Evolution Announces International Sub-Agents for Miramax Portfolio of Properties

Kalman J. (KJ) Istok Joins Company as Vice President of International Licensing

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Apr 16, 2013, 08:40 ET

LOS ANGELES, April 16, 2013 /PRNewswire/ -- Evolution, the premier licensing and global brand management firm, which was appointed global licensing and promotions agency for all merchandise stemming from Miramax's portfolio of properties, today announced international sub-agents in Europe, Latin America and Asia-Pacific. The Miramax portfolio encompasses more than 700 of the world's most original and acclaimed independent films, including the iconic Pulp Fiction, Kill Bill Vol. I and II, Jackie Brown, Bad Santa, Chicago and Sin City. The announcement was made today by Travis J. Rutherford, President of Licensing, and Retail Development, Evolution.

(Photo: http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20130416/PH95026 )

"The potential housed within the Miramax library has attracted a diverse, enthusiastic, and knowledgeable group of international sub-agents around the world, and we are very excited to begin working with this impressive group," said Rutherford. "Each of these agents brings a unique expertise and well-established relationships in their specific market, which in turn creates a myriad of opportunities for each of the Miramax properties, especially as we celebrate many milestone anniversaries for some of the most memorable Miramax titles."

International sub-agents for the Miramax portfolio which will be directed and managed by Evolution are as follows:

ASIA-PACIFIC
Merchantwise Pty Ltd in Australia and New Zealand; Asiana Licensing in Korea; Blue Sky International LLP in Japan; and Empire Multimedia Corporation in Hong Kong, Peoples Republic of China, Taiwan, Philippines, Singapore, Malaysia, Indonesia, Thailand, and Vietnam.

EUROPE
Sagoo in France; Celebrities Entertainment GmbH in Germany, Austria, and Switzerland; BN Licensing B.V. in the Netherlands; Rizon in the UK and Ireland; and Ink TM A/S in Denmark, Finland, Iceland, Norway, and Sweden.

LATIN AMERICA
Brandvida, LLC in Mexico, Brazil, Chile and Peru.

Overseeing Evolution's international sub-agents is the Company's newest team member, Kalman J. (KJ) Istok. Istok joins the firm as Vice President of International Licensing, reporting directly to Rutherford. In his new post as VP of International Licensing, Istok is charged with evaluating, establishing and managing the sub-agents throughout Europe, including Eastern European markets, the Middle East, and Latin America, as well as working with consultants, direct key licensees, creative agencies and others on behalf of Evolution's brand partners.

A seasoned international licensing, branding and marketing industry executive, Istok comes to Evolution with extensive operational experience in international licensing and brand building, including three years as Chairman of the Board for Denmark's Ink, two years as Chief Executive Officer and Director of Emerging Markets of Kidz Entertainment. Istok, founded EEMC, the first American licensing agency focused entirely on Eastern Europe and Russia, in 1992 and served as its President for over 15 years. He earned a Bachelor of Science degree in American Studies from Wesleyan University in Connecticut and a Masters degree in Historic Preservation from New York's Columbia University.

About Miramax:
Miramax is a leading worldwide film and television studio with a library of more than 700 motion pictures. The Miramax library holds some of the world's most original and acclaimed independent films including Pulp Fiction, Shakespeare in Love, Chicago, Good Will Hunting,The English Patient, No Country for Old Men, Kill Bill Volumes I and II, Life is Beautiful, Reservoir Dogs, Sex, Lies and Videotape, Cinema Paradiso and My Left Foot – as well as scores of commercially successful films such as Bridget Jones's Diary, Bad Santa, and the Scream, Hellraiser, Scary Movie and Spy Kids franchises. Collectively, the Miramax library has received 284 Academy Award nominations and 68 Oscars, including four Best Picture awards.

Miramax is headquartered in Santa Monica, California with a sales office in London. For more information, please visit www.miramax.com, "like" the company on Facebook and follow Miramax on Twitter @Miramax.

About Evolution:
Evolution's current executive partners include Travis J. Rutherford, President of Licensing and Retail Development, Adam Unger, President of Sales & Marketing, Stanley Lerman, Managing Director and Chief Operating Officer, and Ryan Broomberg, Executive Vice President. Evolution has the expertise to fully monetize intellectual properties through licensing, promotions, location based entertainment, retail development and brand management on a global basis. Evolution is also adept at managing manufacturing and distribution, which enables it to develop intellectual properties from concept to the retail shelf. By focusing on brand protection, Evolution secures the right licensing partners to best maximize and maintain the longevity of revenue streams. Evolution has sophisticated asset management, contract management and royalty reporting systems that combined with its in house expertise makes it a highly attractive alternative to full in-house licensing operation. www.evomgt.com

For media inquiries, please contact:
Michelle Orsi/Carol Holdsworth
Three.Sixty Marketing + Communications
Email
1.310.418.6430

For licensing and retail inquiries, please contact:
Travis J. Rutherford
Evolution
Email
1.818.501.3186

This press release was issued through eReleases® Press Release Distribution. For more information, visit http://www.ereleases.com.

SOURCE Evolution