Sony Pictures Classics

Sony Pictures Classics is a film division of Sony Pictures Entertainment founded in 1992 by former Orion Classics heads Michael Barker, Tom Bernard, and Marcie Bloom (similar to Fox Searchlight Pictures and Focus Features). It distributes, produces and acquires specialty films (especially of documentaries, independent films and art films) from the United States and around the world. As of 2015, Barker and Bernard are co-presidents of the division.

The History of the company:

Sony Pictures Classics was founded on January 1, 1992, by Michael Barker, Tom Bernard, and Marcie Bloom, set up as an autonomous division of Sony Pictures Entertainment. The model of the company is to produce, acquire and/or distribute independent films from the United States and internationally.

Sony Pictures Classics has a history of making reasonable investments for small films, and getting a decent return. It has a history of not overspending. Its largest commercial success of the 2010s is Woody Allen's Midnight in Paris (2011), which grossed over $56 million in the U.S., becoming Allen's highest-grossing film ever in the United States.

Occasionally, Sony Pictures Classics agrees to release films for all other departments of Sony; However, under Sony Pictures Classics' contract with Sony, all other departments of Sony (including the parent company) cannot force Sony Pictures Classics to release any film that the division does not want to release.

Select Releases:

Run Lola Run (co-production with X-Filme Creative Pool) (October 23, 2009)

Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon (co-production with Good Machine International) (January 7, 2011)

Crush (co-production with Film4) (June 8, 2012)

Belleville Rendez-vous (co-production with Tartan Films) (August 30, 2013)

Blue Jasmine (co-production with Warner Bros Pictures and Gravier Productions) (September 27, 2013)

The Raid 2 (co-production with eOne UK and Stage 6) (April 11, 2014)

House of Flying Daggers (co-production with Nando's Distribution) (December 19, 2014)

Foxcatcher (co-production with eOne UK and Annapurna Pictures) (January 9, 2015)

Whiplash (co-production with Stage 6 and Blumhouse Productions) (January 16, 2015)

The Frencher Venture: 4x4 (co-production with Participant Media, Initial Entertainment Group and Moorfield Pictures) (December 18, 2015)

Truth (co-production with Warner Bros Pictures and RatPac Entertainment) (March 4, 2016)

Rock the Kasbah (March 18, 2016)

Our Little Sister (co-production with Curzon Artificial Eye) (April 15, 2016)

Miles Ahead (co-production with Icon Productions and Crescendo Productions) (April 22, 2016)

I Saw the Light (co-production with RatPac Entertainment) (May 6, 2016)

The Meddler (co-production with Stage 6 and Anonymous Content) (June 24, 2016)

Maggie's Plan (July 8, 2016)

Julieta (co-production with Nando's Distribution) (August 26, 2016)