Orchard Film Rebrands as 1091, Sets ‘Meeting Gorbachev’ as First Release

By Dave McNary

LOS ANGELES (Variety.com) – The Orchard Film Group is re-launching as 1091 after being acquired by investment group 1091 Media.

Daniel Stein and Joe Samberg, principals of 1091 Media, made the announcement on Wednesday. Stein will take an active role in the company as executive chairman of 1091.

The company has set a May 3 opening for Werner Herzog’s documentary “Meeting Gorbachev” and a May 24 release for the fashion documentary “Halston” as its first theatrical releases under the new banner. Both movies will be shown at the Tribeca Film Festival.

The new company’s leadership includes Chad Blackwell, chief operating officer and chief financial officer; Julie Dansker, chief revenue officer; Danielle Di Giacomo, senior VP of acquisitions and strategic partnerships; Adam Brostoff, senior VP of operations; Danny Grant, senior VP of film and strategic partnerships; and Natalie Mooallem, senior VP of client management.

The film business was acquired from global music distribution company the Orchard, which was sold to Sony Music Entertainment in 2015.

“This is a homecoming in many ways for Joe and me, having originally launched the business in 2010 when we owned the Orchard,” he said. “With the dramatic shifts in the content and distribution landscape, more content is being created and delivered to more platforms than ever before. We look forward to building on our relationships with filmmakers and content creators.”

The company’s previous releases included “Cartel Land,” “Life, Animated,” “What We Do in the Shadows,” “Hunt for the Wilderpeople,” and “The Hero.” The new company was named 1091 as a nod to its history, since 1091 was the office address of Stein and Samberg’s investment firm — the Orchard’s original investors in 2003.