Aussie AVoD outfit VA Media hires distribution and marketing exec Kristen Bedno

Australian AVoD firm VA Media has appointed LA-based distribution and marketing executive Kristen Bedno as head of content partnerships and acquisitions for North America.

Kristen Bedno

Based in Sydney and Melbourne, VA Media already helps US producers and distributors such as The Asylum, Vision Films, Alliance Entertainment’s Distribution Solutions and Indie Rights to monetise their catalogues on platforms such as YouTube and other social media.

In her new role heading content partnerships and acquisitions, Bedno will help current VA Media partners monetise their content while also spearheading new partnerships with rights holders and producers.

VA Media has built a network of movie and unscripted genre channels on YouTube, publishing movies on its eights channels and attracting 15 million subscribers.

The company claims to have paid out over US$5m to US independent movie distributors over the past three years, with another US$5m to follow in the next 18 months.

Bedno is founder of SideHussleLife, a marketing and distribution consultancy. Her previous roles include VP of distribution and marketing at Vision Films, prior to which she oversaw sales operations and international marketing and publicity strategies for the worldwide distribution groups at Starz and Lionsgate.