Leaving Lions Gate

Int'l co-prexy ankles as indie shuffles deck

By CLAUDE BRODESSER

Meyer

Denton

HOLLYWOOD -- Lions Gate Entertainment has restructured its international operations, with Sergei Yershov, co-prexy of Lions Gate Films Intl., ankling the company and Nicolas Meyer, prexy of Lions Gate Intl., taking sole control of the international division of Lions Gate Entertainment.

Meyer has also created two new executive positions that will report directly to him: International sales veteran Stephanie Denton has been named prexy of film sales for Lions Gate Films Intl., heading up theatrical sales for the division, while Craig Cegielski, VP of programming and sales for Lions Gate Intl. Television, will handle the expanding television slate. 

Meyer will continue to oversee sales, marketing, distribution, finance and co-production of the company's growing slate of feature films, television programming and its library.

Denton, who will report directly to Meyer, was previously president of distribution at Initial Entertainment, where she handled both major studio and independent features including "The Aviator" and "Laws of Attraction," as well as smaller pics like "The Ballad of Jack and Rose" and Lasse Halstrom's "An Unfinished Life."

Meyer said Denton's hire comes "at a key time in our growth," and praised her for "industry knowledge and global relationships with both distributors and A-list talent (that) are second to none."

Before IEG, Denton accrued 17 years of experience in the international film distribution business, many of them as prexy of Lakeshore Intl., where she oversaw all aspects of the company's international operations including executive management, distribution, marketing and sales.

Cegielski's role as VP of programming and sales for Lions Gate Intl. Television was created in response to Lions Gate's growing slate of television programming. Cegielski oversees the international television department, focusing on the distribution of original Lions Gate series such as "Weeds," which will premiere Aug. 10 on Showtime; and "Wildfire," which will premiere later this month on ABC Family. He's also overseeing longform projects such as "Frankenstein," on USA Network, and the Lions Gate library.

Cegielski comes from CBS/King World Intl. Television where he was director of international production and development.