LEONINE Studios and MFA+ sign multi-year license agreement
LEONINE Studios exclusively distributes the digital home entertainment and TV rights of the entire MFA+ library and all upcoming MFA+ theatrical titles in German-speaking Europe
Munich, June 25, 2024 - As of July 1, 2024, LEONINE Studios will exclusively distribute all digital home entertainment rights as well as the TV rights of the entire MFA+ library and all future theatrical titles in German-speaking Europe. With this agreement, LEONINE Studios expands its strong premium license library with the titles of MFA+ and consolidates its position as the No. 1 independent home entertainment provider in German-speaking Europe.
The deal includes popular genre films such as the award-winning Korean action sci-fi thrillers SNOWPIERCER and THE HOST. It also includes documentaries like THE VELVET QUEEN, which won the Golden Eye Award for Best Documentary at the Cannes Film Festival, and ANTARCTICA CALLING, in which director Luc Jaquet delves back into the fascinating world of Antarctica following his Oscar®-winning MARCH OF THE PENGUINS. Other highlights include CHECKER TOBI UND DIE REISE ZU DEN FLIEGENDEN FLÜSSEN, one of the highest-grossing family films of 2023 with around 1.2 million admissions, and WELL DONE!, the successful romantic comedy starring Oscar®-winner John Malkovich and French star actress Fanny Ardant.
Upcoming theatrical titles from MFA+ that are also part of the agreement include MEMORY by Michel Franco starring Jessica Chastain and Peter Sarsgaard, who was awarded the Coppa Volpi for Best Actor for his role in the film in competition at the Venice Film Festival last year, the documentary BORN TO BE WILD - EINE BAND NAMENS STEPPENWOLF by Oliver Schwehm, which will be released in cinemas on July 4, and BIRD, the highly acclaimed film by Andrea Arnold starring Barry Keoghan and Franz Rogowski, which recently premiered in competition at the Cannes Film Festival.
Christian Meinke, founder and managing director of MFA+, comments on the agreement: "We see the collaboration with LEONINE as an opportunity to see our films better exploited in an increasingly competitive market, better than we can do ourselves as a small independent company. In addition, we have known Bernhard zu Castell for a long time through our trusting collaboration with Universum Film, from "Wallace & Gromit" to Erich Kästner, and we are delighted to be able to expand this successful partnership."
Bernhard zu Castell, Chief Distribution Officer of LEONINE Studios, adds: "We are very pleased about the long-term cooperation with MFA+. The high-quality, hand-picked MFA+ slate covers a wide range of genres and shines with numerous successful theatrical titles and selected arthouse highlights. The agreement is a first-class addition to our home entertainment program and our premium license library and enriches the range of programs we can present to our partners."
About LEONINE Studios
LEONINE Studios is Germany’s leading independent media company – the one stop shop for premium content. We partner with outstanding talent to create content that inspires audiences around the world.
Together, the LEONINE Studios companies produce, co-produce, distribute and license premium content – covering the entire value chain of the content business. We produce films, series and content for social media – from entertainment to infotainment, fiction and non-fiction.
LEONINE Studios’ production companies are led by award-winning producers and creative partners – including the premium production brands beetz brothers film production | hyperbole | i&u TV | Madame Zheng Production | Odeon Fiction | SEO Entertainment | W&B Television | Wiedemann & Berg Film | Toon2Tango.
LEONINE Studios distribution and licensing brings content to theaters, home entertainment, television and streaming networks, and social media channels. Our market-leading license library includes programs in all formats and genres.
LEONINE Studios is an independent company, making premium content available to all players in the industry. More information at www.leoninestudios.com
About MFA+ FilmDistribution
MFA+ was founded in 1981 by Christian Meinke and is one of the oldest independent German film distributors. The program focuses on family entertainment, from PETTERSON & FINDUS to CHECKER TOBI and arthouse films. The slate includes works by renowned film auteurs, including debut films by Danny Boyle, Chantal Akerman, Andreas Dresen, Bong-Joon-ho, François Ozon and many more. Since 2004, MFA+ has also been distributing its international films via its own DVD label. The company was awarded the Federal Ministry of Culture and Media (BKM) Distributor Prize for its program in 1996, 2005 and 2020 and was named "Best European Animation Distributor" in 2001. More information at www.mfa-film.de
Press contact:
LEONINE Studios
Henriette Gutmann
Phone +49 89 999 513 - 0
communication@leoninestudios.com
LEONINE Holding GmbH • Taunusstr. 21 • 80807 Munich, Germany • Gesellschaft mit beschränkter Haftung • Sitz der Gesellschaft: München • Amtsgericht München HRB 246 195 • Managing Directors: Fred Kogel (Vorsitzender), Quirin Berg, Sarah Fischer, Joachim Scheuenpflug, Max Wiedemann, Bernhard zu Castell • VAT-No. DE 323 800 450
