Focus Features International (FFI), Universal Pictures International (UPI) and German film production and distribution house UFA Cinema announced a new strategic partnership between the three companies which will see Universal Pictures International become the exclusive theatrical and home entertainment distributor for UFA Cinema productions in German-speaking territories. And, under a separate agreement, FFI will partner with UFA on key co-productions identified for the global marketplace. FFI will also have an option to handle international sales on selected UFA Cinema titles.
All UFA titles will be distributed theatrically by UPI in Germany, Austria and Switzerland, and on home video via Universal Pictures International Entertainment under the UFA Cinema label. A minimum of six to eight films per year is expected to flow through the deal over the next three years.
UFA Cinema’s CEO Thomas Peter Friedl says: “We are really looking forward to this new partnership with Universal Pictures. The German team has already created milestones in terms of the extensive bandwidth of different genres and types of movies they’ve distributed over the years. This gives UFA a great foundation for the distribution of our wide portfolio of German and English language films. Universal Pictures and Focus Features International are ideal partners for us because they have such strength and expertise in the German and international marketplace. Their globally minded business approach, production partnerships and filmmaker relationships worldwide make them unique amongst the U.S. studios. We’re sure they are the right team to build our company with and are really looking forward to working with them in this new venture.”
24 April 2009 - UFA Cinema, Germany