Red Arrow acquires majority stake in US film distributor Gravitas Ventures

Red Arrow Entertainment Group has acquired a majority stake in global distribution company Gravitas Ventures. Based in the US, Gravitas is one of the largest all-rights film distributors in the world, with a particular focus on independently produced films and documentaries for global digital, SVOD and OTT platforms. Gravitas also distributes to theaters and brick and mortar retailers.

Gravitas releases over 400 new films annually and has a library of more than 2,400 English-speaking titles. Since its launch in 2006, Gravitas has been one of the first companies to develop a global network of digital media partners and now has over 200 relationships with many of the key providers of transactional video on demand, subscription video on demand, electronic sell through, television broadcasting, and physical home media. Today’s distribution partners include Altice, Amazon, Apple, AT&T, Charter, Comcast, Cox, DirecTV, DISH, Fandango, Google, HBO, Hulu, Microsoft, Netflix, Redbox, Showtime, Sony, Starz, Verizon, Viacom, Vimeo and Vudu, amongst others.

The acquisition represents a significant strategic investment for Red Arrow, and will dramatically expand the Group’s distribution scale, co-production and co-financing capacity, catalog breadth, and overall presence in the US creative market. Both Gravitas and Red Arrow’s television distribution arm, Red Arrow International, led by Henrik Pabst, will continue to operate as independent Red Arrow businesses, but will be closely aligned to achieve significant operational and strategic synergies. In particular, Red Arrow will leverage Gravitas’ strong relationships with thousands of directors, producers and agents in the film community and with leading digital platforms; and Red Arrow International’s distribution expertise in global television programs and formats. Going forward, Red Arrow International and Gravitas intend to make significant investments into global film and TV projects via acquisitions, co-productions and co-financings.

As part of the transaction, all Gravitas Ventures employees will be retained and Nolan Gallagher, Michael Murphy and Brendan Gallagher will remain minority owners and continue to run the business with long term employment contracts.

Jan Frouman, Chairman & CEO of Red Arrow Entertainment Group, said: “International distribution has been essential to our success from day one. In the future, scale in this space will become increasingly important. Nolan, Michael, Brendan and their team at Gravitas are whip-smart, and have created a great business – one we would be hard-pressed to replicate on our own. Partnering together, we will have tremendous capabilities to package and sell films and TV to the growing list of buyers worldwide.”

Nolan Gallagher, CEO of Gravitas Ventures, said: “We are excited to find a strategic partner in Red Arrow Entertainment who shares our vision to introduce compelling content to global audiences. Jan and the Red Arrow Entertainment Group of companies share our entrepreneurial mindset and we are confident their collaborative nature, track record of production success, and leadership in the international distribution marketplace will be a tremendous benefit to our filmmakers in an evolving entertainment environment.”

Red Arrow Entertainment Group now has eleven companies located in the US: In addition to distributor Gravitas Ventures, the production companies 44 Blue Productions, Kinetic Content, Fabrik Entertainment, Left/Right, Half Yard Productions, Karga Seven Pictures, Dorsey Pictures, Ripple Entertainment, 10Fold and Band of Outsiders are part of the Group.

Salem Partners and Greenberg Glusker advised Gravitas Ventures on the transaction. Red Arrow was advised by Stella EOC and Milbank.

About Gravitas Ventures

Gravitas Ventures is a leading all rights distributor of independent feature films and documentaries. Founded in 2006, Gravitas connects independent filmmakers and producers with distribution opportunities across the globe. Working with talented directors and producers, Gravitas Ventures has distributed thousands of films into over a hundred million homes in North America or over one billion homes worldwide. Recent releases include Score: A Film Music Documentary, California Typewriter, Legion of Brothers, Katie Holmes’ feature directorial debut, All We Had, Colin Hanks’ All Things Must Pass, Being Evel from Academy Award winning director Daniel Junge and producer Johnny Knoxville, and For The Love of Spock from Director Adam Nimoy.

For more information, please visit gravitasventures.com, and follow @GravitasVOD on Twitter and @gravitasventures on Instagram.