A-Company Filmed Entertainment

A Company Filmed Entertainment (commonly known as A Company) is an independent film and video content provider for Central and Eastern Europe,[1] CIS[clarification needed] and Vietnam.[2][3] A Company distributes theatrical, home entertainment and television productions as well as Video-On-Demand.

A Company Filmed Entertainment AG
Company typePublic
IndustryFilm industry, Film distribution, Film production
Founded2002, Berlin, Germany
FounderAlexander van Dülmen
Headquarters,
Websitewww.a-company-film.com

A Company does its own distribution in Russia[4] and Vietnam, and works through subsidiaries and distribution partners in several other countries. The company has a library of about 750 titles, including the Saw franchise, I, Frankenstein, Shutter Island, Cloud Atlas, The Little Prince,[5] Sin City: A Dame to Kill For, The King's Speech,[6] The Hurt Locker, and The Reader.

The company acquires film rights from independent studios, sales agents and production companies mainly in the US and Western Europe, and also carries local productions in its main operating areas.

History

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A Company Filmed Entertainment was founded by Alexander van Dülmen and five other shareholders in 2002 as A Company Consulting & Licensing. For many years A Company worked with local distributors in a number of countries. In 2008 it acquired a stake in Hungarian VOD-distributor Filmklik.[7]

A Company's subsidiary Filmproduktionsgesellschaft was founded in June 2009 by Alexander van Dülmen, and participates as co-producer in German and International productions. Soon after, A Company set up its own distribution business. At the end of 2009 Alexander Rodnyansky acquired a majority share.[8] In 2010 A Company acquired the majority share of Hungary's independent distributor Budapest Film, which since 2013 is operating under the name A Company Hungary. In 2011 EEAP Film Distribution CZ-SK was launched in Prague, to handle theatrical business in Czech Republic and Slovakia; the company's name was changed to A Company Czech in January 2014.

The main company was renamed A Company Filmed Entertainment in 2012 to reflect the expansion of the company.[9] It operated in conjunction with Alexander Rodnyansky's AR Films.[10]

In June 2012 a Russian distribution company, A Company Russia, was founded. They teamed up with 20th Century Fox to release Cloud Atlas in November 2012, generating about US$16 million box office.[11] This film was also the first title to be released through A-Company Vietnam, a joint-venture between A-Company Filmed Entertainment and Nhiem van Nguyen, the former General Director of the Coloa Studio.

The company's subsidiary licensing arm Eastern European Acquisition Pool GmbH (EEAP) was renamed in 2013 to A-Company Film Licensing International.

In 2014, Rodnyansky was the chairman and majority shareholder of A Company.[12] At that time, A-Company distribution companies were operating in Hungary, Czech Republic, Slovakia, Russia and Vietnam.

In 2015, after political instability in Ukraine and a financial downturn in Russia, the company became insolvent,[13] and went through a period of debt restructuring.[11] In 2016, A-Company was once more distributing films, including the comedy Kills on Wheels, which premiered at the Karlovy Vary International Film Festival.[14]

Film production

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A Company also produces content through A Company Filmproduktionsgesellschaft. The projects are intended for distribution in Central and Eastern Europe and CIS.

Production overview:

On-Demand

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Through A-Company On-Demand, A-Company has alliances with VOD players in the local markets, including Russia's Rostelecom. A-Company is also collaborating with iTunes, Google Play and Microsoft Xbox.

References

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  1. ^ "Cannes Film Festival: Producers To Watch". Deadline, by Nancy Tartaglione, May 17, 2012
  2. ^ "‘Jamaica Inn’ Off To Strong Start On BBC One; More". Deadline, by Nancy Tartaglione, April 22, 2014
  3. ^ "Cinema deal means Sky Atlantic misses out on Behind the Candelabra". TBI Vision, Stewart Clarke May 31, 2013
  4. ^ "Distributor pulls plug on Russian release of Hollywood film ‘Child 44’". Russia Beyond the Headlines, April 15, 2015 Sergei Sobolev, RBC daily, Yekaterina Surganov
  5. ^ "Ra mắt phim hoạt hình Hoàng tử bé tại Trung tâm Văn hóa Pháp". Nhân Dân 12/31/2015
  6. ^ "EEAP renamed A Company Film Licensing Intl.". Variety, January 7, 2013.
  7. ^ Roxborough, Scott (2008-07-03). "A Company, Filmklik.hu ink VOD deal". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved 2022-12-05.
  8. ^ "Russischer Filmemacher übernimmt Mehrheit an A Company". beta.blickpunktfilm.de. Retrieved 2022-12-05.
  9. ^ "Kai Kunnemann Named Managing Director of A Company's Berlin Production Operation". Hollywood Reporter. 3/6/2013 by Scott Roxborough
  10. ^ "Geyer Kosinski's Media Talent Group, Russia's AR Films Form $120 Million Film Fund for Six Features". Hollywood Reporter, 1/19/2012 by Borys Kit
  11. ^ a b "Germany's A Company Emerges From Insolvency". Hollywood Reporter, 12/7/2015 by Scott Roxborough
  12. ^ "Cannes, Berlin and Venice among 60 festivals showing solidarity with Ukrainian colleagues". ScreenDaily, 14 March 2014 | By Martin Blaney
  13. ^ "Russia 2015 in Review: 'Leviathan' Wins Golden Globe, 'Fifty Shades' Banned in Some Regions". Hollywood Reporter, 12/28/2015 by Nick Holdsworth, Vladimir Kozlov
  14. ^ "Oscars: Hungary Chooses 'Kills on Wheels' for Foreign-Language Category". Hollywood Reporter, 8/31/2016 by Nick Holdsworth
  15. ^ "Berlin: Mia Wasikowska's 'Madame Bovary' Sells in Key Foreign Markets (Exclusive)". Hollywood Reporter
  16. ^ "Global Showbiz Briefs: Warner Bros Germany Courts ‘Madame Bovary’; ‘Jamaica Inn’ Off To Strong Start On BBC One; More". Deadline, Nancy Tartaglione, April 22, 2014
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