River Road Entertainment is an American independent film production company founded in 1987 by Bill Pohlad, who is also the company's president. It is based in Los Angeles and Minneapolis. Films produced by River Road include 12 Years A Slave, The Tree of Life, and American Utopia. Other titles include Into the Wild, Wild, Fair Game, Love & Mercy (which Pohlad also directed), Brokeback Mountain, A Prairie Home Companion, and A Monster Calls, as well as feature documentary films, including Food, Inc.
History Bill Pohlad founded River Road Entertainment in 1987.
In October 2006, veteran Frank Hildebrand was appointed head of production, ex-director of Film Finance Corporation Australia, Deborah Zisper took care of the business.
In September 2007, Mitch Horwits was promoted to president of the company.
In July 2008, River Road invested in the financing of The Runaways, a biopic about the history of one of the American female rock and roll bands of the 1970s, named The Runaways, which included Joan Jett, Cherie Curie, and the late Sandy West.
In April 2017, Gray Rembert joined the company as executive vice president after he left GK Films.
In June 2020, Kim Roth was appointed Co-President and Creative Director of the company, then promoted Christa Zofcin Workman to Co-President and COO.
In October 2024, StudioCanal acquired international distribution rights (excluding UK rights to The Tree of Life, retained by Searchlight Pictures) to 11 films produced by River Road across theatrical, television, SVOD and other media.
Films Release date Title Director(s) Distributor(s) Co-production with December 9, 2005 Brokeback Mountain Ang Lee Focus Features Alberta Film Entertainment, Good Machine June 9, 2006 A Prairie Home Companion Robert Altman Picturehouse, New Line Cinema GreeneStreet Films, Sandcastle 5 Productions, Prairie Home Productions, Armenia Film Studio November 10, 2006 Fur Steven Shainberg Picturehouse Edward R. Pressman Film, Iron Films, Vox3 Films, Furthefilm LLC September 21, 2007 Into the Wild Sean Penn Paramount Vantage Paramount Vantage, Square One C.I.H. and Linson Film September 24, 2007 Lust, Caution Ang Lee Focus Features Haishang Films, Sil-Metropole Organisation February 29, 2008 Chicago 10 Brett Morgen Roadside Attractions Consolidated Documentaries, Participant Productions, Curious Pictures June 12, 2009 Food, Inc. Robert Kenner Magnolia Pictures Dogwoof Pictures, Participant Media March 19, 2010 The Runaways Floria Sigismondi Appartition Linson Entertainment October 1, 2010 Fair Game Doug Liman Summit EntertainmentGulf Film Participant Media, Weed Road Pictures, Hypnotic, Zucker Productions May 27, 2011 The Tree of Life Terrence Malick Fox Searchlight Pictures Plan B Entertainment November 8, 2013 12 Years a Slave Steve McQueen Fox Searchlight PicturesEntertainment One FilmsLionsgate Films Fox Searchlight Pictures, Summit Entertainment, Regency Enterprises, Plan B Entertainment, New Regency Productions, Film4 Productions June 5, 2015 Love & Mercy Bill Pohlad Lionsgate, Roadside Attractions Battle Mountain Films September 11, 2015 Time Out of Mind Oren Moverman IFC Films Blackbird, Cold Iron Pictures, Gere Productions, QED International October 7, 2016 A Monster Calls J. A. Bayona Universal PicturesEntertainment One FilmsFocus Features Participant Media, Apaches Entertainment, Telecinco Cinema, Peliculas La Trini June 29, 2017 The Last Face Sean Penn Saban Films FilmHaven Entertainment, Gerber Pictures, Matt Palmieri Productions July 26, 2017 Valerian and the City of a Thousand Planets Luc Besson EuropaCorp DistributionSTXfilms EuropaCorp, TF1 Films Production, Fundamental Films, BNP Paribas, Orange Studio, Novo Pictures, Belga Films October 17, 2020 American Utopia Spike Lee HBOUniversal Pictures HBO Films, Participant, Warner Music Entertainment, 40 Acres and a Mule Filmworks, RadicalMedia, Todomundo August 4, 2023 Dreamin' Wild Bill Pohlad Roadside Attractions Zurich Avenue, Innisfree Pictures November 24, 2023 Frybread Face and Me Billy Luther ARRAY MACRO, Indion Entertainment, REI Co-OP Studios, World of Wonder, Good Gravy Films, Fit Via Vi April 9, 2024 Food, Inc. 2 Robert KennerMelissa Robledo Magnolia PicturesParticipant July 18, 2025 Unicorns Sally El HosainiJames Krishna Floyd Signature EntertainmentCohen Media Group Maven Screen Media, Chromatic Aberration
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