Black Bear, a leading independent studio that produces, finances, and distributes films globally, announced today it is expanding into U.S. theatrical distribution, with Benjamin Kramer to oversee as Black Bear’s President of U.S. Distribution. Black Bear’s expansion, a natural evolution from its increased production output and track record of building leading theatrical businesses in Canada and the United Kingdom, will see the studio release up to twelve theatrical titles per year, focusing on a curated slate of filmmaker-driven fare and wide-release action and genre movies. Additional key executives will be added in the coming months to build out the team under Kramer, reporting to Black Bear CEO Teddy Schwarzman.

“Today marks a major step for Black Bear, as we solidify our studio’s capabilities from development through release,” said Schwarzman. “Building on the successful distribution businesses we’ve created in Canada and the U.K., our U.S. theatrical business will now let Black Bear connect directly with audiences across the country, who remain hungry for quality and commercial event cinema. I am thrilled for Ben to spearhead this growth, bringing with him vast relationships, an expertise of the domestic marketplace, dealmaking savvy, and a keen understanding for what works for US audiences. He is actively assembling a world-class team of distribution professionals, and on behalf of myself and Black Bear’s Michael Heimler and John Friedberg, we are thrilled to support him in building out a studio for today and into the future.”

Kramer said, “It’s incredibly exciting to join Black Bear at this moment of great opportunity in our business. I’ve had the pleasure of working with Teddy, John, Michael, and the team on many successful films. I’ve spent my career evaluating what makes films resonate creatively and commercially and look forward to now connecting the work of great filmmakers directly with audiences. While it is bittersweet to be departing all my dear friends and clients at CAA, I am thrilled to work with the global Black Bear team and to get cooking on making Black Bear’s U.S. distribution a force to be reckoned with.”

Kramer most recently served as Co-Head of the Media Finance department at CAA, where he specialized in packaging and arranging financing and distribution for independent films, as well as television series and digital content, while also advising top producers and financiers on their media investments. Under Kramer’s co-leadership, CAA Media Finance was the largest supplier of films for both domestic and international marketplaces, and it architected the growth of several successful distribution entities worldwide. Working with filmmakers, production companies, financiers, and sales agents, the division forged global partnerships and brokered more than 100 financing and distribution deals per year. In the past five years, it packaged and/or sold films generating approximately $4 billion at the global box office. While with CAA, Kramer worked on several Black Bear films, including “Sing Sing,” “Nyad,” “Dumb Money,” and “Mudbound.” He also handled financing and/or sales for “The Brutalist,” “A Real Pain,” “A Different Man,” “Plane,” “Sing Street,” “Greenland,” “The Revenant,” “Wind River,” “Sicario,” “John Wick,” and “Mud.” Prior to CAA, Kramer was with the William Morris Agency. He is a member of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences.

Black Bear’s U.S. expansion complements its more established distribution operations in other English-language markets. John Friedberg, President of International, oversees a London-based team focused on international sales, direct theatrical distribution in the U.K. and Ireland, and international productions and acquisitions. In Canada, Black Bear owns Elevation Pictures, the leading independent theatrical distributor in the territory, overseen by Co-Presidents Laurie May and Noah Segal. These businesses have been behind the territorial releases of such recent successes as Sean Baker’s Best Picture winner Anora, Edward Berger’s Conclave, Brady Corbet’s The Brutalist, and Osgood Perkins’ Longlegs and The Monkey.

In addition to Black Bear’s U.S. distribution presence, the company’s production and financing business has been active recently, with upcoming production and financing credits including Clint Bentley’s “Train Dreams,” starring Joel Edgerton and Felicity Jones, for Netflix; David Mackenzie’s “Relay,” starring Riz Ahmed, Lily James, and Sam Worthington, releasing next month via Bleecker Street; and Guy Ritchie’s “In The Grey,” starring Henry Cavill, Jake Gyllenhaal, and Eiza Gonzalez, being distributed by Lionsgate; the Sydney Sweeney-led Christy Martin boxing project from director David Michôd; Daniel Roher’s “Tuner,” starring Leo Woodall, Dustin Hoffman, and Havana Rose Liu; Gregg Araki’s “I Want Your Sex,” starring Olivia Wilde and Cooper Hoffman; and Andrew Patterson’s “The Rivals of Amziah King,” starring Matthew McConaughey. Other films currently in post-production include Guy Ritchie’s “Wife & Dog,” starring Benedict Cumberbatch, Rosamund Pike, and Anthony Hopkins; Ric Roman Waugh’s untitled action thriller starring Jason Statham; and upcoming female comedy “Spa Weekend,” from “Bad Moms” directors Jon Lucas & Scott Moore, starring Leslie Mann, Isla Fisher, Michelle Buteau, and Anna Faris.

About Black Bear
Black Bear is one of the world’s leading independent studios, producing, financing, licensing and distributing film and television content around the world. The award-winning studio is behind such critical and commercial hits as “The Imitation Game,” “Sing Sing,” “Nyad,” “Mudbound,” “A Working Man,” and “The Ministry of Ungentlemanly Warfare.” Black Bear boasts a slate featuring such upcoming titles as Clint Bentley’s “Train Dreams,” starring Joel Edgerton and Felicity Jones, which Netflix will release later this fall; David Mackenzie’s “Relay,” starring Riz Ahmed, Lily James and Sam Worthington; the Sydney Sweeney-led untitled Christy Martin boxing project from director David Michôd; Guy Ritchie’s “In The Grey,” starring Henry Cavill, Jake Gyllenhaal, and Eiza Gonzalez; Daniel Roher’s “Tuner,” starring Leo Woodall, Dustin Hoffman and Havana Rose Liu; Gregg Araki’s “I Want Your Sex,” starring Olivia Wilde and Cooper Hoffman; and Andrew Patterson’s The “Rivals of Amziah King,” starring Matthew McConaughey. Currently in the works are Guy Ritchie’s “Wife & Dog,” starring Benedict Cumberbatch, Rosamund Pike, and Anthony Hopkins; Ric Roman Waugh’s untitled action thriller starring Jason Statham; and upcoming female comedy “Spa Weekend,” from “Bad Moms” directors Jon Lucas & Scott Moore, starring Leslie Mann, Isla Fisher, Michelle Buteau, and Anna Faris. Black Bear’s U.K. and Canadian distribution arms are behind the release of such films as Sean Baker’s “Anora,” which won Best Picture at this year’s Academy Awards, Edward Berger’s “Conclave,” which earned the BAFTA for Best Film, Brady Corbet’s “The Brutalist,” and Osgood Perkins’ respective horror films, “Longlegs and The Monkey.”