Kino Lorber Chief Strategy Officer Ed Carroll has been appointed to president of Kino Lorber Media Group.
Richard Lorber, who remains chairman and CEO and to whom Carroll will report, made the announcement on Thursday.
Reporting to Carroll will be COO Martha Benyam, who will oversee the MHz Choice and Topic SVoDs and the home entertainment group; chief revenue officer Lisa Schwartz, formerly president of IFC Films, who will oversee content sales and platform distribution as well as Kino Lorber’s film division, which includes the Kino Film Collection SVoD; and Judy Silverman, recently promoted to CFO.
Carroll joined the company a year ago and he has played a key role in its expansion into digital, including the acquisition of MHz Choice SVoD and forming a joint venture that includes the Topic streaming service.
In November, the company launched its new SVoD service Kino Film Collection on Amazon’s Prime Video Channels.
Lorber said the company had experienced investment, expansion and “unprecedented revenue and subscriber growth” in the new SVoD division since Carroll arrived.
“He’s a terrific leader who inspires our talented team to thrive,” Lorber added, “and I couldn’t hope for a better Kino brand champion to work with me as a partner in arms as we move our business forward. ”
Carroll added, “It is not easy to be on the growth side of the equation in media these days, but we are doing it. Kino Lorber’s vast library of high-quality films and series is a great foundation that attracts loyal subscribers looking for something different from the huge content aggregators. And we remain committed to elevating independent artists through theatrical, home entertainment, and digital distribution.”
Carroll joined Kino Lorber after a three-decade career at AMC Networks where he oversaw and greenlit the development of series like Mad Men, Breaking Bad, Killing Eve, The Walking Dead and Portlandia.
He served in various leadership roles including GM at Bravo and COO of AMC Networks, and oversaw AMC Networks’ streaming channels, and presided over the launch of AMC+.
Two of the company’s 2023 releases were recently shortlisted for Oscars – Kaouther Ben Hania’s Four Daughters in both the best international feature and best documentary feature categories, and Nancy Buirski’s Desperate Souls, Dark City And The Legend Of Midnight Cowboy in best documentary feature.
Recent theatrical acquisitions include Venice award-winner Green Border from Agnieszka Holland and documentary Remembering Gene Wilder.
Frederick Thomas, founder and president of MHz Networks, will transition to the role of senior advisor to the company. He sold MHz Networks to Kino Lorber in September 2022, and retains a seat on Kino Lorber’s board of directors.
Carroll said, “Fred is a true pioneer, both in the areas of international content and streaming. He jumped in early and was doing both before they were cool, and he built a great team and grew a profitable business with a dedicated audience.”
Lorber added, “We are most pleased that Fred has agreed to continue as both an advisor and board member and look forward to his ongoing contribution to the growth of our streaming businesses.”
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