Laurie May is stepping down as co-president of Elevation Pictures, the indie film distribution banner she launched in 2013 in Canada and with backing from Teddy Schwarzman’s Black Bear.
May in a statement said she was proud of what she had helped build at Toronto-based Elevation and “I am excited to now move forward and pursue my other passions.” Noah Segal, long co-president of Elevation alongside May, will now take the helm as president of the indie distribution and production banner.
As an indie distributor, Elevation competes in the shadow of Hollywood studios dominating the local multiplex with star-driven tentpoles by embracing indie filmmakers in Canada and international art house titles. Many of Elevation’s releases come via output deals with American partners, including Black Bear, Neon and A24, with whom Elevation is a preferred partner north of the border.
Schwarzman, a key investor in Elevation, in his own statement said “the entire Elevation team recognizes and appreciates Laurie’s substantial contributions to Elevation’s creation, growth and success. Her vision, commitment and entrepreneurial leadership have been instrumental in building the company to what it is today, and we cannot thank her enough for the past thirteen years.”
Elevation has 14 movie titles set to play at the 2026 Toronto Film Festival, including Neon’s Fjord, which won the Palme D’or in Cannes, All of a Sudden, and A24’s Club Kid and The Debut.
Elevation more recently had box office fortune at the Canadian multiplex with the breakout horror pic Backrooms and Marty Supreme, starring Timothee Chalamet, as Elevation has built a tradition of bringing Canadian and international arthouse and commercial titles to the theatrical marketplace.
Other major Elevation releases north of the U.S. border include The Imitation Game, Room, Moonlight, Everything Everywhere All At Once, Anora and Sentimental Value.
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