In a significant development in the global film industry, Playtime, the international sales division of Vuelta Group, has successfully finalized the purchase of sales house Film Constellation from industry veteran Fabien Westerhoff. Playtime will consolidate Film Constellation with Global Screen, a German international sales company under its control. The resultant entity from this fusion of businesses has been named Global Constellation.
Operating under the umbrella of the Playtime Group, Global Constellation will join the likes of other notable sales firms, such as Playtime, Film Boutique, and Be for Films. This integration is anticipated to heavily bolster the group’s international sales capacity and influence.
Fabien Westerhoff, the former owner of Film Constellation, will take up a pivotal executive position in the reshuffled structure. As the managing director of the theatrical film division, Westerhoff is poised to synergize the skills and capabilities of both firms. His leadership will lead Global Constellation’s focus towards animation, family-centric entertainment, and genre cinema.
Ulrike Schroder is prepared to take on the role of Managing Director of the TV Division. This position will see her being at the forefront of the international TV distribution operation within the Vuelta framework. Schroder’s leadership will be key to strategizing and managing global TV content distribution operations.
There will be an in-depth collaboration between Global Constellation and Vuelta Germany, which is Vuelta’s film distribution division in the German region. This unit was originally established from the fusion of Squareone and Telepool.
Global Constellation is poised to become an essential contact for German and international filmmakers searching for widespread European alliances and a larger international audience. This collaboration should lead to a broadening in the reach and impact of the content produced by these filmmakers.
Next month’s Cannes Film Market will serve as a platform to reveal the initial set of projects under the Global Constellation brand. The much-anticipated unveiling will draw significant attention from industry insiders and aficionados.
Some noteworthy films under Global Constellation include ‘Olmo’ by Fernando Eimbcke, ‘Welcome Home Baby’ by Andreas Prochaska, ‘The Last Dinosaur’ by Ben Smith, and ‘The Last Whale Singer’ by Reza Memari. Additional animated features include ‘The Growcodile’ by the duo Joost Van den Bosch and Erik Verkerk, as well as ‘Carmen’ by Sebastien Laudenbach.
The portfolio also houses impressive works like the historical epic ‘The Captive’ by Alejandro Amenábar and the spine-chilling survival thriller ‘Fear Is the Rider’ by John Michael McDonagh. Other standouts include ‘Call Me Queen’ and ‘Paradise’ by Jeremy Comte.
As for television programming, the current lineup of Global Constellation is equally strong. High-profile projects include the true crime mini-series ‘Murder on the Inca Trail’, produced by Westside Filmproduktion/Constantin Television, and directed by Nina Wolfrum. Additionally, the second installment of the beloved TV show ‘Recipes for Love and Murder’, a light crime series directed by Jozua Malherbe and Karen Jeynes, also features prominently in their roster.
New television projects by the merged entity are slated for unveiling at the forthcoming Cannes Film Market, further gripping industry professionals and viewers alike.
In its new avatar, Global Constellation offers a clear value proposition with expertise ranging from preliminary packaging to comprehensive international sales. The entity is keen on fostering cooperation with accomplished production houses, up-and-coming talents, and major distribution partners across all territories, strengthening its operation and reach.
Under the new setup, Global Constellation will continue its tradition as a comprehensive center for cinema and TV world sales. Through the backing of Vuelta’s extensive local network of production, distribution, and sales, it aims to represent even more potent content and achieve an expanded global footprint.
The formation of Global Constellation plays out as a crucial part of Vuelta’s broader strategy, which is to build a bold, cooperative, and integrated European film studio. Through this initiative, Vuelta is agglomerating the various stages of film development, production, distribution, and international sales.