Vuelta Expands Italian Footprint Taking Stake in PiperFilm

Independent music collective Vuelta, with a pan-European reach, has broadened its influence in the Italian market by purchasing a portion of shares in pioneering distribution company PiperFilm based in Italy.

PiperFilm, a distributor that debuted last year at Cannes with Paolo Sorrentino’s “Parthenope,” operates using a unique distribution strategy due to its agreement with Netflix. Under this arrangement, Netflix gets the initial exclusive post-theatrical rights for Italy on their films, while Warner Bros. Entertainment Italia is responsible for physically distributing PiperFilm’s movies in Italian cinemas.

Apart from their own productions, PiperFilm additionally serve as a worldwide distributor for numerous Italian films produced by Eagle Pictures, including the recent blockbuster “The Boy With Pink Pants”. Furthermore, they have a partnership with Be Water, an Italian media company founded by Guido Brera and managed by Barbara Salabè, who was previously the country manager at Warner Bros. Italy. Be Water holds a 12% stake in PiperFilm.

Vuelta, led by Jerome Levy (formerly of Canal+ and Goldman Sachs) and David Atlan-Jackson, didn’t disclose the exact percentage of their ownership in PiperFilm, but according to Italian media sources, it is estimated to be approximately 30%. This makes Vuelta the second largest shareholder in PiperFilm, following Brera and his associates.

In Italy, Vuelta currently holds a well-known production company named Indiana Production, which has been instrumental in creating the opulent period series “The Leopard” for Netflix, as well as other notable productions.

As a cinephile traversing the globe, I’m proud to say that my collection of cinematic treasures stretches far beyond Italy’s borders. In France, I own the iconic Pan, while Germany boasts SquareOne/Telepool. The BeNeLux region is represented by WW Entertainment, and Scandinavia proudly holds Scanbox Entertainment – all part of my diverse cinematic empire.

After Be Water Film’s initial investment, this partnership with Vuelta represents another significant milestone in the expansion of PiperFilm,” commented Massimiliano Orfei, CEO of PiperFilm. “Vuelta is one of the most forward-thinking entities in the European film distribution sector, and I am delighted and honored that Jerome Levy, for whom I express my gratitude, recognizes the aspirations and potential of PiperFilm’s team and the opportunities for collaboration, growth, and value creation,” he concluded.

Levy commented enthusiastically, “It’s a pleasure to collaborate with Piper and their skilled management group. The expansive network they have with top regional content creators makes them an ideal match for our goal of becoming a pan-European distributor of local productions.

Read More

2025-03-26 18:22