Toronto distributor levelFILM has added two VPs to its executive team following the departures of its co-founder and head of distribution.

Olivier Gauthier-Mercier (pictured left) has been hired as VP, distribution, while Lainie Elton (pictured right) returns to the company with the title of VP, sales and acquisitions.

They will begin before the start of the Toronto International Film Festival on Sept. 7, according to a levelFILM spokesperson, and report to Ben C. Silverman, executive chair at levelFILM and president of private media investment firm and majority shareholder Various Things Entertainment.

Both join levelFILM from Montreal and Toronto-based Sphere Films, where Gauthier-Mercier held the same title and oversaw the release of titles such as Beau is Afraid, Aftersun and Showing Up.

Elton served as VP, licensing and digital strategy at Sphere Films for two years. She previously worked at levelFILM from 2016 to 2021 in sales and acquisitions, where she led home releases for Canadian film Firecrackers and A24 titles The Last Black Man in San Francisco and The Assistant, and established relationships with partners such as Netflix and Rogers.

The hiring news comes about a month after levelFILM announced that co-founder David Hudakoc and head of distribution John Bain departed the company to pursue new opportunities. It was also announced at that time that levelFILM had acquired an unspecified amount of capital from Various Things Entertainment to support its growth.

Photos courtesy of levelFILM