Stephan Giger, Stephanie Candinas DCM / David Biedert Berlin-based independent producer/distributor DCM has acquired leading Swiss indie distributor Ascot Elite Entertainment, the two companies announced Thursday.
In a deal between Swiss-born DCM founders Dario Suter, Christoph Daniel, Marc Schmidheiny and Joel Brandeis, and managing director Stephanie Candinas, and Ascot Elite owners Karin G. Dietrich, Ralph S. Dietrich and Stephan Giger, DCM will take full control of Ascot. Candinas will take over executive management of the Swiss company, with Giger remaining in place as co-managing director for a transitional period.
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The new merged company will operate under the DCM brand.
The family-owned Ascot Elite, founded in 1928, is Switzerland’s leading independent film distributor, handling the local release of such features as Marty Supreme, The Housemaid, and No Other Choice in the territory. DCM, launched in 2008, is one of Germany’s top indie producer/distributors, responsible for the German releases of crossover hits including The Artist, Moonlight, and I, Tonya as well as German-language blockbuster kids franchise Bibi & Tini.
The company has a stake in Thorsten Schumacher’s London-based film sales company Rocket Science and in the New York arthouse theater Metrograph. In 2024 they acquired a major stake in Wim Wenders‘ production company Road Movies.
The Ascot Elite owners said they approached DCM with the sale offer. The companies have worked together many times over the years, coordinating the release of third-party titles.
“Ever since we first met Dario, Christoph, Marc and Joel at the start of the last decade, we have enjoyed exceptionally good relations based on high esteem and mutual trust,” the group said in a statement. “The new constellation guarantees the continuity we value so highly and sets the course for the future.”
Joel Brandeis, speaking on behalf of DCM, commented: “We have worked very successfully with the Ascot Elite team on numerous occasions for more than twelve years. Over that period, immense mutual trust has been established. I, my partners and Stephanie Candinas, our Managing Director at DCM in Switzerland, look forward to joining the existing Ascot Elite team in adding a new chapter to this long-running success story.”
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