Michael Wrenn and Arclight launch distribution company Greenlight Releasing
Film acquisitions veteran Michael Wrenn has founded a new film distribution company for the Australian market with Arclight’s Gary Hamilton and Victor Syrmis.
Greenlight Releasing has already got two local productions slated with an expected release schedule of six to eight local and international films a year.
Wrenn told Encore: “We’ll have other films to announce in the lead up to the Toronto International Film Festival. But probably no more than three Australian films a year. We don’t want to outstay our welcome with the exhibition community.”
Slated already is Ivan Sen’s new film Mystery Road, currently shooting in Queensland with Aaron Pederson, Ryan Kwanten, Hugo Weaving and Jack Thompson. Management of Doubt, a company formed by Sen, producer David Jowsey and Wrenn had been announced to distribute, but Greenlight will now become the physical distributor.
Also announced is the Sarah Spillane-directed Around the Block, a drama set in Sydney’s Redfern starring Christina Ricci and Hunter Lochard Page, as well as Jack Thompson.
Wrenn added: We’ll be staffing up and announcing further partnerships. It’s early days. There’s a line between indie films and the larger titles. But we’ll stay in indie-based, critic-led, well marketed films to distinct audiences.
Wrenn remains in a consulting role for Arclight Films, which he joined in May, but the two companies remain separate.
Wrenn said in a statement: “Our well established relationships with filmmakers and sellers will help underpin a slate of release titles giving the company a unique footing in the Australasian market and is a great point of departure for us. Greenlight releasing intends to be a mid level distributor releasing 6-8 films theatrically a year sourced from a range of relationships both locally and internationally.”
