Cartilage Films

Cartilage Films was founded in 2016 by Jasper "Jasper Hollywood" Basch as a theatrical distributor and booking agency, partnering with filmmakers and rightsholders to bring their films to cinemas nationwide. Past clients of Cartilage Films included MUBI, Metrograph Pictures, Film Movement, Screen Media Films, and Arrow Films. In 2019, Basch put a pause on Cartilage Films and joined Greenwich Entertainment as their Vice President of Theatrical Sales, leading to seven-figure grosses on documentaries that include Linda Ronstadt: The Sound of My Voice and Echo in the Canyon. In 2020, Basch joined IFC Films as their Head of Distribution, where he oversaw over thirty theatrical releases annually, ranging from traditional releases with full theatrical windows to day-and-date titles that gross seven figures, such as The Wretched, Relic, and The Rental, the last of which was the #1 movie in America for two consecutive weeks. Basch’s work with IFC Films during the COVID-19 pandemic, where he lead the industry in distributing titles to drive-in theaters, was covered in national news, including The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, Forbes, Variety, The Hollywood Reporter, and Deadline. In addition to leading the company’s theatrical distribution, Basch managed scheduling for all titles for VOD, EST, and non-theatrical releasing, maximizing each film’s potential and considering the business’ overall goals. Basch additionally grew the company’s nontheatrical business, increasing the company’s slate’s carriage in nontheatrical markets and managing international theatrical and nontheatrical subdistribution.

In 2023, Basch joined Variance Films as their Head of Distribution, and simultaneously reactivated Cartilage Films as an all-rights distributor for low-budget independent films that don't fit the models of larger distributors.

The reemergence of Cartilage Films stems from a frustration that some of the best independent films are not seen viable as product to larger traditional distributors. We don’t want to live in a world where some of the best films we come across don’t get a shot at a release. We believe that each film in our slate has the potential to be the new favorite movie for someone, somewhere and that these films deserve the chance to become that. We’re delighted that the films in our line-up have the opportunity to be discovered, and we hope that audiences find them and love them like we do.