EXCLUSIVE: Cartuna, a 10-year-old specialty film outfit known for releases like Boys Go to Jupiter, has installed industry veteran Gavin Briscoe as VP of Distribution.
Briscoe has spent nearly 15 years in the indie realm. He recently served as a consultant on the popular annual compendium of Oscar-nominated shorts as well as on No Other Land, which won the 2024 Oscar for Best Documentary.
Among his many projects in his new role is spearheading the joint distribution venture Cartuna x Dweck, a collaboration with fellow New York indie Dweck Productions. The tandem is prepping for an early 2026 theatrical release of director Grace Glowicki’s Dead Lover, an award winner at SXSW last March and a Midnight Madness selection at next month’s Toronto Film Festival.
Cartuna launched its distribution arm last year with a focus on Blu-ray discs, among them the period slapstick comedy Hundreds of Beavers. The company’s first acquisition title, quirky animated feature Boys Go to Jupiter, had a strong opening at New York’s IFC Center last weekend and will roll out to more than 50 markets this month.
“Cartuna lives on the cutting edge of unapologetically independent cinema, and that’s exactly where I want to be,” Briscoe said. “I’m honored to be joining a team with a shared taste and mission rooted in the utmost respect for artists and the magic of theatrical events. I can’t wait for audiences to discover what we have up our sleeves.”
Prior to joining Cartuna, Briscoe was VP of Marketing & Distribution at Utopia, where he led marketing campaigns for films including the Cannes award-winning thriller Holy Spider and indie rock documentary Meet Me in the Bathroom. Briscoe also spent three years as Director of Distribution at Magnolia Pictures, where he worked on Academy Award-nominated releases like RBG and Collective and bolstered the veteran distributor’s repertory and non-theatrical sales efforts across its 500-film catalog.
“It’s time to level up!” Cartuna founder and CEO James Belfer exclaimed in a statement. “Gavin’s strong ethos is exactly what we all need to continue the evolution of film distribution. I look forward to seeing what this partnership brings.”
Upcoming on Cartuna’s slate are recent Sundance premieres Obex; cult anime sequel Tamala 2030: A Punk Cat in Dark; Locarno and Toronto selection Once in a Body, Moonfish, which was picked for the Gotham 2025 Project Market; and Silence Sometimes.
Beyond the film business, Cartuna also was one of the investors in breakout Broadway comedy Oh, Mary! The production recouped its investment last fall, setting multiple house records at the Lyceum Theatre. Star Cole Escola went on to win a Tony Award for Best Performance By A Lead Actor in a Play.
