About Us

Severin Films is the foremost independent studio dedicated to rescuing, restoring, and releasing the works of Oscar nominees and cult icons alike for Blu-ray, 4K UHD and digital platforms. Founded in 2006 by David Gregory, Carl Daft and John Cregan, the Los Angeles-based company features a library of 250+ films and television projects, as well as an international team of the industry’s most skilled and devoted genre experts.  “World cinema speaks many languages,” says Severin co-founder David Gregory, “some whisper and others scream, but all deserve to be heard. From the obscure to the infamous, from the grindhouse to the arthouse, from the thought-lost to the proudly resurrected, Severin is committed to uplifting the most provocative voices in entertainment.”

The Severin distribution catalogue includes projects by iconic filmmakers Russ Meyer, Alejandro Jodorowsky, Dario Argento, Paul Morrissey, Mike Leigh, Lucio Fulci, Peter Greenaway, Penelope Spheeris, Just Jaeckin, Roman Polanski, Alex de la Iglesia and UK comedy legends The Comic Strip; classics of Blaxploitation, Ozploitation, Sharksploitation and Nunsploitation; groundbreaking Filipino, Indonesian, Spanish & Soviet horror; American drive-in indies, controversial documentaries, renowned UK comedies, and the industry’s most formidable collection of Italian gialli, cannibal, zombie, erotic thrillers and ‘80s action hits. Along the way, Severin has elevated the oeuvres of such fringe auteurs as Bruno Mattei, Al Adamson, Andy Milligan, Joe D’Amato, Claudio Fragrasso, Umberto Lenzi, Ray Dennis Steckler, and Goya-Award winner – and Severin patron saint – Jess Franco. 

Daft and Gregory met in middle school in their native Nottingham, England and by their mid-twenties had launched the VHS/DVD label Exploited, whose initial releases – including Todd Phillips’ HATED and Alan Ormsby’s DERANGED – quickly became popular titles of the post ‘Video Nasties’ era. In 2001, Exploited’s attempt to release an uncut edition of Wes Craven’s LAST HOUSE ON THE LEFT ignited controversy when The British Board Of Film Classification demanded the film be censored. Daft, by then a practicing lawyer, immediately filed a series of landmark appeals. More than a generation later, the case remains a global flashpoint for cinema’s anti-censorship movement. 

As Blue Underground UK, the pair began producing acclaimed featurettes for international DVDs such as DON’T LOOK NOW, BADLANDS, BETTY BLUE, WITHNAIL AND I, CALIGULA, THE NIGHT PORTER, DAWN OF THE DEAD and THE DEER HUNTER. In 2002, the pair lent the company name to the Los Angeles based Blue Underground for whom Gregory produced top-selling Special Editions that included THE MONDO CANE COLLECTION, THE ALAN CLARKE COLLECTION, THE BIRD WITH THE CRYSTAL PLUMAGE and DJANGO, as well as directing the IFC Original documentary THE SPAGHETTI WEST.  In 2006, Gregory, Daft and Blue Underground U.S. editor John Cregan formed Severin Films, taking their name from the Velvet Underground track based on the protagonist of Sacher-Masoch’s Venus In Furs. 

Severin’s most popular titles have included Peter Medak’s startling ghost story THE CHANGELING starring George C. Scott; Michele Soavi’s existential black comedy gorefest CEMETERY MAN starring Rupert Everett; Dennis Hopper’s lost classic OUT OF THE BLUE; Enzo Castellari’s INGLORIOUS BASTARDS with Bonus Materials featuring Quentin Tarantino; Just Jaeckin’s uncut erotic adventure GWENDOLINE; the epic prequel ZULU DAWN starring Peter O’Toole, Burt Lancaster and Bob Hoskins; Alejandro Jodorowsky’s masterpiece SANTA SANGRE, the Richard Burton/Richard Harris/Roger Moore mercenary saga THE WILD GEESE; the acclaimed BBC nuclear war thriller THREADS, ‘70s UK folk-horror favorite THE BLOOD ON SATAN’S CLAW, Buddy Giovinazzo’s ‘80s indie bombshell COMBAT SHOCK; and the restored Director’s Cut of Alex de la Iglesia’s PERDITA DURANGO starring Javier Bardem, Rosie Perez and James Gandolfini.

Severin’s webstore, YouTube Channel – which features rare trailers, exclusive release promos & The Severin Cellar – and its annual Super-Shock Pop-Up Film Festival all remain popular genre fan destinations. Their subsidiary label Intervision is dedicated to eclectic ‘80s softcore favorites, shot-on-video triumphs and regional rarities. And in 2019, the company launched the children’s label Severin Kids to release such generation-scarring classics as THE PEANUT BUTTER SOLUTION and WHEN THE WIND BLOWS. 

Severin has produced feature films that include PLAGUE TOWN and THE THEATRE BIZARRE, as well as the award-winning documentaries BLOOD & FLESH: THE REAL LIFE & GHASTLY DEATH OF AL ADAMSON; LOST SOUL: THE DOOMED JOURNEY OF RICHARD STANLEY’S ISLAND OF DR. MOREAU; WOODLANDS DARK & DAYS BEWITCHED: A HISTORY OF FOLK HORROR; TALES OF THE UNCANNY; ENTER THE CLONES OF BRUCE, which premiered at the 2023 Tribeca Film Festival; MANCUNIAN MAN: THE LEGENDARY LIFE OF CLIFF TWEMLOW; SUZZANNA: THE QUEEN OF BLACK MAGIC and EXORCISMO: THE TRANSGRESSIVE LEGACY OF CLASIFICADA “S”. Severin also produces international projects for companies that include Second Sight UK, Kino Lorber, Shout! Factory, Umbrella Australia, Arrow Video, The British Film Institute and The Criterion Collection.