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UPFRONTS 2013: The Overachievers 
Canada’s already cozy film market may soon become a little cozier. We hear that the country’s No. 1 independent film distributor, Alliance Films, is angling to acquire one of its largest competitors, Maple Pictures — and is deep into talks with Lionsgate to buy its 10% stake in Maple. Lionsgate is looking to pay down debt following a year during which it fended of a hostile takeover attempt by 
corporate raider/shareholder activist Carl Icahn to give the company to his son Brett. Lionsgate stock right now is still stuck in neutral. The Maple stake is considered peripheral. Maple grew out of Lionsgate in 2005 – it was known as Lionsgate Films before the company spun off the unit. It’s run by two former Lionsgate executives, Laurie May and Brad Pelman, and continues to distribute Lionsgate films, DVDs, and TV shows in Canada.
Lionsgate Talking To Canada’s Alliance Films About Deal For Maple Pictures
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That is terrible news for the Canadian scene. Maple Pictures was great. Alliance will take it over and ruin the once proud name. Alliance Films is run by a bunch of nitwits with Law Degrees.
There is absolutely no creativity at Alliance. Even those without law degrees (I have to take your word on this one) are more like bureaucrats. Their advertising always look cuts and paste campaigns.
Alliance already controls enough in Canada that this deal should be prevented by the government. But the again, Alliance only became what it is by virtue of its government connections.
Glad I’m not the only one who thinks so.
I’m not impressed. Canadian should be working together not trying to bid one another out. Maple Pictures is a great distributor, they know their audience! I’m hoping to hear something from them… You’ve got our back Maple!
Maybe Alliance will fire all of Maple’s staff. One can only hope
Bitter much?
So it’s a good day if 50 people lose their jobs?
All Maple cares about is flipping Lions Gate films in Canada. On their own they couldn’t distribute their way out of a wet paper bag
Nice to hide behind your tag name there madsammy. How do you know what Maple Pitcures does and does not care about?!?
Charles Layton does not have a creative bone in his body, and will likely destroy all that Brad and Laurie have built. Sad state of the industry when I hear about this.
Another one bites the dust…
This is truly the end for the Canadian film distribution industry. Who’s left? E-One? Mongrel? Alliance will have major marketing and financial muscles to just basically annihilate anyone who tries to make a run at their american lines…
Wow, madsammy, nice comment. For you to suggest an entire team of 50 people should be fired is really sad…
I happen to know many people at Maple who are very talented team and just great people overall….
Me too – a lot of great people at Maple!
Charles Layton not creative? He financed insidious, the most profitable film of the year. using that mojo now to buy Maple is creative enough to get you nitwits rolling around
. Guy’s been in movies since you were in diapers. A survivor, a thriver, you should have his instincts or his career. Good luck with that.
Ditto. Charles Layton knows more about film business than than anyone of you morons will ever know!
What proud Maple name? And you’re absolutely right madsammy, how many Canadian films has Maple successfully released? Without Lionsgate there is no Maple.
All they do is copy everything Alliance does and oh by the way, most of the staff over there are ex-Alliance employees so if they’ve done anything right its because they learned how to do it from the #1 distributor in the country.
ps – Brad & Laurie = real creative types (ya right!)
MAPLE PICTURES is the BEST
Peter – you should be fired!!
I know a few people that work at Maple and they are great people and I wouldn’t want them to lose their jobs, but, this is not Alliances’ fault. Why should people be angry with Alliance because they are in the position to take advantage of a situation that has been brought to them. Alliance is not the number one indie distributor in Canada for no reason. It took a lot of hard work, great employees and great leaders like Victor Loewy, Robert Lantos and now Charles Layton to bring that company to where it is today.
Look at it this way: since Layton took over Alliance, the company has shrink about 50%. A visionnary. Ask Goldman Sachs what they think about the great value creation of the past 4 years at Alliance!