Elevation Pictures

Overview

Elevation Pictures is a Canadian independent film distribution company founded in 2013 and based in Toronto. The company releases 15 to 25 films per year across Canada, occupying the commercial independent space between Mongrel Media's arthouse focus and the major studio arms. Co-presidents Laurie May and Noah Segal run the company with backing from Teddy Schwarzman's Black Bear Pictures, which provided the initial financing after May and Segal pitched the concept following the 2012 eOne acquisition of Alliance Films.

Elevation has output deals with Black Bear, Neon, and A24, making it the preferred Canadian partner for those US distributors. The company distributed Conclave (2024) to CAD $4.2 million (13% of the US box office share) and Anora (2024) to CAD $1.6 million (10% share), both well above the typical 7 to 8% Canadian share of US box office. Past releases include The Imitation Game (2014, $10 million Canadian box office), Room (2015), Moonlight (2016), and Everything Everywhere All at Once (2022).

For filmmakers seeking Canadian theatrical distribution, Elevation is the leading independent option for commercial and prestige titles that do not fit the strictly arthouse profile of Mongrel Media.

Distribution Model and Output Deals

Elevation distributes theatrically across Canada through its own infrastructure, placing films in both multiplex chains and arthouse cinemas depending on the commercial profile of each title. The company's theatrical range runs from 50-screen limited releases to 500-screen wide releases, broader than most Canadian independent distributors.

The company's output deals with A24, Neon, and Black Bear give it first-look Canadian rights to those distributors' slates. This means Elevation handles Canadian theatrical and digital releases for titles like Babygirl, Past Lives, and Anora from A24, and Infinity Pool from Neon. Elevation also acquires independently at TIFF, Sundance, AFM, and Berlin, and has a growing production arm.

Home entertainment and digital releases follow the theatrical window through Elevation's relationships with Canadian TVOD and SVOD platforms. The company manages the full distribution pipeline from theatrical through digital for its acquisitions.

Production Expansion

In 2025, Elevation announced an ambitious production slate targeting three to five features and one series per year. The company is leveraging Canadian production subsidies to make what co-president Noah Segal describes as "American-style movies with international benefits." The production pipeline includes:

• Rapture, a Canadian-UK medieval horror directed by Jordan Tannahill, produced with US outfit 2AM (producers of Babygirl and Past Lives), shooting partially in Hungary
• Heather of the Valley, a Canadian-UK ensemble comedy described as "Bridesmaids meets Outlander," shooting in the UK with Dan Hine of Who's On First
• Lilith Fair, a documentary about the all-women music festival co-founded by Sarah McLachlan, produced with White Horse Pictures and Dan Levy, directed by Ally Pankiw
• A project with Final Destination: Bloodlines co-directors Zach Lipovsky and Adam B. Stein
• Dreadnought, a Dave Bautista dystopian thriller sold by WME Independent

Prior producer and co-producer credits include French Girl (acquired by Paramount) and Infinity Pool (Neon and Focus Features). Elevation also partnered with Vancouver-based Network Entertainment in 2025 to distribute the I Am documentary series in Canada, starting with I Am Joe Frazier, I Am Luke Perry, and I Am Raquel Welch.

What Filmmakers Should Know

Elevation acquires at TIFF, Sundance, AFM, Berlin, and through relationships with international sales agents. The company is a consistent presence at TIFF industry events, reflecting the importance of the Toronto market to its acquisition activity. Canadian pre-sales to Elevation are a recognized financing mechanism for qualifying productions, particularly for English-language commercial and genre films targeting the Canadian multiplex audience.

The company's appetite for commercial genre films alongside prestige drama makes it more accessible for projects that do not fit Mongrel Media's strictly arthouse profile. Elevation has distributed genre titles like Humane (2024, Caitlin Cronenberg's directorial debut) alongside awards contenders like Conclave and Anora.

Elevation operates with a small team of approximately eight people who collectively evaluate acquisitions. The company focuses on nurturing each theatrical release rather than relying on volume, a strategy that co-president Laurie May says is designed to make each film perform better rather than hoping one out of ten small releases breaks through.

Notable Releases

Watch: Trailers and Interviews

See Also

For how Canadian distribution deals are structured and how pre-sales work as financing, see Distribution Deals Explained. To compare Elevation's commercial release model with Mongrel Media's arthouse focus as Canadian distribution options, use the Revenue Forecast Calculator. For Canadian film festivals where Elevation acquires titles, see the Film Festivals Directory.