Les Films Séville (formerly Les Films Rene Malo, René Malo Vidéo, Malofilm and Malofilm Home Video; previously known in English as Séville Pictures) was a Canadian film distributor company. First based on Saint-André Boulevard in 1983, it moved its operations in 1993 to Saint Laurent Boulevard, as the Canadian branch of Republic Pictures Home Video and Turner Home Entertainment, distributing releases from the two companies into Canada. The company distributed Entertainment One’s movies in Quebec. Les Films Seville was defunct long before Hasbro acquired Entertainment One.
 Logo used from 2010 until 2015 | |
| Formerly | Les Films Rene Malo (1974–1990) René Malo Vidéo (1983–1990) Malofilm (1990–1997) Behaviour Communications (1997–1999) |
|---|---|
| Company type | Incentive |
| Industry | Film |
| Predecessor | Alliance Vivafilm |
| Founded | 1974 (as Les Films Rene Malo) 1983 (as René Malo Vidéo) 1990 (as Malofilm / Malofilm Home Video) 1997 (as Behaviour Communications) 1999 (as Les Films Séville) 2014 (as international unit) |
| Defunct | 1997 (original) 2022 (as Les Films Séville) |
| Fate | Folded into Entertainment One Library acquired by Immina Films |
| Successor | Company: Lionsgate Canada Library: Lionsgate Canada (back catalogue) Immina Films (distribution rights excluding physical media) |
| Headquarters | |
| Website | www |
In 1999, Malofilm was renamed Les Films Séville, after a hostile merger with Industry Entertainment, and was acquired by Entertainment One in 2007. On May 31, 2000, Behaviour Worldwide was sold to MDP's old management, which changed its name back to MDP Worldwide.
History
editThe company was founded in 1974 by chairman and CEO René Malo in Montreal, Quebec as Les Films Rene Malo. It will soon expand to home video distribution in 1983.[1]
In late 1983, it was a founding partner of Videoglobe with many other companies, including Cinepix Inc. and The Multimedia Group of Canada, among others.[2]
In 1987, Malofilm was a founding member of Image Organization with several other companies, notably Nelvana and New Star Entertainment.[3][4]
In 1995, Malofilm acquired Desclez Productions and Megatoon Entertainment Group (MEG).
In 1996, Malofilm acquired ReadySoft Incorporated,[5] a well known Canadian software company. Also that year, it bought out California film studio Image Organization for $1.8 million.[6]
In 1997, Malofilm changed its name to Behaviour Communications,[7] after Malo was forced to retire from the company for health reasons.[8][9] On March 26, 1998, it bought out MDP Worldwide for $19.3 million, and changed its name to Behaviour Worldwide.[10]
In 1999, Behaviour Interactive was sold to Rémi Racine and some investors, and was renamed Artificial Mind & Movement Inc. (A2M) the following year (it later returned to the name Behaviour Interactive in 2010).
In 1999, Behavior Communications was renamed Les Films Séville, after a hostile merger with Industry Entertainment, and was acquired by Entertainment One in 2007.[11] On May 31, 2000, Behaviour Worldwide was sold to MDP's old management, which changed its name back to MDP Worldwide.[12]
In 2012, Les Films Séville merged with Alliance Vivafilm, which was acquired by Entertainment One, and the new entity kept the name Les Films Séville.
From April 2014, the distribution of films under the Alliance Vivafilm brand was stopped in favor of distribution solely under the Les Films Séville brand.
Entertainment One shut the division down in June 2022.[13] Months later, distribution rights to its back catalogue for all media excluding physical media were acquired by Immina Films, a new independent company launched by former Séville president Patrick Roy.[14]
References
edit- ^ R. Lerner, Loren (1997). Canadian Film and Video: A Bibliography and Guide to the Literature. University of Toronto Press.
- ^ Halter, Fran (January 3, 1984). "Videoglobe has view to French market". The Gazette. p. B-7. Retrieved July 18, 2023.
- ^ "4 Indie Producers Form L.A.-Based Foreign Sales Combine, Image Org., Inc". Variety. February 25, 1987. p. 57.
- ^ Brownstein, Bill (April 15, 1987). "Malo launches film organization". The Gazette. p. F-5. Retrieved July 18, 2023.
- ^ ReadySoft | Video Game Publisher, at VideoGameGeek
- ^ Kelly, Brendan (September 23, 1996). "Malofilm Snatches Up Image Org". Variety. Retrieved November 27, 2021.
- ^ Canada’s Behaviour buys MDP Variety 1998-26-03
- ^ "Malofilm Communications". BFI Film & TV Database. Archived from the original on January 27, 2009. Retrieved February 13, 2010.
- ^ "Biographie et filmographie de René Malo". UQAM Faculte de communication (in French). Montreal: Université du Québec à Montréal. Retrieved February 13, 2010.
- ^ Kelly, Brendan (March 27, 1998). "Canada's Behaviour buys MDP". Variety. Retrieved November 26, 2021.
- ^ Kelly, Brendan (December 15, 1999). "Behaviour changes to Seville". Variety. Retrieved November 26, 2021.
- ^ "Behaviour changes moniker to MDP". Variety. May 31, 2000. Retrieved November 26, 2021.
- ^ André Duchesne and Marc-André Lussier, "Les Films Séville cessent la distribution en salle". La Presse, June 28, 2022.
- ^ Lussier, Marc-André (November 1, 2022). "Patrick Roy annonce la création d'Immina Films". La Presse (in French). Retrieved January 16, 2023.