arabia, which didn’t have public cinemas until 2018, tonight’s star-studded launch — attended by the likes of Juliette Binoche, Adrien Brody, Kirsten Dunst, Dakota Johnson, Queen Latifah, Uma Thurman and Vin Diesel, along with dozens of industry delegates flown in from around the world — was a reminder of how aggressively the Kingdom has moved to position itself as a cultural hub.

What emerged on the opening night of this year’s RSIFF was a mix of earnest state-building, genuine cinephile enthusiasm, and one perfectly chaotic speech from a 92-year-old Michael Caine, who—knowingly or not—stole the show.

Presenting a Vision for Saudi Cinema
Jomana R. Alrashid, Chairwoman of the Red Sea Film Foundation, opened the ceremony with a speech that was equal parts welcome, manifesto, and victory lap for the festival’s rapid development and success.

Standing before the crowd, she described the Foundation’s original vision as “a home where storytellers from every culture and every language could find connection, support and a sense of purpose.”

• She underscored how much the organization has built in just five years:
• 330 films funded
• 81 films and 23 series developed through its labs
• 128 projects accelerated through its industry “souk”
• Thousands of creators supported
• And notably, seven Foundation-backed films chosen by their home countries as submissions to the Academy Awards.

Alrashid positioned the festival as an ecosystem as well as an event, stressing that while the global film industry faces streaming disruption and shifting audience habits, she urged attendees to “seize this as an opportunity to change perspectives… where stories rooted in our cultures, our histories and our imagination can reach audiences we could never reach before.”

Saudi’s moment is one of expansion, not contraction, she noted: “Talent can come from anywhere… stories can travel everywhere.”

Building on that foundation, Prince Badr bin Abdullah bin Farhan Al Saud, Saudi Arabia’s Minister of Culture, offered a wider cultural perspective, positioning RSIFF within the momentum of the Kingdom’s ongoing creative expansion. He framed the festival as part of a state-backed cultural renaissance that has unfolded since 2018, emphasizing culture as a “pillar in the kingdom’s future.”

He cited the Ministry’s efforts across heritage, music, culinary arts, visual arts and film to “reflect our identity and aspirations.” Culture, he said, is “one of the most powerful forces of influence globally, and cinema stands out as one of its most important pillars… a bridge that transcends language and geography, fostering understanding between peoples and bringing them closer.”

The Kingdom, wisely, is not afraid to acknowledge that events such as RSIFF also serve an important cultural-diplomacy role, even as they foster a rapidly expanding Saudi film industry.

Warmth and Wit: Binoche and Caine Light Up Opening Night
The evening’s theme — cinema as connection and aspiration — was echoed by French actress Juliette Binoche, one of the festival’s honorees. In a moment that brought the ceremony a shot of warmth and reflection, she spoke about her decades-long commitment to international, cross-cultural filmmaking:

“When you’re inspired as an actor, you can inspire a lot of people. And we need stories that elevate us in the world.”

Binoche noted that she had dreamed, as a young actress, of working with filmmakers from around the globe, and festivals like this one “open your heart even more… they give so much horizon to your mind.”

If Binoche provided the night’s emotional warmth, Michael Caine delivered its most unforgettable burst of humor. The 92-year-old screen legend took the stage with the sort of charmingly unfiltered, gently rambling speech only he could pull off.

“Good evening… My name is Michael Caine. Not my real name, but it’s the one that made all the money,” he began, instantly winning the room.

He traced his well-known origin story — growing up “a very poor, working-class cockney,” his five-decade marriage, and his love for his daughters and grandchildren. Then, with perfect timing, he added:

“I’m not multiple rich, but I got enough money for an evening out… or even an evening in.”

At one point he reassured the audience, “I’m not really worried about [the award]. I’ve won two Oscars — one in a Cockney accent and one with an American accent.”

Putting the jokes aside, Caine concluded on a surprisingly earnest note, saying he never imagined he would win anything in Saudi Arabia and thanking the festival for inviting him for the first time and for “one of the biggest lucky things” of his long career.

The audience adored him. It was the ceremony’s emotional center — authentic and deeply human.

Sean Baker on a Film Industry in Transition
After the laughter subsided, the tone shifted once more as jury president Sean Baker addressed the audience with a filmmaker’s view of an industry in flux — one that now spans Hollywood and the Middle East. Fresh off winning four Academy Awards for “Anora” earlier this year, Baker has been outspoken about the crisis facing U.S. theatrical exhibition and seemed genuinely struck by the contrast in Saudi Arabia.

“We are fighting to save screens in the US… and we are losing them rapidly,” he said. “In five years, hundreds of cinemas have opened here with 650 new screens. That makes Saudi the fastest-growing box office in the world.”

As someone whose personal life and artistic practice revolve around moviegoing, Baker framed Saudi’s rapid build-out as “exciting, inspirational and heartwarming.”

He also confessed to a fan moment, telling Binoche he had a giant “Lovers on the Bridge” poster on his living room wall, one he now hoped she would sign. Binoche suggested she could do so when they work together on a film — connections already being made before RSIFF even officially began.

Baker then introduced his competition jury, which includes Riz Ahmed, Naomie Harris, Olga Kurylenko, and actress-filmmaker Nadine Labaki, the latter credited with awarding “Anora” the Palme d’Or last year at Cannes.

A Dual-Purpose Film Festival
Baker’s remarks highlighted a theme that echoed throughout the evening: Saudi Arabia is building a film culture at remarkable speed — one that serves both local creators and international collaborators.

Indeed, what makes RSIFF unlike most major global film events is how openly it embodies a double mission:

1. Develop a local film industry from the ground up
2. Introduce international guests to aspects of Saudi culture that are often unfamiliar abroad

It appears to be succeeding at both. The festival’s funding structure — supported heavily by the government — and the presence of global stars are part of this effort. Yet the energy on the ground, especially among young Saudis, feels genuinely hungry for culture. With an average citizen age of 25 and more than 61% of nationals under 35, Saudi Arabia is racing to give its youth something to rally around.

Film, with its unique blend of glamour and accessible storytelling, has become a central piece of that puzzle.

The question for observers — and for the global industry partners the festival is actively courting — is how sustainable this rapid growth will be, and how authentically a film ecosystem can develop when built at such speed. But if opening night is any indication, the appetite, resources, and political will are aligned in a way that is rare in today’s film economy.

A Festival Growing Into Its Identity
The fifth edition of the festival features 111 films from more than 70 countries, including 38 directed by women — a statistic organizers highlighted as central to their curatorial mission.

The ceremony itself was polished but also personal, with a tone that swung from statecraft to cinephilia to Caine’s endearing stand-up routine. It was followed by the opening-night screening and Middle East premiere of “Giant,” a biopic from director Roan Athale about British-Yemeni featherweight boxing champion “Prince” Naseem Hamed, starring Egyptian-British actor Amir El-Masry and Pierce Brosnan.

Afterwards, as guests filtered out into Jeddah’s warm night, one could sense the festival’s ongoing transition into a cultural institution carving out its place in the global circuit.

For now, RSIFF remains both: a showcase of Saudi ambition and a gathering point for filmmakers seeking new opportunities at a moment when many established markets feel uncertain.

But on opening night, at least, the message was clear: Saudi Arabia wants to be taken seriously as a cinematic player — and it’s willing to invest, host, and celebrate at a scale that the global film community can no longer ignore.

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