Thorsten Ritter Beta Cinema Share on Facebook Share on X Share to Flipboard Send an Email Show additional share options Share on LinkedIn Share on Pinterest Share on Reddit Share on Tumblr Share on Whats App Print the Article Post a Comment Veteran German film executive Thorsten Ritter is leaving Beta Cinema after more than 13 years at the company. Ritter announced his exit on Monday, saying he was leaving "to take on new professional challenges." Ritter has been at Beta since 2012 as EVP of acquisitions, sales and marketing at the German indie group. He's been key in shaping the international strategy of such award-winning films as Nora Fingscheidt's System Crasher (2019), Maria Schrader's I'm Your Man (2021), Florian Henckel von Donnersmarck's Oscar-nominated Never Look Away (2108), and Nick Hamm' recent European actioner William Tell (2024). His international slate has included Rupert Everett's Oscar Wilde biopic The Happy Prince (2018), the 2013 Berlin Golden Bear winner Child's Pose from Romanian director Calin Peter Netzer, and Benedikt Erlingsson's Icelandic dramedy Woman at War (2018). Related Stories TV 'Trigger Point' Writer and Director Talk Making the ITV Hit More Cinematic and Why It's Not All About Explosions Movies Björn Andrésen, Teen Actor in 1971's 'Death in Venice,' Dies at 70 Before joining Beta, Ritter was managing director at Bavaria Film International, where he worked on such features as Nowhere in Africa (2001) Good Bye, Lenin! (2003), and Let the Right One In. (2008). He started his film career as the co-founder and co-director of the Oldenburg International Film Festival, the indie fest dubbed "Germany's Sundance." "It has been a great privilege to accompany so many outstanding films on their journey into the world, together with an exceptionally dedicated and cooperative team," Ritter said in a statement. "My heartfelt thanks go to [Beta Cinema CEO] Dirk Schürhoff, who gave me the opportunity to bring my passion for content-driven collaboration with producers and filmmakers to Beta Cinema - and, along the way, to discover an unexpected joy in selling. Now feels like the right moment to open a new chapter." Schürhoff thanks Ritter for his "exceptionally good, long-standing cooperation, his great commitment, loyalty and substantive contributions" to Beta over the years. "It has been a great time working with him, and I wish him all the very best for his personal and professional future." Ritter did not give any details about his future plans, except to say he remains "closely connected to the European film industry" and looks forward to new projects and collaborations. THR Newsletters Sign up for THR news straight to your inbox every day Subscribe Sign Up Video Games Netflix Shutters Video Game Studio Behind 'Squid Game: Unleashed' UTA 'KPop Demon Hunters' Breakout Kevin Woo Signs With UTA Sports Inside Apple's Big Major League Soccer Bet Shohei Ohtani Why the Shohei Ohtani Gambling Scandal TV Series May Be Striking Out Writers Guild of America Writers Guild Says Potential Warner Bros. Discovery-Paramount Merger Would Be a "Disaster" YouTube TV YouTube TV In Another Carriage Fight: ABC and ESPN May Be Pulled From Platform in Disney Dispute Video Games Netflix Shutters Video Game Studio Behind 'Squid Game: Unleashed' UTA 'KPop Demon Hunters' Breakout Kevin Woo Signs With UTA Sports Inside Apple's Big Major League Soccer Bet Shohei Ohtani Why the Shohei Ohtani Gambling Scandal TV Series May Be Striking Out Writers Guild of America Writers Guild Says Potential Warner Bros. Discovery-Paramount Merger Would Be a "Disaster" YouTube TV YouTube TV In Another Carriage Fight: ABC and ESPN May Be Pulled From Platform in Disney Dispute