– Lions Gate buys IMG

Vancouver’s Lions Gate Entertainment has signed an agreement to acquire l.a.-based indie distribco International Movie Group for 1.4 million Lions Gate common shares. At the time of the agreement, Lions Gate shares were trading at $3.50 on the tse.

img currently owns distribution rights to 32 films, including 12 cofinanced and coproduced with France’s Canal Plus. Titles among img’s library include Kickboxer, Cadence, Buster and the Best of the Best series. The films will be added to Lions Gate’s current library of over 800 films.

The transaction is subject to approval by img shareholders and is expected to close on or about June 30. img’s operations will be integrated into Lions Gate’s existing domestic and international film distribution divisions, which include Lions Gate Films International, Lions Gate Releasing and Lions Gate Home Entertainment.

Lions Gate says the acquisition follows its mandate to strategically strengthen and expand the company through major acquisitions. It currently has six separate groups or divisions: Lions Gate Films, the Mandalay Pictures coventure, Mandalay Television, Montreal’s Cine-Groupe, Lions Gate Media and Lions Gate Studios.

– Omega/Motion 5-pic deal

Upstart Toronto prodco Omega Pictures International has inked a five-picture licence agreement with Montreal-based distributor Motion International.

Of the five films under the agreement, three are Cancon titles: The Spreading Ground, starring Dennis Hopper; Cash Cows, written by Canadian Bob Mandl; and Tripwire, directed by Sidney Furie.

Also on the slate are two non-indigenous films, Lakeboat, written by David Mamet and directed by Joe Mantegna, and The Great Jones Street, based on the Don Delillo novel, starring Keanu Reeves and directed by Steven Kay. None of the films have begun production.

The news of the deal is generating out of the Omega camp, and sources at Motion say they are taking a ‘wait and see’ approach as to whether or not financing can be secured for the ambitious five-picture slate.

– Astral Video expands

Astral Communications has consolidated its video duplication and distribution business and created a new division called Astral Distribution and Logistics. AD&L will expand Astral Video’s wholesale and retail distribution activities.

Sidney Greenberg, president of Astral Video and Technical Services, says the new division is an extension of the direction undertaken with the recently announced distribution and duplication deals with Blockbuster Video and Walt Disney, respectively. The new marketing thrust is expected to include mass merchandisers.

Astral Video now has three operating units including video and music marketer Astral Home Video, headed by newly named president Randal Palach, Jim Hyslop, VP/GM of AD&L, and the AstralTech Video Duplication center managed by vp/gm Armand Cournoyer. All three report to Greenberg.

ahe is moving to a new facility in Toronto, expected to be fully operational by the fall. The Toronto operation will include a new distribution center, adding to existing centers in Montreal and Calgary.

– Great North gets royalty $s

Great North Communications has signed a $1.5-million agreement with Toronto’s Media Royalty Corporation to provide the Edmonton prodco with significant growth capital.

Established in 1996, mrc provides royalty financing to expanding companies. In what is deemed alternative financing for the film and television industry, mrc creates and acquires royalty interests in companies’ products, as opposed to traditional production financing through presale licence fees, government assistance and funding agencies.

Concurrent with the new financing arrangement, Great North has added mrc president Louis Silverstein to its board of directors.

mrc is a subsidiary of the tse-listed McCarvill Corporation.

– CAFDE boos gov’t ruling while VCC cheers

The Canadian Association of Film Distributors and Exporters reacted with expected disappointment to the federal government’s decision to uphold the crtc’s decision to remove the condition for dth licence holders to purchase distribution rights for select feature films from Canuck distribcos.

Richard Paradis, who is the lobby body’s president, was encouraged that in the context of the decision Heritage Minister Sheila Copps reaffirmed her commitment to developing a distinct Canadian market for film and television rights.

Understandably, Viewer’s Choice Canada reacted favorably to the ruling, announcing that pay-per-view blockbuster movies will be available shortly to Canadian dth satellite dish owners.

– Vidatron placement

Vancouver prodco Vidatron Entertainment recently completed the private placement of 800,000 common shares at $3.75 for proceeds of $3 million. Working Opportunities Fund, a b.c. mutual fund, purchased the shares, which will be subject to a one-year hold period.

– People

– The North American National Broadcasters Association has appointed Robin Stratton, director of programming for ABC Sports, as the new nanba chair.

– Vancouver independent film and video company P.S. Films has added director of development Bill Elliott and writer/producers Carole Burgess and Erin Miller to its current team of Shel Piercy, Pat O’Brien and Dan Carriere.

– TLN Television (Telelatino Network) has appointed Aldo Di Felice as chief operating officer.

– ChumCity International has appointed Jacques de Suze to the newly created position of director of station development. cci is the distribution and development are of Chum Television.

– Alliance has confirmed that Jim Sherry has been appointed senior vp and gm for Alliance Releasing. (PB May 4).

– wtn has named Donna Holgate cohost/segment producer of fall show WTN Weekday.