Industry veterans, Dov Kornits and Lou Balletti have announced the launch of a new theatrical distributor operating in Australia. The company pitches itself as a one-stop shop straddling distribution and media promotion, and will begin operations with a Friday 13 December release of horror title “Wrinkles the Clown.”
Kornits is publisher of Australian film magazine and website FilmInk. He has also been head of theatrical for specialty distributor Umbrella Entertainment, and has consulted with distributors Label, Bonsai, Universal and Athabasca on local releases.
The company’s co-director Lou Balletti had her earlier career in exhibition, before becoming head of theatrical sales for distributor Hopscotch Films. In recent years she headed digital sales across Australia and New Zealand for Entertainment One, with responsibility for launching titles including “Peppa Pig,” “Vice,” “Green Book” and “The Walking Dead.”
The company’s 2020 release slate includes “Talking About Trees” (an audience winner at the Berlin and Istanbul festivals); contemporary Aussie comedy “Hot Mess”; Aussie noir, “Burning Kiss”; “Use Me,” documentarian Julian Shaw’s highly personal tale of sex, lies and money; Oscar-shortlisted animation “The Swallows Of Kabul”; chilling local thriller “Sweet River”; and Rosi Lourde’s “Romance On The Menu.”
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“The cinematic landscape has shifted radically in the last five years,” said Kornits. “With the mainstream popularity of streaming, the game hasn’t just changed, it’s almost completely different. But there’s something that hasn’t changed: people still love good quality content, and with Filmink Presents, we’re going to bring it to them where they are consuming this content.”