Kino Lorber Promotes Monica Bloom To Chief Marketing Officer

EXCLUSIVE: Kino Lorber Media Group has promoted Monica Bloom to Chief Marketing Officer.

The exec held the same title for a division of the company, MHz Choice, since June 2023. Her portfolio will now expand to include all marketing and communications for Kino Lorber, including Kino Film Collection’s streaming service and home entertainment operation.

Bloom joined the company in June 2023, shortly after it formed a joint venture with First Look Media to operate the Topic streaming service. It then integrated Topic into MHz Choice, a specialist in international series it had acquired in 2022. In announcing Bloom’s promotion, Kino Lorber called her “instrumental” in MHz Choice’s subscriber acquisition and retention efforts, and noted her orchestrations of campaigns like the one for German series Babylon Berlin, a signature title.

In her new role, Bloom will oversee brand, digital, and title marketing for Kino Lorber across streaming and home entertainment, along with subscriber acquisition and retention, and all communications and publicity for the company. She will continue to report to COO Martha Benyam.

After nearly a half-century in independent arthouse distribution Kino Lorber has amassed a library of some 4,000 titles. In addition to its streaming operation, the company releases 35 films a year theatrically. Its 12 Oscar nominations in the past 20 years included one this year for Best Documentary Feature with Four Daughters. As the company ramped up its streaming efforts, in 2023 it brought in two former AMC Networks veterans in key exec roles, installing Ed Carroll as Chief Strategy Officer and Lisa Schwartz as Chief Revenue Officer. Carroll was subsequently upped to President.

Prior to her work at Topic and First Look, Bloom held exec posts at Tribeca Shortlist (a joint venture of Tribeca Enterprises and Lionsgate Entertainment), Sundance TV and (RED). She is also Vice Chair for the Alliance for Women in Media, which presents the annual Gracie Awards.

“Monica is a thoughtful brand strategist and creative leader who has helped deliver outstanding audience growth for MHz Choice,” Benyam said. “She’s deeply curious and results-driven, a valued voice on our senior leadership team and a trusted steward of our brands. I know Monica is just the person to continue bringing awareness and connecting audiences to our company, whether they show up in theaters or watch at home on streaming or physical media.”

Bloom called it “tremendously gratifying” to work at a company “dedicated to helping audiences discover the work of independent artists and acclaimed international voices. We share a mission to super-serve our highly engaged and loyal viewers with independent films and international series they will love.”