Black Bear International Bolsters Leadership Team As Company Announces U.K. Distribution Plan

Melanie Goodfellow and Andreas Wiseman

4 August 2022 at 1:00 pm·2-min read

Top U.K. STX International executives Llewellyn Radley, Laura Austin Little, Jill Silfen and Mike Shanks have reunited with John Friedberg at new company Black Bear International, as it announces a U.K. distribution plan.

The announcement comes just days after news broke that STX was closing the London office it opened in 2017, in a development that was expected to impact at least a dozen members of staff.

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Friedberg exited as STX’s President of International after seven years in the job last May. He then went on to announced the creation of Black Bear International with Teddy Schwarzman during Cannes.

The arrival of his former STX colleagues has enabled Friedberg to set his international leadership team.

Radley joins as EVP, International and UK MD and will lead the launch of Black Bear’s direct distribution business in the UK, reporting to Friedberg.

The company will release 12-15 films per year, including Black Bear productions and international and UK acquisitions.

STX & Lionsgate In Talks For Strategic Partnership

Black Bear UK has already secured UK rights to two sought-after titles – Conclave, directed by Edward Berger and starring Ralph Fiennes, Stanley Tucci and John Lithgow, and Knox Goes Away, starring and directed by Michael Keaton.

Entering the UK direct distribution market strategically complements Black Bear’s Canadian distribution operation, Elevation Pictures, led by Laurie May and Noah Segal.

Little joins as EVP, International Sales and will oversee the sales and licensing of Black Bear International’s slate of titles. Before joining STX, Little held senior sales roles at Lakeshore Entertainment, Annapurna and Exclusive Media.

Silfen joins as General Counsel. Prior to STX, Silfen was EVP of Business Affairs at Miramax and ran her own private practice working for major studios and streamers, including A24, Amazon and Focus.

Shanks joins as COO of the international group, overseeing all aspects of finance and operations for the international and UK businesses. Prior to STX, Shanks held senior finance roles at companies including eOne and Sky.

‘I am absolutely thrilled to welcome Llewellyn, Laura, Jill and Mike to the Black Bear family. Over recent years, they have shown themselves to be an exceptionally diligent and capable group of executives,” said Friedberg.

“I look forward to building on our close working relationship as we establish Black Bear International as a force in the marketplace, and launch a dynamic new UK distribution business.’

Black Bear International is committed to the international sales and distribution of premium film and television, spearheading the international sales and distribution of Black Bear’s robust slate of projects, aggressively securing international and territorial-specific rights to critical and commercially driven content, and opportunistically producing and packaging projects to bolster Black Bear International’s slate.

The company is preparing for a busy Toronto, where the company will launch officially, both with new projects for international and acquiring films for the UK.

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