Film Dept. names int'l president
Steven Bickel to replace Elizabeth Kim
The move marks a quick exit for Kim, who was hired last summer after several years at Lionsgate. She came in with notably less seasoning than Bickel, who has held posts at Samuel Goldwyn and Warner Bros.
While at Goldwyn, Bickel helped handle pics such as "The Madness of King George" and "Much Ado About Nothing." After the sale of Goldwyn to MGM, Bickel was made prexy of Shooting Gallery Intl.
The Film Dept., which is headed by ex-Miramaxer Mark Gill and former Yari Film Group exec Neil Sacker, is in its first year of operation after the principals raised a $200 million capitalization. The company plans to fully finance and produce six pics a year budgeted between $10 million and $45 million. Rather than handling distribution, it intends to grow via international sales.
Bickel starts his new job Monday.
