The Reset Collective, which will be based out of Sydney, will be led by Former Rialto executive Lisa Garner as managing director and finance, produce and distribute film and TV content.
L.A.- and London-based production and sales outfit Cornerstone Films has joined forces with British producer-financier Genesius Pictures and former Rialto Distribution executive Lisa Garner to launch The Reset Collective, a full-service production and distribution entity based in Australia.
Garner, whose resume includes senior executive roles at indie distributors Icon Australia and Rialto Distribution, will act as managing director for the new group. Geneis Reset will be based out of Sydney and fully financed by Genesius.
Garner and Cornerstone Films’ co-president Mark Gooder worked together at Icon Film Distribution.
Initially, The Reset Collective will focus on acquiring titles for distribution with plans to move into development and production later this year. The company is positioning itself as a new model for the post-COVID-19 world, with a focus on innovative releases in both the digital and theatrical space.
Australia is looking to be one of the first territories to reopen cinemas following the novel coronavirus pandemic shutdown. The Australian National Association of Cinema Operators has set mid-July as a target date for getting back to business.
"Australia has always been a key territory for us both personally and commercially," Cornerstone co-presidents Gooder and Alison Thompson said in a statement. "Challenging times often reveal unseen opportunities and we are excited to be part of this new adventure at a critical moment in the content business."
Cornerstone is a leading indie production and sales outfit whose current slate includes Sundance award winner Shirley starring Elizabeth Moss and Michael Stuhlbarg, Euros Lyn’s Dream Horse starring Toni Collette and Damian Lewis, and the new, as-yet-untitled, feature from British director Mike Leigh. German group Beta Cinema holds a minority stake in the company.
London-based Genesius Pictures, founded by Debbie Gray and Julian Gleek, is known for such projects as Mrs Lowry and Son, starring Timothy Spall and Vanessa Redgrave, and indie Brit comedy The More You Ignore Me.
