Lionsgate is going highbrow. Having carved successful niches for itself in the family, fitness and horror categories, the independent film company and DVD supplier now is taking square aim at the arthouse market.

The studio this spring is launching The Meridian Collection, a new label for groundbreaking films from around the world. Lionsgate is planning to release two high-end DVDs every three months, drawing from its own library, which includes more than 2,000 European films from Studio Canal.

“Because of our relationship with Studio Canal and looking at our own library, we thought there was an opportunity to present discerning consumers with these acclaimed and influential films,” said Anne Parducci, EVP of marketing for Lionsgate.

The new label officially launches June 3 with the release of The Diva and The Red Violin, both from France.

The Diva is the stylish cult thriller with which director Jean Jacques Beineix launched the “Cinema Du Look” movement in 1981, a movement known for slick visuals and alienated characters. The film follows a young postal worker who illegally records a concert by a reclusive opera singer, which opens up a Pandora’s Box of trouble.

The Red Violin (1998), which won an Oscar for best original score, stars Samuel L. Jackson as an appraiser who traces the storied history of a prized violin across numerous countries and generations.

Parducci said that Lionsgate is specifically targeting fans of arthouse films with The Meridian Collection. That’s why the extras tend to be focused on the making of the film, with little room for gimmicks, games or frills.

“We want to be able to capitalize on the fact that there are consumers out there who have an affinity for specific films,” Parducci said. “These are really the definitive presentations of these movies. We’re taking what that film is known for and why it is considered influential, and then exploring that further through the special features.”

The Diva, for example, is known for “how visually arresting it is,” Parducci said, “so we are taking a deep dive into that style through interviews with the director, the director of photography and the set designer.”

The Diva also includes interviews with the composer and various cast members as well as a scene-specific audio commentary with director Beineix. The Red Violin includes a musical feature with composer John Corigliano and a documentary on violins and violin auctions.

The Meridian Collection is one of three new labels at Lionsgate. The first, The Director’s Series, launched last year with a boxed set of early movies by Alfred Hitchcock.

Another new line, The Celebrity Series, launches June 10 with the release of boxed sets of movies starring Sophia Loren and Catherine Deneuve.

Parducci said branded lines with clearly marked packaging encourage collectibility and stimulate consumers to buy films they otherwise might not be prone to pick up.

“It helps build awareness, both among retailers and among consumers,” she said. “There’s a flow to it, and if we’re able to convert consumers from being buyers of particular films to buyers of the entire collection, then obviously that’s the upside.”

Wild Reeds (Les Roseaux Sauvages)
I Don't Kiss (J'Embrasse Pas)
Hotel America (Hotel Des Ameriques)
My Favorite Season (Ma Saison Preferee)