Daniel Battsek Named President Of Cohen Media Group

Cohen Media Group's Chairman/CEO Charles S. Cohen announced today that industry veteran Daniel Battsek is joining CMG as President. Mr. Battsek will work alongside Mr. Cohen and help to oversee acquisition, production and distribution of CMG titles, as well as the vast Cohen Film Collection of landmark movies (previously known as The Rohauer Library).

Mr. Battsek, a producer and distributor of some of the decade's most honored independent films, joins Cohen Media Group as the Company continues to raise its profile and position as a major player in independent cinema. Battsek will play a key role in overseeing CMG's production slate, which includes Double Cross, Operation Mincemeat and the remake of the French film, You Will Be My Son. In just three years, CMG has grown into a dynamic force with such acclaimed and awarded movies as The Other Son, Farewell, My Queen and the upcoming, highly anticipated release of the Spanish Oscar entry, Blancanieves. CMG has returned to theaters such modern classics as Luis Bunuel's Tristana, and is bringing historic works by such icons as D.W. Griffith, Douglas Fairbanks and Buster Keaton back to the forefront in Blu-ray, DVD and VOD.

Daniel Battsek most recently was President of National Geographic Films, where he acquired projects for development/production, operated a boutique theatrical domestic distribution arm for art-house titles and documentaries including the Oscar-nominated Restrepo, and oversaw National Geographic large-screen and IMAX projects. Prior to joining National Geographic, Mr. Battsek served at Miramax Films, where he was instrumental in acquiring, green-lighting or distributing such renowned and award winning films as Tsotsi (Best Foreign Language Oscar) The Diving Bell and the Butterfly, The Queen, Happy-Go-Lucky, No Country for Old Men (Best Feature Film Oscar) and There Will Be Blood.

Charles S. Cohen said, "Daniel Battsek is a proven force in film production and distribution, and we are fortunate to have him as we prepare for great things in the coming year and beyond." Mr. Battsek said, "Cohen Media Group has quickly become a leading name in independent film, and I am thrilled to arrive as this exciting company is becoming a true powerhouse."

Daniel Battsek, who will report directly to Charles S. Cohen, will help lead CMG into what will be its biggest year yet. The Company's upcoming releases in 2013 include Fernando Trueba's The Artist and the Model, starring Jean Rochefort and Claudia Cardinale; Pablo Berger's Blancanieves, starring Maribel Verdu and Angelina Molina; Francois Ozon's In the House, with Kristin Scott Thomas; the restored 1924 Thief of Bagdad, starring Douglas Fairbanks; and Rachid Bouchareb's first American film, Just Like A Woman, starring Sienna Miler.