Studiocanal CEO Anna Marsh has been named International Distributor of the Year at CineEurope, the exhibition conference which is taking place this week in Barcelona.
Andrew Sunshine, president of CineEurope organizer Film Expo Group, said Marsh “defines what an executive is and is well respected throughout our industry.”
“Anna is a natural leader who has helped take Studiocanal — the European leader in the production and distribution of features films and TV series — to the next level and could not be more deserving of this award,” continued Sunshine.
Laura Houlgatte, CEO of UNIC, the international guild of exhibitors, pointed that Studiocanal “remains a crucial partner of European cinema exhibition and has shown itself to be fully committed to bring the best of European films to the big screen.”
Marsh, a New Zealand-born executive who graduated from the prestigious French business school HEC and began her career working in sales at Tele Images Productions and TF1 International, joined Studiocanal in 2008 as VP of international sales. Boasting nearly 20 years of experience in the entertainment industry, the well-respected executive was appointed CEO of Studiocanal in 2019 and became a member of Canal+ Group’s management board in 2022.
“I share this award and this moment with my Studiocanal team, who I would like to thank for their loyalty, dedication, tireless passion and drive,” said Marsh.
Marsh also paid homage to Studiocanal’s network of producers and filmmakers. “And I share this with everyone in attendance at CineEurope – Bob and Andrew Sunshine who bring us together each year to remind us that the movie going experience is the beating heart of everything we do. Today, I celebrate our friends in exhibition worldwide and our collective belief in the big screen,” continued Marsh, who added that she was “humbled and honoured to receive this award as a woman in an industry which has come such a long way” and had “further to go.”
Earlier this week, Studiocanal announced its acquisition of leading Holland-based production and distribution banner Dutch FilmWorks which operates in Benelux region.
Owned by Vivendi-backed Canal+ Group, Studiocanal will now operate in five major markets — France, U.K., Germany, Benelux and Spain — as well as in Australia and New Zealand. The banner’s international network of production outfits include its in-house label Studiocanal Original, as well as Germany’s Tandem Productions, the U.K.’s RED Production Company, the U.K.’s Urban Myth Films and SunnyMarch TV, Spain’s Bambu Producciones and Scandinavia’s SAM Productions.
