Ray takes post at Sidney Kimmel

Former UA honcho heads up distribution unit

By DAVE MCNARY

Ray

Veteran indie film financier Sidney Kimmel is building up his team with the addition of Bingham Ray, former topper at United Artists and October Films.

Ray will oversee domestic marketing and acquisitions for the Sidney Kimmel Entertainment banner.

Kimmel, 69, who made his fortune in the clothing business, has been funding films for three decades.

In Tuesday's announcement of Ray's hiring as president of Kimmel Distribution, the banner noted that he's in charge of accelerated plans to acquire features for worldwide distribution in conjunction with its foreign arm, Kimmel Intl.

Kimmel pics are distribbed via a year-old deal with MGM; select films are released by other studios, including Focus, Paramount Vantage and Universal. Ray's new division, in concert with the studio distribution partners, will handle all advertising, publicity, marketing services, creative marketing and distribution-related activities concerning its productions and acquisitions.

Ray, who's been consulting with New York-based IFP for the past year, cited Kimmel's growth, business plan and taste in films in making the announcement Tuesday.

"I am particularly partial to its independent spirit, which it has married to a studio sensibility for commercial, crossover films for worldwide audiences," he added.

Ray told Daily Variety that he was also enticed by his longtime friendships with Kimmel prexy Jim Tauber and production chief Bill Horberg. He was first approached about a post at the end of the year, then began talks around the time of the Oscars.

Ray headed UA for three years, ankling in early 2004; high points were "Hotel Rwanda" and the acquisition of U.S. rights to "Bowling for Columbine" at the 2002 Cannes Film Festival. October Films, which Ray co-founded in 1991, released pics including "Life Is Sweet," "Secrets and Lies," "Breaking the Waves," "The Celebration," "Joe Gould's Secret" and "The Apostle."

At SKE, Ray will report directly to Tauber. Mark Kristol, president of marketing and distribution, will continue his duties within the new division, reporting to Ray.

"Bingham's vast experience in the marketing, distribution and acquisition of motion pictures, combined with Mark's own talents and experience, positions SKE to more efficiently generate and execute the marketing campaigns and distribution plans for the films we finance, produce and acquire," Tauber said. "By bringing everything inhouse, our business model is infinitely better suited to serve our filmmakers and filmmaking partners, providing consistency and concentrated attention to each film."

SKE co-financed "Breach" and "United 93." Upcoming films include "Death at a Funeral," due out in June as its first pic to be released under the MGM deal; "Charlie Bartlett," due out in August from MGM; "Lars and the Real Girl"; "Married Life"; Kasi Lemmons' "Talk to Me," to be released by Focus; and "The Kite Runner" from Par Vantage.

The banner is going into production next month with Charlie Kaufman's directorial debut, "Synedoche, New York."