email print share on Facebook share on Twitter share on LinkedIn share on reddit pin on Pinterest

DISTRIBUTION Germany

Former Kinowelt CEO Michael Kölmel is back in distribution business

by 

- The German distributor has picked up a competition film in Cannes for his new company

The former Kinowelt CEO Michael Kölmel has started a new distribution company that has already caused a stir among German buyers in Cannes when he won the bidding war for the French competition entry Young and Beautiful [+see also:
film review
trailer
interview: François Ozon
film profile
]
by Francois Ozon. With his untititled entity he acquired one of the hottest titles the German distributors were longing for on the Croisette.

(The article continues below - Commercial information)

"I founded our new distribution outlet in December," said Kölmel. As his partner he brought  Dietmar Güntsche on board, a producer of the Munich-based independent production company Neue Bioskop. So far, the new distribution company in Leipzig operates under a working title.

Michael Kölmel and his brother Rainer are well-known in the international distribution world. The distributor duo were the first German distributors to gho public with their distribution company Kinowelt in May 1998 and built up a media conglomerate with around 1,000 employeees. In December 2001, Kinowelt had to file for bankruptcy but the Kölmel brothers were able to buy back their library and founded a new Kinowelt company in Leipzig that was successful. In 2008, the company was taken over by the Canal Plus-owned Studio Canal that changed its name from Kinowelt to Studiocanal.

(The article continues below - Commercial information)

Did you enjoy reading this article? Please subscribe to our newsletter to receive more stories like this directly in your inbox.

Privacy Policy