Wild Bunch AG is a pan- European film distribution and international sales company, originally created in 1979 as Senator Film Verleih GmbH, which later became Senator Entertainment AG. The name Wild Bunch comes from the French company Wild Bunch S.A., created in 2002, which became a subsidiary of Senator Entertainment in February 2015. Senator Entertainment AG renamed itself Wild Bunch AG in July 2015. Wild Bunch has distributed and sold films such as ''

Land of the Dead ''Land of the Dead'' (also known as ''George A. Romero's Land of the Dead'') is a 2005 post-apocalyptic horror film written and directed by George A. Romero; the fourth of Romero's six '' Living Dead'' movies, it is preceded by ''Night of the Li ...

'' (2005), ''

Southland Tales ''Southland Tales'' is a 2006 American dystopian comedy thriller film written and directed by Richard Kelly. The film features an ensemble cast including Dwayne Johnson, Seann William Scott, Sarah Michelle Gellar, Mandy Moore, and Justin ...

'' (2006), ''

Cassandra's Dream ''Cassandra's Dream'' is a 2007 thriller drama film written and directed by Woody Allen. Filmed in the United Kingdom, it was released in 2007 in Europe and in January 2008 in the United States. It was developed as a British-French-American co-pr ...

'' (2007), ''

Vicky Cristina Barcelona ''Vicky Cristina Barcelona'' is a 2008 romantic comedy-drama film written and directed by Woody Allen. The film stars Javier Bardem, Penélope Cruz, Rebecca Hall and Scarlett Johansson in lead roles. The plot centers on two American women, Vick ...

'' (2008), '' Che'' (2008), ''

Whatever Works ''Whatever Works'' is a 2009 American comedy film directed and written by Woody Allen and starring Larry David, Evan Rachel Wood, Patricia Clarkson, Ed Begley Jr., Michael McKean, and Henry Cavill. It was released on June 19, 2009, received mi ...

'' (2009), ''

The King's Speech ''The King's Speech'' is a 2010 British historical drama film directed by Tom Hooper and written by David Seidler. Colin Firth plays the future King George VI who, to cope with a stammer, sees Lionel Logue, an Australian speech and language ...

'' (2010), '' The Artist'' (2011), ''

Titane ''Titane'' (, "Titanium") is a 2021 body horror drama film, drama film written and directed by Julia Ducournau. The French-Belgian co-production stars Agathe Rousselle in her feature film debut as Alexia, a woman who, after being injured in a ...

'' and '' Where Is Anne Frank'' (2021). Wild Bunch is also the international seller of

Studio Ghibli is a Japanese animation studio headquartered in Koganei, Tokyo."Studio Ghibli Collection - Madman Entertainment". ''Studio Ghibli Collection - Madman Entertainment''. Retrieved 2020-12-14. It is best known for its animated feature films, and h ...

's works and since September 2020, have taken over work from

Disney The Walt Disney Company, commonly known as Disney (), is an American multinational mass media and entertainment conglomerate headquartered at the Walt Disney Studios complex in Burbank, California. Disney was originally founded on October ...

to become Ghibli's theatrical, home media and television distributor in France.

History

Originally a division of

StudioCanal StudioCanal S.A.S. (formerly known as Le Studio Canal+, Canal Plus, Canal+ Distribution, Canal+ D.A., Canal+ Production, and Canal+ Image and also known as StudioCanal International) is a French film production and distribution company that owns ...

, Wild Bunch S.A. was established as an independent company in 2002 by former employees of StudioCanal. In 2011, Wild Bunch took a majority stake (by means of an equity purchase made through a cash injection) of the Spanish indie distributor Vértigo Films. In July 2014, the German film distributor Senator Entertainment and Wild Bunch announced their intention to join forces to launch an independent film distribution and production group. In February 2015, Senator Entertainment and Wild Bunch completed their merger. Senator Entertainment AG subsequently renamed themselves to Wild Bunch AG and will use Senator as a brand. In May 2015, Wild Bunch formed a

Los Angeles Los Angeles ( ; es, Los Ángeles, link=no , ), often referred to by its initials L.A., is the List of municipalities in California, largest city in the U.S. state, state of California and the List of United States cities by population, sec ...

-based company, Insiders, to handle international sales of independent films led by Vincent Maraval. In February 2016,

The Hollywood Reporter ''The Hollywood Reporter'' (''THR'') is an American digital and print magazine which focuses on the Hollywood film, television, and entertainment industries. It was founded in 1930 as a daily trade paper, and in 2010 switched to a weekly larg ...

confirmed that a stake in that outfit had been sold to Bliss Media, a Chinese film production and distribution company. In May 2016, Insiders and MadRiver Pictures joined forces to form an international sales joint venture, IMR international. On 24 July 2018, Wild Bunch received approval from the

Tribunal de commerce In France, the ''tribunal de commerce'' (plural ''tribunaux de commerce'', literally "commercial courts") are the oldest courts in the French judicial organization. They were created at the end of the Middle Ages. The commercial court has jur ...

to move ahead with their restructuring plans. At the beginning of July 2019, the company reorganized all of their international sales activities into a new division, Wild Bunch International. At the beginning of June 2021, they formed the genre-oriented label Wild West with fellow French studio Capricci, and 2 weeks later, announced a 50/50 animation-oriented sales partnership with French animation distributor Gebeka Films at the 62nd

Annecy International Animation Film Festival The Annecy International Animation Film Festival (french: Festival international du film d'animation d'Annecy, officially abbreviated in English as the Annecy Festival, or simply Annecy) was created in 1960 and takes place at the beginning of J ...

Activities

Wild Bunch is a film sales company and also a pan-European film distributor.

France

In France, Wild Bunch is a theatrical distributor and also a video distributor through its subsidiary Wild Side. Wild Bunch also positioned itself on the digital distribution market through its VoD/SVoD subsidiar
Filmo TV

Worldwide

Apart from its international sales activities, Wild Bunch is also a direct distributor in

Italy Italy ( it, Italia ), officially the Italian Republic, ) or the Republic of Italy, is a country in Southern Europe. It is located in the middle of the Mediterranean Sea, and its territory largely coincides with the homonymous geographical ...

Germany Germany,, officially the Federal Republic of Germany, is a country in Central Europe. It is the second most populous country in Europe after Russia, and the most populous member state of the European Union. Germany is situated betwe ...

Austria Austria, , bar, Östareich officially the Republic of Austria, is a country in the southern part of Central Europe, lying in the Eastern Alps. It is a federation of nine states, one of which is the capital, Vienna, the most populous ...

and

Spain , image_flag = Bandera de España.svg , image_coat = Escudo de España (mazonado).svg , national_motto = ''Plus ultra'' (Latin)(English: "Further Beyond") , national_anthem = (English: "Royal March") , i ...

Catalogue

Wild Bunch manages more than 1700 titles.

Major awards received by films distributed or sold by Wild Bunch

Academy Awards The Academy Awards, better known as the Oscars, are awards for artistic and technical merit for the American and international film industry. The awards are regarded by many as the most prestigious, significant awards in the entertainment ind ...

* '' The Artist'' by

Michel Hazanavicius Michel Hazanavicius ( lt, Hazanavičius; born 29 March 1967) is a French film director, screenwriter, editor, and producer. He is best known for his 2011 film, '' The Artist'', which won the Academy Award for Best Picture at the 84th Academy Aw ...

in 2012: Best Picture (

Thomas Langmann Thomas Langmann (born 24 May 1971) is a French film producer and actor, known for producing '' The Artist'' (2011), for which he received an Academy Award for Best Picture as producer in 2012. Career Langmann began his career as an actor in his ...

), Best Director (

), Best Actor (

Jean Dujardin Jean Edmond Dujardin (; born 19 June 1972) is a French actor and comedian. He began his career as a stand-up comedian in Paris before guest starring in comedic television programmes and films. He first came to prominence with the cult TV series ...

), Best Original Score (

Ludovic Bource Ludovic Bource (; born 19 August 1970 in Pontivy) is a French composer best known for his work in film scoring. He rose to international critical acclaim in 2011 for composing the Golden Globe- and Academy Award-winning score for '' The Artist' ...

), and Best Costume Design ( Mark Bridges) * ''

'' by

Tom Hooper Thomas George Hooper (born 5 October 1972)''Births, Marriages & Deaths Index of England & Wales, 1916–2005''. 5d: 2485. is a British-Australian filmmaker. Hooper began making short films as a teenager and had his first professional short, ...

in 2011: Best Picture (

Iain Canning Iain Canning is an English film and television producer best known for producing the film ''The King's Speech'' (2010), for which he won an Academy Award for Best Picture and the BAFTA award for Best Film and Best British Film, and for execut ...

Emile Sherman Emile Sherman is an Australian film and television producer best known for producing the film ''The King's Speech'' (2010), for which he won an Academy Award for Best Picture and the BAFTA award for Best Film and Best British Film, and for ex ...

, and Gareth Unwin), Best Director (

), Best Actor ( Colin Firth), and Best Original Screenplay (

David Seidler David Seidler (born 1937) is a British-American playwright and film and television writer. He is most known for writing the scripts for the stage version and screen version for the story ''The King's Speech''. For the film, he won the Academy ...

) * ''

Pan's Labyrinth ''Pan's Labyrinth'' ( es, El laberinto del fauno, lit=The Labyrinth of the Faun, links=no) is a 2006 dark fantasy horror film written, directed and co-produced by Guillermo del Toro. A Spanish-Mexican(78% Spanish production, 22% Mexican productio ...

'' by Guillermo del Toro in 2007: Best Art Direction and Best Cinematography * ''

March of the Penguins ''March of the Penguins'' (French ''La Marche de l'empereur'' ; ) is a 2005 French feature-length nature documentary directed and co-written by Luc Jacquet, and co-produced by Bonne Pioche and the National Geographic Society. The documentary dep ...

'' by

Luc Jacquet Luc Jacquet (born 5 December 1967) is a French film director and screenwriter. He wrote and directed the film ''March of the Penguins'', which won an Oscar for Best Documentary Feature in 2005 and received a nomination for the Writers Guild of ...

in 2006: Best Documentary * ''

Spirited Away is a 2001 Japanese animated fantasy film written and directed by Hayao Miyazaki, animated by Studio Ghibli for Tokuma Shoten, Nippon Television Network, Dentsu, Buena Vista Home Entertainment, Tohokushinsha Film, and Mitsubishi and distrib ...

'' by

Hayao Miyazaki is a Japanese animator, director, producer, screenwriter, author, and manga artist. A co-founder of Studio Ghibli, he has attained international acclaim as a masterful storyteller and creator of Japanese animated feature films, and is widel ...

in 2003: Best Animated Feature

Berlin International Film Festival The Berlin International Film Festival (german: Internationale Filmfestspiele Berlin), usually called the Berlinale (), is a major international film festival held annually in Berlin, Germany. Founded in 1951 and originally run in June, the fest ...

* '' Before, Now & Then'' by

Kamila Andini Kamila Andini (born 6 May 1986) is an Indonesian film director known for her critically acclaimed debut '' The Mirror Never Lies''. Biography Andini was born on 6 May 1986 and is the eldest daughter of filmmaker Garin Nugroho. Although uninterest ...

in 2022: Silver Bear for Outstanding Supporting Performance for

Laura Basuki Laura Basuki (born 9 January 1988) is an Indonesian model and actress of mixed Javanese, Chinese and Vietnamese descent. Early life Basuki was born in Berlin on 9 January 1988 to an Indonesian-Chinese dad and a Vietnamese mom. As a teenager ...

* ''

The Wayward Cloud ''The Wayward Cloud'' is a 2005 Taiwanese film directed by Tsai Ming-liang and starring Lee Kang-sheng and Chen Shiang-chyi. Plot There is a water shortage in Taiwan, and watermelons are abundant. Television programs teach various water-saving ...

'' by

Tsai Ming-liang Tsai Ming-liang (; born 27 October 1957) is a Malaysian-Taiwanese filmmaker. Tsai has written and directed 11 feature films, many short films, and television films. He is one of the most celebrated "Second New Wave" film directors of Taiwanese ...

in 2005: Silver Bear of Outstanding Artistic Achievement * ''

'' by

in 2002: Golden Bear

Cannes Film Festival The Cannes Festival (; french: link=no, Festival de Cannes), until 2003 called the International Film Festival (') and known in English as the Cannes Film Festival, is an annual film festival held in Cannes, France, which previews new films o ...

Jaco-Van-Dormael 66ème Festival de Venise (Mostra)

* ''

Shoplifters Shoplifting Shoplifting is the theft of goods from an open retail establishment, typically by concealing a store item on one's person, in pockets, under clothes or in a bag, and leaving the store without paying. With clothing, shoplifters ma ...

'' by

Hirokazu Kore-eda is a Japanese film director, producer, screenwriter, and editor. He began his career in television and has since directed more than a dozen feature films, including ''Nobody Knows'' (2004), '' Still Walking'' (2008), and '' After the Storm'' ( ...

in 2018: Palme d'Or * ''

I, Daniel Blake ''I, Daniel Blake'' is a 2016 drama film written by Paul Laverty and directed by Ken Loach. The film stars Dave Johns as Daniel Blake, a middle-aged man who is denied Employment and Support Allowance despite being declared unfit to work by his ...

'' by

Ken Loach Kenneth Charles Loach (born 17 June 1936) is a British film director and screenwriter. His socially critical directing style and socialist ideals are evident in his film treatment of social issues such as poverty ('' Poor Cow'', 1967), homelessn ...

in 2016: Palme d'Or * ''

Goodbye to Language ''Goodbye to Language'' (french: Adieu au Langage) is a 2014 French-Swiss 3D experimental narrative essay film written and directed by Jean-Luc Godard. It stars Héloïse Godet, Kamel Abdeli, Richard Chevallier, Zoé Bruneau, Jessica Erickson ...

'' by Jean-Luc Godard in 2014: Prix du Jury * '' Blue Is the Warmest Colour'' by Abdellatif Kechiche in 2013: Palme d'Or * '' The Angels' Share'' by Ken Loach in 2012: Prix du Jury * '' Beyond the Hills'' by

Cristian Mungiu Cristian Mungiu (; born 27 April 1968) is a Romanian filmmaker. He won the Palme d'Or at the 2007 Cannes Film Festival for his film ''4 Months, 3 Weeks and 2 Days'', which he wrote and directed. He has also won the awards for Best Screenplay an ...

in 2012: Best Screenplay and Best Actress for

Cristina Flutur Cristina Flutur is a Romanian film and theatre actress. In 2012 she made her debut in cinema, portraying the complex Alina Ringhis, main character in Cristian Mungiu's praised drama, Beyond the Hills. For her outstanding performance in this fil ...

Cosmina Stratan Cosmina Stratan (born 20 October 1984) is a Romanian film actress. She is best known for her performance as Voichița in Beyond the Hills. Selected filmography Awards * Best Actress Award at the 2012 Cannes Film Festival (with Cristina Flut ...

* ''

The Kid with a Bike ''The Kid with a Bike'' (french: link=no, Le gamin au vélo) is a 2011 drama film written and directed by the Belgian brothers Jean-Pierre and Luc Dardenne, starring Thomas Doret and Cécile de France. Set in Seraing, it tells the story of a 12 ...

'' by

Dardenne brothers Brothers Jean-Pierre Dardenne (; born 21 April 1951) and Luc Dardenne (born 10 March 1954), collectively referred to as the Dardenne brothers, are a Belgian filmmaking duo. They write, produce, and direct their films together. The Dardennes ...

in 2011: Grand Prix * '' The Artist'' by

in 2011: Best Actor for

* ''

Polisse ''Polisse'' (released at some film festivals as ''Poliss'', ) is a 2011 French crime drama film written, directed by and starring Maïwenn. It also stars Joeystarr, Karin Viard, Marina Foïs, Nicolas Duvauchelle, Emmanuelle Bercot and Riccard ...

'' by

Maïwenn Maïwenn Le Besco (; born 17 April 1976), known mononymously as Maïwenn, is a French actress and filmmaker. Early life Maïwenn Le Besco was born on 17 April 1976 in Les Lilas, Seine-Saint-Denis, the daughter of artist Catherine Belkhodja. ...

in 2011: Prix du Jury * '' Of Gods and Men'' by

Xavier Beauvois Xavier Beauvois (; born 20 March 1967) is a French actor, film director and screenwriter. Career His film ''Don't Forget You're Going to Die'' was entered into the 1995 Cannes Film Festival where it won the Jury Prize. His film '' Of Gods an ...

in 2010: Grand Prix du Jury * ''

4 Months, 3 Weeks and 2 Days ''4 Months, 3 Weeks and 2 Days'' ( ro, 4 luni, 3 săptămâni și 2 zile) is a 2007 Romanian art film written and directed by Cristian Mungiu and starring Anamaria Marinca, Laura Vasiliu, and Vlad Ivanov. The film is set in Communist Romania i ...

'' by

in 2007: Palme d'Or * '' Fahrenheit 9/11'' by Michael Moore in 2004: Palme d'Or * '' Old Boy'' by

Park Chan-wook Park Chan-wook ( ; born 23 August 1963) is a South Korean film director, screenwriter, producer, and former film critic. He is considered as one of the most prominent filmmakers of South Korean cinema as well as world cinema in 21st century. ...

in 2004: Grand Prix du Jury * ''

At Five in the Afternoon ''At Five in the Afternoon'' ( fa, پنج عصر, Panj é asr) is a 2003 film by Iranian writer-director Samira Makhmalbaf. It tells the story of an ambitious young woman trying to gain an education in Afghanistan after the defeat of the Taliban. ...

'' by

Samira Makhmalbaf Samira Makhmalbaf ( fa, سمیرا مخملباف, ''Samira Makhmalbaaf'') (born 15 February 1980) Filmography Awards and nominations * "Sutherland Trophy", London Film Festival (1998), UK. * "Special Mention, Official Jury", Locarno Fi ...

in 2003: Prix du jury * '' Chi-hwa-seon'' by

Im Kwon-taek Im Kwon-taek (born December 8, 1934) is one of South Korea's most renowned film directors. In an active and prolific career, his films have won many domestic and international film festival awards as well as considerable box-office success, and h ...

in 2002: Best Cinematography * ''

The Son's Room ''The Son's Room'' ( it, La stanza del figlio) is a 2001 Italian film directed, written and produced by Nanni Moretti. It depicts the psychological effects on a family and their life after the death of their son. It was filmed in and around the ci ...

'' by

Nanni Moretti Giovanni "Nanni" Moretti (; born 19 August 1953) is an Italian film director, producer, screenwriter, and actor. His films have won accolades including a Palme d'Or at the 2001 Cannes Film Festival for ''The Son's Room'', a Silver Bear at the ...

in 2001: Palme d'Or * ''

Blackboards ''Blackboards'' ( fa, تخته سیاه, ''Takhté siah'') is a 2000 Iranian film directed by Samira Makhmalbaf. It focuses on a group of Kurdish refugees after the chemical bombing of Halabja by Saddam Hussein's Iraq during the Iran–Iraq W ...

'' by

in 2000: Prix du Jury

Venice Film Festival The Venice Film Festival or Venice International Film Festival ( it, Mostra Internazionale d'Arte Cinematografica della Biennale di Venezia, "International Exhibition of Cinematographic Art of the Venice Biennale") is an annual film festival h ...

* '' Jackie'' by

Pablo Larraín Pablo Larraín Matte (; born 19 August 1976) is a Chilean filmmaker. He has directed nine feature films and co-directed one television series, including the Academy Award-nominated films '' No'' (2012), '' Neruda'' (2016), '' Jackie'' (2016) an ...

in 2016: Golden Osella and Best Screenplay Award * '' Mr. Nobody'' by

Jaco Van Dormael Jaco Van Dormael (born 9 February 1957) is a Belgian film director, screenwriter and playwright. His films especially focus on a respectful and sympathetic portrayal of people with mental and physical disabilities. Van Dormael spent his childho ...

in 2009: Golden Osella * '' The Wrestler'' by

Darren Aronofsky Darren Aronofsky (born February 12, 1969) is an American film director, producer, and screenwriter. His films are noted for their surrealistic, melodramatic, and sometimes disturbing elements, often in the form of psychological fiction. Arono ...

in 2008: Golden Lion * ''

Mary Mary may refer to: People * Mary (name), a feminine given name (includes a list of people with the name) Religious contexts * New Testament people named Mary, overview article linking to many of those below * Mary, mother of Jesus, also calle ...

'' by

Abel Ferrara Abel Ferrara (born July 19, 1951) is an American filmmaker, known for the provocative and often controversial content in his movies and his use of neo-noir imagery and gritty urban settings. A long-time independent filmmaker, some of his best kn ...

in 2005: Special Jury Prize * ''

The Magdalene Sisters ''The Magdalene Sisters'' is a 2002 drama film written and directed by Peter Mullan, about three teenage girls who were sent to Magdalene asylums (also known as 'Magdalene Laundries') homes for women who were labelled as "fallen" by their familie ...

'' by

Peter Mullan Peter Mullan (; born 2 November 1959) is a Scottish actor and filmmaker. He is best known for his role in Ken Loach's ''My Name Is Joe'' (1998), for which he won Best Actor Award at 1998 Cannes Film Festival, 2000's '' The Claim'' and all th ...

in 2002: Golden Lion

References

External links

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