Jasper Basch, director of sales and distribution for IFC Films, is leaving at week’s end to become Variance Films’ new head of distribution, marking the third high-profile departure for the indie studio in two weeks.
Basch began his career at Variance, eventually becoming manager of distribution. His exit follows those of former president Arianna Bacco and former SVP and GM of IFC Center John Vanco.
Basch joined IFC in 2020, where he oversaw 30 releases per year. This included a slew of overperforming titles in the summer of 2020, where mostly-closed theaters and mostly delayed tentpoles left the box office dominated by drive-in flicks like “The Wretched” and “The Rental.” During this time, he also handled theatrical distribution for Shudder and RLJE Films. As recently as January of 2023, he helped push the microbudget horror sleeper “‘Skinamarink” to $1.5 million in domestic earnings.
During his prior time as VP of theatrical sales at Greenwich Entertainment, he handled the distribution of the likes of “Echo in the Canyon” and “Linda Ronstadt: The Sound of My Voice.” He had previously founded Cartilage Films, an independent film distributor and theatrical booking agency used by Screen Media Films, MUBI, Metrograph Pictures, Paladin, Film Movement, and Arrow Films.
Variance has recently celebrated its 15th anniversary, and its recent theatrical victories include the Oscar-winning “Drive My Car” and the Oscar-nominated “EO” alongside Park Chan-wook’s acclaimed “Decision to Leave.”
The company, which partners with rights holders for a variety of theatrical films, helped re-issue S.S. Rajamouli’s “RRR” months after the initial early-2023 release which helped jump-start the film’s Oscar campaign. It would win a single Academy Award, for “Best Original Song.” The film’s overall domestic haul is $14.5 million, right below “Pathaan” ($17.5 million in 2023) and “Baahubali 2: The Conclusion” ($20.1 million in 2017) among recent Indian success stories.
Basch’s departure comes amid major cutbacks at IFC parent company AMC Networks, which slashed 20% of their workforce this past November.
Deadline first reported the news of Basch’s departure.
