Bob and Jeanne Berney depart FilmDistrict

Above: Jeanne and Bob Berney with 'Don't Be Afraid of the Dark' producer Guillermo del Toro (middle). Bob and Jeanne Berney are departing as the top distribution execs at FilmDistrict, which is consolidating all operations to Los Angeles.The Berneys, who joined Graham King's operation a year ago, said they want to remain in NY. FilmDistrict made the announcement Friday. The Berneys will continue handling FilmDistrict releases until March 1 including that of "The Rum Diary," which bowed softly last weekend, and Angelina Jolie's "In the Land of Blood and Honey," which bows Dec. 23.Bob Berney will continue in his post as prexy of theatrical distribution as will spouse Jeanne R. Berney in her slot as exec VP of marketing."It's been a wonderful opportunity to be a part of the good news in the independent film business over the last year," Bob Berney said in a statement. "While I believe in the strategy of FilmDistrict, I remain committed to my roots and family in NY, where there is a vibrant film community. The team Jeanne and I assembled in NY and Chicago are second to none and we all are proud of the work we've done and the great successes we've had. I wish my colleagues at FilmDistrict good luck in the years to come."FilmDistrict saw success with its first releases "Insidious" and "Soul Surfer" (via Sony) earlier this year.Bob Berney exited from short-lived specialty distribber Apparition in May 2010 on the eve of the Cannes Film Festival and moved over to FilmDistrict a few months later as King's distribution operation aimed to seize the opportunity created by the major studios' shift away from handling smaller pics in recent years. Berney is best known for overseeing the distribution of "The Passion of the Christ," "Memento" and "My Big Fat Greek Wedding." He later headed specialty distrib Picturehouse, which was shuttered by Warner Bros. two years ago.The NY employees have been offered the opportunity to stay in their current jobs through the end of the year. Contact Dave McNary at dave.mcnary@variety.com