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Post by The Ultimate Nullifier on Oct 14, 2014 20:19:04 GMT -6
From www.deadline.comVeteran distributor Susan Jackson, who co-founded indie film distribution label Freestyle Releasing in 2004, died Tuesday morning in Los Angeles after a long battle with breast cancer. She was 54. The UK-born Jackson dove into the distribution game after serving in exec positions in sales, acquisitions and marketing at the Samuel Goldwyn Co, Vestron, Goodtimes, BMG/Bertelsmann, Sony and the BBC. She headed BMG Independents, snagging rights to indie titles for BMG’s North American Video and DVD collection. Freestyle Acquires 'The Playroom' In 1999, she founded independent sales company Turtles Crossing in Los Angeles. Three years later, she became more directly involved in filmmaking as executive producer of Eli Roth’s Cabin Fever, which she helped finance and sold to Lionsgate out of the Toronto Film Festival. Similarly, she helped finance, co-produce and sold the Juno Temple starrer Dirty Girl in 2010 out of TIFF. Jackson co-founded Freestyle Releasing in 2004 with partner Mark Borde, and the company went on to successfully releases such titles as The Illusionist, The Haunting Of Molly Hartley, Bottle Shock and Me And Orson Welles. In 2010 she negotiated direct deals with VOD, SVOD and AVOD outlets to add film and TV projects for VOD to the company’s vaults for new distribution offshoot Freestyle Digital Media. Freestyle began this year with the faith-based hit God’s Not Dead and most recently opened the Nic Cage actioner Left Behind, which is in theaters.
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Post by The Ultimate Nullifier on Oct 14, 2014 20:42:33 GMT -6
variety.com/2014/film/news/susan-jackson-producer-and-co-founder-of-freestyle-releasing-dies-at-54-1201330166/Susan Jackson, Producer and Co-Founder of Freestyle Releasing, Dies at 54 Susan Rosenberg Jackson, who co-founded Freestyle Releasing and exec produced “Cabin Fever” during a long career in independent film, died in Tuesday in Los Angeles of breast cancer. She was 54. Jackson worked in film distribution for 20 years, holding executive positions at the Samuel Goldwyn Co., Vestron, Goodtimes, BMG/Bertelsmann, Sony and the BBC. Her last job before launching her own company was heading up BMG Independents in New York. Born in the U.K., she moved to Los Angeles in 1999, she launched sales company Turtles Crossing. She came on to “Cabin Fever” at script stage, brought in investors and sold it to Lionsgate at the Toronto Film Festival. She was sales agent and co-producer of “Dirty Girl,” starring Juno Temple. Jackson co-founded Freestyle Releasing with Mark Borde, releasing such films as “The Illusionist,” “Bottle Shock,” “Me and Orson Welles,” “God’s Not Dead” and “Left Behind.” She is survived by her husband, Ben Morahan. A memorial service is planned to take place next month in Los Angeles. Donations may be made to Breast Cancer Resource Center of Santa Barbara.
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Post by The Ultimate Nullifier on Oct 14, 2014 21:02:33 GMT -6
www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/susan-jackson-dead-founder-freestyle-740847The veteran distribution executive also executive produced the huge indie hit 'Cabin Fever' Susan Jackson, the veteran distribution executive who co-founded Freestyle Releasing in 2004, died Tuesday at her home in Los Angeles after a long battle with breast cancer. She was 54. Jackson also executive produced Cabin Fever (2002), coming on at the script stage. She brought in investors and sold the film, directed by Eli Roth, to Lionsgate for $3.5 million at the Toronto Film Festival. Produced for $1.4 million, Cabin Fever grossed $30.6 million worldwide and is considered one of the most profitable and successful indie features of the past decade. In 2004, Jackson and business partner Mark Borde co-founded Freestyle Releasing, behind such films as The Illusionist, The Haunting of Molly Hartley, God’s Not Dead and the Nicolas Cage film Left Behind, now in theaters. The pair then launched Freestyle Digital Media in 2010 to become a worldwide aggregator of film and television for the growing VOD market, with Jackson negotiating deals with the major outlets. A U.K. native, Jackson worked in film distribution for two decades, also holding executive positions in sales, acquisitions and marketing at such companies as The Samuel Goldwyn Co., Vestron, Goodtimes Entertainment, BMG/Bertelsmann, Sony and the BBC. Jackson’s last corporate job before launching her own company was heading up BMG Independents in New York, an all-rights distributor of indie film created to provide theatrically released feature films to BMG's North American video/DVD division. In 1999, Jackson moved to Los Angeles and founded indie sales company Turtles Crossing, selling films, TV series, miniseries, libraries and specials in North America for producers, investors, banks and foreign sales companies. Jackson in 2010 helped find financing and was sales agent and co-producer of Dirty Girl, starring Juno Temple, which was one of the largest sales at Toronto that year when it was acquired by The Weinstein Co. Survivors include husband Ben Morahan. A private memorial service will be held Friday for friends and family, with a larger memorial service planned for next month in Los Angeles. In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to the Breast Cancer Resource Center of Santa Barbara.
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