Levelfilm

Last updated
levelFILM, Inc.
Company type Private
Industry Film distribution
Founded2013 (2013)
Headquarters
11 Davies Ave, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
Area served
Worldwide
Key people
  • Pratik Tiki Patel
  • (CFO)
  • Olivier Gauthier-Mercier
  • (VP, Distribution)
  • Lainie Elton
  • (VP, sales and acquisitions )
Products Motion Pictures
Services Film distribution
Number of employees
9 (January 2023)
Website level.film

Levelfilm, stylized as levelFILM, is a Canadian film distribution company based in Toronto, Ontario. The company was founded by David Hudakoc and Michael Baker in 2013, [1] and later acquired two other Canadian distribution houses: Search Engine Films in 2018 [2] and KinoSmith in 2021. [3] It has released more than 200 titles, with a focus on independent Canadian films.

Contents

History

levelFILM was founded by Michael Baker and David Hudakoc in August 2013, who had previously worked together at the U.S. distribution house ThinkFilm. [4] The company's first acquisition, Chen Kaige's Caught in the Web , was announced along with the company's creation. [1]

In 2017, the company sold a majority stake to Laurie Venning, a Canadian investor, entrepreneur, and producer. [5]

At the 2018 Berlin Film Festival levelFILM announced its acquisition of another Canadian distributor, Search Engine Films (SEF). John Bain, the head of SEF at the time, joined as the company's new Head of Distribution. [2] SEF's library was folded into levelFILM's existing catalogue, including titles such as Equals , Kilo Two Bravo , and Mary Shelley .

In 2019, it was announced that levelFILM and U.S.-based distributor Good Deed Entertainment had struck a four-year output deal, ending in 2023. [6]

At the 2021 Toronto International Film Festival levelFILM announced a multi-year output deal with the U.S. company Greenwich Entertainment, beginning with The Capote Tapes. [7] Later in the fall, levelFILM acquired KinoSmith, and folded in its CEO, Robin Smith, as the new Head of Factual. Simultaneously, the company partnered with Smith's other venture, the documentary financing and distribution house Blue Ice Docs, a subsidiary of the Blue Ice Group. [3]

In April 2022 the company was listed at number 9 in The Globe and Mail's list of the 22 most influential people in the Canadian film industry. [8]

During the 2022 Toronto International Film Festival levelFILM signed an exclusive output deal with Bleecker Street. Mafia Mamma, directed by Catherine Hardwicke, is set to be the first release of the deal and is scheduled for April 2023. [9]

In October 2022, levelFILM released Eternal Spring , which was selected to be Canada's official submission to the 95th Academy Awards for the Best International Feature Film category. [10] The film was also eligible for Best Documentary and Best Animated Feature, but did not make the shortlist in either category. [11]

Released films

List of films released by levelFILM
YearCanadian Release DateTitleDirectorGenre
2014April 11, 2014 That Burning Feeling Jason JamesComedy, Romance
May 30, 2014Hotel CongressMichel Kandisky, Nadia Litz Romance, Comedy
July 18, 2014 Lawrence & Holloman Matthew KowalchukComedy, Drama
November 21, 2014 Rosewater Jon Stewart Drama, Thriller
2015March 6, 2015 Two Men in Town Rachid Bouchareb Comedy, Drama
April 17, 2015 Sunshine on Leith Dexter Fletcher Musical, Drama
May 5, 2015 Soul Boys of the Western World George HenckenDocumentary, Music
May 15, 2015 Wet Bum Lindsay MackayDrama, Kids & Family
August 21, 2015 Bang Bang Baby Jeffrey St. Jules Sci-fi, Romance
August 18, 2015 Learning to Drive Isabel Coixet Comedy, Drama
September 4, 2015 Before We Go Chris Evans Drama, Romance
November 13, 2015 Kilo Two Bravo Paul KatisWar, Thriller
December 4, 2015 I Smile Back Adam SalkyDrama
December 11, 2015 People Places Things Jim Strouse Comedy, Romance
2016January 8, 2016 The Liberator Alberto ArveloDrama, War
March 15, 2016 Glassland Gerard Barrett Drama, Thriller
March 18, 2016 Coconut Hero Florian CossenComedy, Drama
July 15, 2016 Equals Drake Doremus Romance, Sci-fi
August 19, 2016 Standing Tall Emmanuelle Bercot Drama
September 23, 2016 The Girl King Mika Kaurismaki Drama
November 4, 2016 Morris from America Chad Hartigan Comedy, Drama
November 11, 2016 Jean of the Joneses Stella Meghie Comedy, Drama
November 29, 2016 Dégradé Arab NasserDrama
December 6, 2016 The Great Gilly Hopkins Stephen Herek Kids & Family, Comedy
2017February 9, 2017 Urban Hymn Michael Caton-Jones Drama, Musical
May 9, 2017 Sled Dogs Fern Levitt Documentary
May 19, 2017 Alone in Berlin Vincent Perez Drama, War
August 25, 2017 Bushwick Cary Murnion, Jonathan MilottAction, Adventure
September 22, 2017 Don't Talk to Irene Pat Mills Comedy, Drama
December 1, 2017 Wexford Plaza [12] Joyce Wong Comedy, Drama
December 1, 2017 Suck It Up [12] Jordan Canning Comedy, Drama
2018January 12, 2018 Never Steady, Never Still [13] Kathleen Hepburn Drama
January 16, 2018 The Devout Connor Gaston Drama, Sci-fi
March 16, 2018 I Can Only Imagine Andrew Erwin, Jon Erwin Drama
March 30, 2018 Journey's End Saul Dibb War, Drama
June 22, 2018 Hearts Beat Loud Brett Haley Music, Drama
June 22, 2018 Octavio Is Dead! Sook-Yin Lee Drama, Thriller
July 6, 2018 22 Chaser Rafal SokolowskiDrama, Action
July 13, 2018 Mary Shelley Haifaa Al-Mansour Drama, Romance
August 24, 2018 Madeline's Madeline Josephine Decker Drama
September 4, 2018 The Night Eats the World Dominique RocherThriller
October 5, 2018 Transformer Michael Del Monte Documentary
October 16, 2018 After Everything Hannah Marks, Joey PowerDrama, Romance
November 30, 2018 Dead in a Week (or Your Money Back) Tom EdmundsThriller, Comedy
December 14, 2018 Blaze Ethan Hawke Drama, Music
2019January 15, 2019 The Bookshop Isabel Coixet Drama
February 26, 2019 Salt and Fire Werner Herzog Thriller, Drama
March 15, 2019 To Dust Shawn SnyderComedy
March 29, 2019 Firecrackers [14] Jasmin Mozaffari Drama
May 3, 2019 Tell It to the Bees Annabel Jankel Romance, Drama
May 7, 2019 Maze Stephen BurkeAdventure, Action, History
May 24, 2019 I'm Going to Break Your Heart Jim Morrison, Annie BradleyDocumentary, Music
June 7, 2019 Mouthpiece Patricia Rozema Drama, Comedy
July 2, 2019 Storm Boy Shawn SeetKids &Family, Adventure, Drama
July 5, 2019 The Last Black Man in San Francisco Joe Talbot Drama, Adventure
July 23, 2019 The Delinquent Season Mark O'Rowe Romance, Drama
August 23, 2019 Angelique's Isle Michelle Derosier, Marie-Hélène Cousineau Drama, History
August 23, 2019 The Peanut Butter Falcon Tyler Nilson, Michael SchwartzAdventure, Comedy, Drama
September 13, 2019 Riot Girls Jovanka VuckovicAction, Sci-Fi, Drama
November 1, 2019 The Body Remembers When the World Broke Open [15] Kathleen Hepburn, Elle-Máijá Tailfeathers Drama
December 6, 2019 Brotherhood Richard Bell Drama, History
2020January 17, 2020 Les Misérables Ladj Ly Drama, Action
February 7, 2020 The Assistant Kitty Green Drama
February 21, 2020 Ordinary Love Lisa Barros D'Sa, Glenn LeyburnDrama, Romance
February 28, 2020 The Jesus Rolls John Turturro Comedy, Action
March 13, 2020 Hope Gap William Nicholson Drama
March 20, 2020 The Rest of Us Aisling Chin-Yee Drama, Comedt
April 17, 2020 White Lie Yonah Lewis, Calvin Thomas Drama
May 8, 2020 Fisherman's Friends Chris FogginComedy, Drama, Music
May 19, 2020 The Roads Not Taken Sally Potter Drama
May 22, 2020 Military Wives [16] Peter Cattaneo Music, Drama, Comedy
June 5, 2020 2040 Damon Gameau Documentary
June 16, 2020 You Don't Nomi Jeffrey McHaleDocumentary
July 31, 2020 Summerland Jessica Swale Drama, War
September 4, 2020 Feels Good Man Arthur JonesDocumentary
September 18, 2020 Blackbird Roger Michell Drama
September 18, 2020 Nadia, Butterfly Pascal Plante Drama, Sports
October 2, 2020 The Glorias Julie Taymor Drama, History
November 6, 2020 The Kid Detective Evan Morgan Drama, Comedy, Thriller
2021March 3, 2021 The World to Come Mona Fastvold Drama, Romance
March 8, 2021 Underplayed Stacey Lee Documentary
March 9, 2021 Jump, Darling [17] Phil ConnellDrama
April 2, 2021 No Ordinary Man Aisling Chin-Yee, Chase Joynt Documentary
April 6, 2021 Sugar Daddy Wendy Morgan Drama, Music
May 4, 2021 I Am Syd Stone [18] Denis TheriaultDrama
May 7, 2021 Street Gang: How We Got to Sesame Street [19] Marilyn Agrelo Documentary
May 11, 2021 Together Together [20] Nikole Beckwith Comedy, Drama
June 15, 2021 Akilla's Escape [21] Charles Officer Thriller, Drama
August 13, 2021 Naked Singularity Chase PalmerThriller, Action, Drama
October 21, 2021 Sin La Habana Kaveh Nabatian Drama, Romance
December 3, 2021 The Souvenir Part II Joanna Hogg Drama, Comedy
2022January 7, 2022 See For Me Randall Okita Thriller, Horror
January 28, 2022 Aline Valérie Lemercier Drama, Musical
February 25, 2022 Scarborough [22] Shasha Nakhai, Rich Williamson Drama
March 11, 2022 Donkeyhead Agam Darshi Drama, Comedy
March 18, 2022 A Small Fortune Adam PerryThriller, Crime, Drama
March 25, 2022 Run Woman Run Zoe Leigh Hopkins Comedy, Drama
April 8, 2022 Night Blooms Stephanie Joline Drama
April 8, 2022 Sundown Michel Franco Drama
April 15, 2022 Kicking Blood Blaine Thurier Fantasy, Romance, Horror
April 29, 2022 Quickening Haya WaseemDrama
May 6, 2022 Stanleyville Maxwell McCabe-Lokos Comedy
May 27, 2022 The Middle Man Bent Hamer Drama, Crime, Comedy
May 27, 2022 Benediction Terence Davies Drama, Comedy, Romance
July 1, 2022 Mr. Malcolm's List [23] Emma Holly JonesRomance, Drama, Comedy
August 12, 2022 Ainbo: Spirit of the Amazon Richard Claus, José ZeladaAnimated, Kids & Family
September 23, 2022 Eternal Spring Jason Loftus Documentary, Animated
October 14, 2022 Drinkwater [24] Stephen Campanelli Comedy
October 21, 2022Drop the Needle [25] Rob FreemanDocumentary, Music
November 4, 2022 The Swearing Jar [26] Lindsay MacKayDrama, Romance, Musical
December 2, 2022 The Inspection [27] Elegance Bratton Drama
2024TBA The Invisibles Andrew Currie Science fiction

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References

  1. 1 2 Ford, Rebecca (2013-08-15). "LevelFILM Launches With Acquisition of Chen Kaige's 'Caught in the Web'". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved 2022-07-12.
  2. 1 2 Vlessing, Etan (2018-02-16). "Berlin: levelFilm Acquires Rival Indie Film Distributor Search Engine Films". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved 2022-07-12.
  3. 1 2 Kay, Jeremy (2021-10-06). "Toronto's levelFILM acquires KinoSmith, partners with Blue Ice Docs (exclusive)". Screen Daily. Retrieved 2022-07-12.
  4. ↑ "The Children of ThinkFilm". The New York Times. Retrieved 2023-03-16.
  5. ↑ Lang, Brent (2017-09-07). "LevelFILM Sells Majority Stake to Laurie Venning (EXCLUSIVE)". Variety. Retrieved 2022-07-12.
  6. ↑ Wiseman, Andreas (2019-02-07). "Canadian Distributor LevelFILM Strikes Output Deal With 'Loving Vincent' Firm Good Deed Entertainment". Deadline. Retrieved 2022-07-12.
  7. ↑ Wiseman, Andreas (2021-09-10). "'Free Solo' Distributor Greenwich Entertainment Sets Canadian Output Deal With LevelFILM — TIFF". Deadline. Retrieved 2022-07-12.
  8. ↑ Hertz, Barry (2022-04-07). "The 22 most influential people in Canadian film". The Globe and Mail. Retrieved 2022-07-12.
  9. ↑ Ravindran, Manori (2022-09-09). "Bleecker Street Signs Output Deal With Canada's LevelFilm" . Retrieved 2023-01-30.
  10. ↑ Tapp, Tom (2022-08-24). "Oscars: Canada Sets 'Eternal Spring' As Its Best International Feature Entry" . Retrieved 2023-01-30.
  11. ↑ Giardina, Carolyn (2022-11-09). "'Marcel the Shell With Shoes On' Qualifies for Oscars' Animated Feature Race (Exclusive)" . Retrieved 2023-01-30.
  12. 1 2 N'Duka, Amanda (2017-05-30). "MUBI Picks Up 'Lover For A Day'; LevelFILM Nabs Three Titles – Cannes". Deadline. Retrieved 2022-07-29.
  13. ↑ Frater, Patrick (2017-10-12). "LevelFilm Buys U.S. Rights to 'Never Steady, Never Still' (EXCLUSIVE)". Variety. Retrieved 2022-07-29.
  14. ↑ N'Duka, Amanda (2018-08-22). "levelFILM and Seville International Light Up 'Firecrackers' – Toronto". Deadline. Retrieved 2022-07-29.
  15. ↑ Linden, Sheri (2019-11-27). "'The Body Remembers When the World Broke Open': Film Review". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved 2022-07-29.
  16. ↑ Lang, Brent (2019-09-09). "Toronto: Bleecker Street Wins Rights to 'Military Wives'". Variety. Retrieved 2022-07-29.
  17. ↑ Wiseman, Andreas (2021-02-02). "'Jump, Darling': First Trailer For Indie Drama Featuring Cloris Leachman In One Of Her Final Starring Roles". Deadline. Retrieved 2022-07-29.
  18. ↑ Grater, Tom (2020-10-08). "LevelFILM Boards 6-Part Short Form LGBT Series 'I Am Syd Stone'". Deadline. Retrieved 2022-07-29.
  19. ↑ Wiseman, Andreas (2021-03-10). "Canada Deal For Sundance 'Sesame Street' Doc; U.S. Deal For Doc 'It's Not A Burden' — North American Briefs". Deadline. Retrieved 2022-07-29.
  20. ↑ Wiseman, Andreas (2021-02-01). "Sundance Comedy 'Together Together' Gets Canada Distribution Deal". Deadline. Retrieved 2022-07-29.
  21. ↑ Wiseman, Andreas (2020-12-15). "'Akilla's Escape' Canada Deal; Raw Hires BBC Studios Exec; Britbox UK First Factual Series — Global Briefs". Deadline. Retrieved 2022-07-29.
  22. ↑ Dowling, Amber (2021-09-10). "'Scarborough' Gives Ground-Breaking Voice to Ignored Toronto Community". Variety. Retrieved 2022-07-29.
  23. ↑ Barraclough, Leo (2021-03-19). "Universal Takes International on 'Mr. Malcolm's List,' Zawe Ashton, Theo James and Ashley Park Join Cast". Variety. Retrieved 2022-07-29.
  24. ↑ Assman, Bowen (2022-10-27). "Penticton-set film, Drinkwater, in theatres this week". Kelowna Now. Retrieved 2023-01-30.
  25. ↑ Cowie, Del (2022-10-20). "Canadian Hip-Hop Landmark Play De Record Gets Its Due in 'Drop The Needle' Doc". Complex Canada. Retrieved 2023-01-30.
  26. ↑ Schneller, Johanna (2022-11-02). "The Swearing Jar is the Canadian rom-com success you didn't see coming". The Globe and Mail. Retrieved 2023-01-30.
  27. ↑ Black, Sarah-Tai (2022-11-01). "Personal, intimate drama The Inspection offers nuanced look at sexuality in the military". The Globe and Mail. Retrieved 2023-01-30.
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