Overseas suppliers form Union

New home entertainment division will distribute in the U.S.

By Susanne Ault -- Video Business, 5/4/2006

MAY 4 | Canadian-based Alliance Atlantis Motion Picture Distribution and Australia’s Arclight Films have jointly formed a U.S. home entertainment distributor.

The new venture, Union Station Media, will acquire content for release on platforms including DVD, TV, Internet and video-on-demand.

Union Station wants to annually release 12 to 18 titles, hopefully including projects from other indie labels.

Films scheduled for Union Station distribution include The Sisters starring Chris O’Donnell, teen skateboarding movie Deck Dogz with Tony Hawk and the documentary Dan Akroyd Unplugged On UFOs.

“With the backing of Arclight Films and MPD, we are on our way to building a slate of commercially viable programs for a side audience,” said Paul Gardner, head of Union Station and former Lionsgate acquisitions executive.

Also part of the Union Station team are senior VP of operations Barbara Javitz and brand manager Deborah Katz.

MPD executive VP Paul Laberge added, “This is a strategic extension of our burgeoning home entertainment activities in Canada, Spain and the U.K.”