A71 is building out its sales team with the hire of Jessica La Grassa as director of sales and distribution. The newly created role will see La Grassa manage theatrical and platform releases for the company’s distribution titles.

La Grassa joins A71 after serving as manager of sales, home entertainment and ancillary at Mongrel Media since 2016. She previously held marketing and operations roles at eOne, Alliance, Maple Pictures and Anchor Bay.

The Canadian distributor previously boosted its sales operations in late 2017 with the launch of V71, an international sales arm created through a joint venture with Toronto’s Vortex Words + Pictures.

A71 currently holds the distribution rights to a number of upcoming Canadian films, including the Soska Sisters’ reimagining of the David Cronenberg film Rabid, Mammoth Film Festival winner Acquainted and An Audience of Chairs.

Last month, V71 inked a deal with XYZ Films to represent U.S. sales on the feature film She Never Died.