Picturehouse Entertainment today unveiled an updated acquisitions team following the departure of its long-term head, Paul Ridd, who joined the Edinburgh Film Festival as director late last year.
Industry veteran James Brown has joined the company to head acquisitions strategy, a role that he will begin immediately on a consultant basis. He will work alongside Julia Trawinska, a former Picturehouse part-time staffer who has now taken on the full-time role of Acquisitions Manager.
Brown and Trawinska will report to Picturehouse Managing Director Clare Binns, who will continue to attend all major film festivals to lead the acquisitions team.
Brown previously held acquisition roles at a variety of independent distribution companies across the world, including Metrodome (UK/Ire), The Works (UK/Ire), Music Box (US), and Rialto (Aus/NZ). He will continue to work as a film producer, with his notable productions including the Academy Award winner Still Alice. His next film as a producer is Making Noise, which was launched for sales at Toronto by Embankment and is due to go into production in 2024 with Morfydd Clark in the lead role. Trawinska is an NFTS graduate who has been part of the Picturehouse Entertainment acquisitions team at recent festivals, including Cannes 2022, where the company acquired ten films, and joins the team from her recent full-time role at Fifth Season.
“I am thrilled to be joining Picturehouse Entertainment as it enjoys its strongest year yet at the UK box office, thanks to Clare’s leadership and the canny acquisitions of Paul Ridd who leaves very large shoes to fill with his departure,” said Brown.
Upcoming Picturehouse titles include Tran Anh Hung’s The Taste of Things, Hirokazu Kore-eda’s Monster, and Nuri Bilge Ceylan’s About Dry Grasses.
