Triumph Films (also known as Triumph Releasing Corporation) was an American independent film studio division of Sony Pictures Entertainment, that geared towards theatre and direct-to-video film production and distribution.
History It was founded in 1982 as a joint venture between Columbia Pictures and the French company Gaumont to distribute foreign films in the US. In 1984, Marcie Bloom, who was formerly of the New York Film Festival, joined Triumph Films to serve as New York publicity director (Bloom would later co-found Sony Pictures Classics).
In 1985, Triumph Films announced that they would cut back down on their production slate, focusing on foreign-language films with English subtitles. Shortly afterwards, Gaumont decided to cut ties, and Columbia Pictures, now the sole owner, decided to shutter Triumph Films, and fold it into the Columbia Pictures label. The arthouse functions were later taken by Sony Pictures Classics in 1992.
On January 5, 1988, the then-newly founded Columbia Pictures Entertainment announced that they would revive the Triumph brand as a new worldwide subsidiary, Triumph Releasing Corporation; this incarnation of Triumph provided administrative services related to the distribution of Columbia Pictures and Tri-Star Pictures in the U.S. and Canada, while internationally, Triumph would be responsible for the sales, marketing and distribution of Columbia and Tri-Star films under the direction of each individual studio. It was officially incorporated on March 24, 1988.SONY PICTURES RELEASING CORPORATION businessprofiles.com, Retrieved on January 20, 2014
In 1989, Triumph began to distribute films from Crédit Lyonnais's Epic Productions Inc. under a theatrical distribution agreement. The company also started distributing films from 21st Century Film Corporation and SVS Films (owned by Sony) around the time, the latter after Sony acquired Columbia Pictures Entertainment.
In 1991, when SVS was reorganized, SVS Films was absorbed as the production branch of Triumph Releasing Corporation, while the home video unit of SVS was reorganized as SVS/Triumph before the home video unit shuttered.
In March 1992, David Saunders, who was business partner with Zalman King, and former president of The Guber-Peters Entertainment Company, became president of Triumph Releasing Corporation, which transferred from distributing films by Epic Productions and Vision International to focus itself on low-budget productions. In 1994, the company entered into a pact with Crystal Sky Pictures for production of two low-budget family feature films.
On November 23, 1994, Triumph Releasing Corporation was renamed as Sony Pictures Releasing Corporation, and the Triumph name was spun off at film production as Triumph Films, now primarily a label for low-budget and direct-to-video releases.
The company shuttered in 1997, as many of these films made under the Triumph name were flopped at the box office, and also as part of a cost-cutting measure by Sony Pictures Entertainment's new president, John Calley, and many of Triumph's finished films like In God's Hands and Baby Geniuses was transferred to TriStar Pictures. The role as a genre label would later been taken by Screen Gems.
After being shut down in 1997, the Triumph Films label was re-activated in 2003. The label went dormant again in 2008, becoming an in-name-only division of Sony Pictures Releasing Corporation. The company came after the formation of a new entity, Sony Pictures Worldwide Acquisitions. In 2014, the label was revived yet again for the release of The Remaining. Their direct-to-video role has been taken by Destination Films within Sony.
Notable films Notable films include To Gillian on Her 37th Birthday, The Ambulance, Brainscan, Magic in the Water (co-released by TriStar Pictures), The Golden Laws, Steamboy (co-distributed by Destination Films), the controversial Ghosts Can't Do It, and the critically panned SuperBabies: Baby Geniuses 2.
1980s Release date Title February 10, 1982 Das Boot June 21, 1982 La vie continue June 23, 1982 Bob le flambeurOwned by StudioCanal September 14, 1982 Josepha October 6, 1982 Yol January 23, 1983 Parsifal February 11, 1983 We of the Never NeverOwned by Umbrella Entertainment February 16, 1983 That Night in Varennes April 21, 1983 Invitation au voyage April 29, 1983 Querelle May 13, 1983 Ready for Love May 27, 1983 The TroutRetained by Gaumont September 9, 1983 Moon in the Gutter September 28, 1983 Danton November 11, 1983 Purple HazeOwned by MGM December 14, 1983 The Eyes, the Mouth January 26, 1984 And the Ship Sails On May 18, 1984 Danny BoyOwned by Film4 Productions May 25, 1984 Heat of Desire June 12, 1984 Le Dernier CombatU.S. distribution rights to this film have since been transferred to sister company Sony Pictures Classics, which in turn acquired them from producer Gaumont June 21, 1984 After the Rehearsal September 20, 1984 Carmen October 13, 1984 À Nos Amours November 9, 1984 The Little Bunch A Love in Germany August 2, 1985 Death in a French Garden August 26, 1985 My Other Husband October 18, 1985 Acqua e sapone November 1, 1985 Sotto, sotto December 8, 1989 Triumph of the Spirit
1990s Release date Title Notes January 12, 1990 Ski Patrol distribution only; produced by Epic ProductionsRights now belong to Amazon MGM Studios February 16, 1990 Courage Mountain March 9, 1990 Bad Influence March 31, 1990 The Ambulance April 20, 1990 Modern Lovedistribution only; produced by SVS Films Why Me? distribution only; produced by Epic Productions April 27, 1990 Wild Orchid distribution only; produced by Vision PDG June 1, 1990 Ghosts Can't Do It distribution only; produced by Epic Productions July 20, 1990 Clownhouse distribution only: produced by Commercial Pictures August 24, 1990 Men at Work distribution only; produced by Epic Productions September 28, 1990 Dark Angel distribution only; produced by Vision PDG October 26, 1990 Sonny Boy distribution only; produced by Trans World Entertainment November 2, 1990 Waiting for the Light distribution only; produced by Epic Productions November 9, 1990 Mister Frostdistribution only; produced by SVS Films November 21, 1990 Robot Jox distribution only; produced by Empire Pictures April 12, 1991 Eminent Domaindistribution only; produced by SVS Films October 9, 1991 Homicide U.S. distribution onlyDistribution rights now belong to Quiver Distribution November 1, 1991 Year of the Gun February 28, 1992 Gate 2: The Trespassers distribution only; produced by Vision PDG March 27, 1992 Rubydistribution only; produced by PolyGram Filmed Entertainment April 15, 1992 Brenda Starr May 8, 1992 Wild Orchid II: Two Shades of Blue distribution only; produced by Vision PDG August 1, 1992 Jersey Girldistribution only; produced by Electric Pictures October 23, 1992 Zebrahead March 5, 1993 Shadow of the Wolfdistribution only; produced by Vision PDG April 9, 1993 Sidekicks distribution only; produced by Vision PDG and Gallery FilmsDistribution rights now belong to Samuel Goldwyn Films April 22, 1994 Brainscan March 3, 1995 Nina Takes a Lover April 12, 1995 Jury Duty co-production with TriStar Pictures August 30, 1995 Magic in the Water January 26, 1996 Screamers co-production with Columbia Pictures August 23, 1996 Solo October 18, 1996 To Gillian on Her 37th Birthday co-production with Rastar April 14, 1997 Bliss May 2, 1997 Truth or Consequences, N.M. August 22, 1997 Masterminds co-production with Columbia Pictures September 12, 1997 The Disappearance of Garcia Lorca co-production with Sony Pictures Releasing September 26, 1997 The Assignment
2000s Release date Title Notes December 5, 2003 The Golden Laws August 27, 2004 Superbabies: Baby Geniuses 2 co-production with ApolloMedia, Crystal Sky Pictures and Hador BG2 Productions Ltd. March 18, 2005 Steamboy US distribution only; co-distributed by Destination Films, produced by Sunrise and Toho February 17, 2006 The Second Chance co-production with Provident Films, Ruckus Film and Cedar Partners January 2, 2007 Shottas co-distributed by Destination Films April 18, 2008 Zombie Strippers theatrical distribution only; produced by Stage 6 Films
2010s Release date Title Notes September 5, 2014 The Remaining distribution only; produced by Affirm FilmsFinal film from Triumph Films altogether.
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