Jessica Lacy Joins Gersh as Partner Leading Film Finance and Distribution
In a significant industry shift, Jessica Lacy, a veteran in independent film, is leaving Range Media Partners to join Gersh as Partner and Head of Film Finance and Distribution. This announcement arrives just before the Sundance Film Festival.
At Range, Lacy played a pivotal role in leading Range Select, the company’s film finance and sales division, and held the position of partner. Before her tenure at Range, she spent over two decades at ICM Partners, where she served as Partner and Head of the International and Independent Film department, a division she established and developed.
Throughout her career, Lacy has been instrumental in the structuring, financing, packaging, and distribution of films that have premiered at major festivals such as Sundance, Cannes, Berlin, Toronto, SXSW, and Tribeca. She has brokered sales for numerous acclaimed titles in the international festival circuit. Notable recent projects include Anna Kendrick’s directorial debut Woman of the Hour, which was sold to Netflix for $10 million; the Alan Ritchson-starring thriller Motor City, which was acquired by IFC’s RLJE; and the upcoming Sundance 2025 selection By Design. She also worked on Raoul Peck’s Cannes award-winning film Ernest Cole: Lost & Found.
Further, Lacy’s recent and upcoming projects include Raoul Peck’s Orwell: 2+2=5; HBO Max’s documentary Billy Joel: And So It Goes by Susan Lacy and Jessica Levin; She Rides Shotgun, featuring Taron Egerton; and Casey Affleck’s directorial debut Company.
Gersh and Range Media Partners are expected to collaborate on several forthcoming projects, including the Sundance premiere Frank & Louis directed by Petra Volpe, and Family Movie, which features Kevin Bacon and Kyra Sedgwick.
Lacy previously facilitated the record-breaking $25 million acquisition of CODA, the highest-priced sale in Sundance history, which later won the Oscar for Best Picture. She has also worked on prominent films such as Drive My Car, Cha Cha Real Smooth, One Night in Miami, and I Am Not Your Negro.
She brings a robust client portfolio to Gersh, including Raoul Peck, Susan Lacy, and Cold Iron Pictures founder Miranda Bailey. Lacy’s extensive network includes collaborations with renowned filmmakers such as Spike Lee, Brian De Palma, Julie Taymor, Jim Jarmusch, Barry Levinson, and Sofia Coppola, alongside indie talents like Sean Baker and Karyn Kusama.
Leslie Siebert, president of Gersh, stated, “Jessica is one of the top executives in the independent film world, with a track record of pairing bold creative voices with smart, global distribution. Her expertise, relationships, and instinct for the marketplace will be an enormous asset to our clients and strengthen Gersh’s leadership in the independent film space.”
Jack Whigham, founding partner of Range Media Partners, expressed well wishes for Lacy in her new role. “On behalf of Range, we wish Jessica Lacy all the best in her next steps at Gersh. She has been a wonderful partner to us over the past few years, helping set up Range Select, which will continue to operate in her absence. We look forward to continuing to partner with her in this new role, starting with our co-repped title at Sundance and beyond,” he noted.
Lacy’s appointment at Gersh follows the recent hiring of April Tombs as Head of Branding & Endorsements, as well as the agency’s expansion into 17 countries and the launch of new departments focusing on digital, voice, and sports representation.
