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Swiss distrib Ascot Elite Entertainment is launching Ascot Elite Home Entertainment, a homevideo division in Germany that will independently acquire and distribute content in all German-speaking European territories. Gerd Porzelt, former CEO of the producer-distrib group and Ascot partner MC One, and Ascot Elite Entertainment chief operating officer Stephan Giger will head the Stuttgart-based subsid.

Other key MC One personnel have moved to the company as MC One shifts focus from distribution to produc-tion.

Ascot Elite wants to acquire high-profile genre titles, including thrillers such as Ryan Phillippe-Laurence Fishburne starrer "Five Fingers."

In Switzerland, Ascot Elite is also an independent theatrical distributor currently handling Robert De Niro's "The Good Shepherd," Mark Forster's "Stranger Than Fiction," Peter Web-ber's "Hannibal Rising," Milos For-man's "Goya's Ghosts," Mel Gibson's "Apocalypto" and Emilio Estevez's "Bobby."

Founded in 1928, Zurich-based As-cot Elite is one of the oldest distribution companies in Europe.