Elevation Pictures co-founder Laurie May leaves distributor after 13 years
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Laurie May has stepped down as co-president of Elevation Pictures, the independent Canadian distribution company she helped found in 2013 alongside Black Bear's Teddy Schwarzman during the Toronto International Film Festival. Over her 13 years with the firm, May helped build Elevation into Canada's leading independent distributor, with the company handling domestic releases of acclaimed titles including The Imitation Game, Room, Moonlight and Everything Everywhere All at Once, as well as recent A24 successes such as Backrooms and Marty Supreme.
May said she was leaving to pursue other professional interests, while Schwarzman praised her vision and entrepreneurial leadership in building the company. Elevation's recent slate includes PAW Patrol: The Dino Movie, which has grossed over $70 million worldwide, and the company currently has 14 films featured at the 51st Toronto International Film Festival, among them Cannes Palme d'Or winner Fjord and A24's The Debut and Club Kid. May, a past recipient of the 2010 Women in Film and Television Outstanding Achievement Award, leaves the company at a high point in its output and festival presence.
- Laurie May exits as Elevation Pictures co-president after 13 years
- She co-founded the Canadian distributor with Black Bear's Teddy Schwarzman in 2013
- Elevation currently has 14 films screening at TIFF's 51st edition
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Elevation Pictures is a Canadian film distribution company, set up in 2013 alongside the Toronto International Film Festival by Laurie May and Teddy Schwarzman, who also runs the production company Black Bear. Since then, Elevation has become one of Canada's more prominent independent distributors, buying the rights to and releasing a range of notable films, including award winners, for Canadian cinema and home audiences.
Laurie May has served as co-president of Elevation since its founding, playing a key role in shaping the company's strategy and its standing in the industry. She has previously been recognised by industry bodies, including Women in Film and Television, which gave her an achievement award in 2010.
The story matters because it marks the departure of one of the company's founding leaders after thirteen years, a significant moment for a firm whose identity has been closely tied to her involvement since its earliest days.
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Originally published by Deadline as “Laurie May Departing As Co-President Of Elevation Pictures”.