October Films Taps Former Miramax Exec as Co-President

Former Miramax Films executive Scott Greenstein was named co-president of October Films, the specialty film distributor controlled by Universal Studios Inc.

Greenstein will share overall creative and business management duties with partners Bingham Ray and John Schmidt.

Greenstein, who was most recently senior vice president of motion pictures, music, new media and publishing at Miramax Films, will be based in New York.

Before joining Miramax in 1993, he was vice president of Viacom International.

Universal Pictures recently acquired a majority interest in October. Under terms of the agreement, October will keep its headquarters in New York and Los Angeles and will continue to acquire, create, market and distribute its films theatrically in the United States, and internationally in all media.

Universal will distribute October’s films in all other domestic media and ancillary markets, including home video, upon expiration of October’s existing distribution agreements.

Since its inception in 1992, October Films has released such films as “Ruby in Paradise,” “The Last Seduction,” “The White Balloon,” “Secrets & Lies” and “Breaking the Waves.”

The company’s current release schedule includes Mike Leigh’s “Career Girls” and Jim Jarmusch’s documentary on Neil Young, “The Year of the Horse.”