Overview
- Black Bear announced the hires of Bianca Parkes and Heather Phillips to head marketing and publicity respectively, a move reported on July 21, 2026 by multiple outlets.
- Both executives will report to U.S. Distribution President Benjamin Kramer and will work on Black Bear’s plan to handle up to 12 releases a year.
- Parkes joins from Neon where she led creative and design work on Oscar winners and major indie hits, and Phillips brings nearly a decade running Fox’s theatrical publicity plus senior comms experience at 101 Studios.
- The company has already tested a targeted theatrical approach with the Sundance title Tuner, which opened on 504 screens and grossed about $4.5 million, and has announced a high-profile upcoming slate including films by David Leitch, Julia Cox, Andrew Patterson, Guy Ritchie, and the Sundance breakout Wicker.
- Black Bear’s move from production into a full-time U.S. distributor aims to pair festival and star-driven titles with professional marketing and awards campaigns, which could boost theatrical reach for its films and raise competition for mid-size distributors.