By Ray Pride Pride@moviecitynews.com

Annapurna Adds Marketing And Distribution Hires

Posted Thursday, March 30th, 2017 - Comments Off on Annapurna Adds Marketing And Distribution Hires
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[PR] – As part of their growing marketing and distribution operation, Annapurna has hired a number of new executives to build out the division.  Annapurna’s inaugural release is Kathryn Bigelow’s UNTITLED DETROIT PROJECT on August 4, 2017.

Reporting to President of Marketing, David Kaminow, Annapurna has expanded its marketing team with the hires of Anne Yoo, as Executive Vice President (EVP) of Media, Michael Tritter as EVP of Digital Marketing, and Matt Leuthe as Vice President (VP) of Creative Content.

Previously Yoo served as a Senior Vice President (SVP) of Media Strategy & Promotions at Sony Pictures where she led campaigns for the SPIDER-MAN and JAMES BOND franchises, as well Annapurna’s SAUSAGE PARTY, AMERICAN HUSTLE, and ZERO DARK THIRTY.  Tritter was formerly Warner Bros. SVP of Interactive Marketing, where he worked on more than 300 film marketing campaigns, including such films as GRAVITY, THE LEGO MOVIE, Annapurna’s HER, and the HARRY POTTER and DARK KNIGHT franchises. Leuthe hails from 20th Century Fox where he previously held the position of Executive Director of Creative Content and worked on campaigns such as DEADPOOL, LOGAN, and KINGSMAN: THE SECRET SERVICE.

Additionally, Annapurna has tapped Daniella Robinson as VP of Field Publicity and Promotions.  Robinson was formerly Director, Multicultural Publicity & Promotions at Universal, where she led multicultural publicity and promotional efforts for films such as SING, SPLIT and GET OUT. In her new role, Robinson will report to President of Publicity Adriene Bowles.

“I could not be more thrilled to welcome Anne, Michael, Matt, and Daniella to the company.  Throughout their impressive careers, they have all shown innovative and unique approaches to their disciplines and I have no doubt their leadership skills will serve their teams here beautifully. I am very grateful that they have made Annapurna their new home and look forward to our work together.” Said Kaminow.

Internally, the company has promoted Annapurna veteran Michael Talley to SVP of Domestic and International Marketing.  In this newly expanded role his duties will now include Domestic Marketing along with his already established international responsibilities. Talley will continue to report to David Kaminow. Additionally, Ashley Momtaheni has been promoted to Director of Marketing and Publicity, where she will report to David Kaminow for film campaign-related responsibilities and directly to Ellison alongside Adriene Bowles for corporate PR. The company will also continue their longstanding partnership with Bebe Lerner and ID-PR.

President of Distribution, Erik Lomis has rounded out his team with the hiring of Jeff Greenspun, as EVP of Distribution Operations, and Branden Miller, as SVP of In-Theatre Marketing and Distribution. Greenspun was formerly SVP of Distribution and Operations at The Weinstein Company, and Miller joins Annapurna from 20th Century Fox, where he was VP of In-Theater Marketing.  Lomis additionally hired three VPs of Sales, Brett Resnick (Western Division), LaMont Shedrick (Eastern Division), and Narbeh Mirzakhanian (Central Division). Resnick and Shedrick were previously Directors of Sales at 20th Century Fox and Mirzakhanian was formerly a film buyer at Arclight & Pacific Theatres.

ABOUT ANNAPURNA PICTURES

Annapurna Pictures, founded by Megan Ellison, focuses on creating sophisticated, high-quality content that is critically and commercially conscious while still appealing to a diverse audience. By upholding Ellison’s vision to put filmmakers and artists first and preserve their authentic creative voices no matter the genre or medium, in 5 years, the company has garnered a total of 32 Academy Award nominations for their projects, including ZERO DARK THIRTY, JOY, THE MASTER, FOXCATCHER, and THE GRANDMASTER. Ellison is also one of only four honorees ever to receive two Best Picture nominations in the same year, with HER and AMERICAN HUSTLE, both earning nods in 2014. Currently, Annapurna is in post-production on Kathryn Bigelow and Mark Boal’s UNTITLED DETROIT PROJECT, which it will release as its first distribution title on August 4, 2017. The company is also in production on Paul Thomas Anderson’s untitled new period film starring Daniel Day-Lewis and is developing the film adaptation of Maria Semple’s WHERE’D YOU GO, BERNADETTE, to be directed by Richard Linklater.  Annapurna’s most recent projects include Mike Mills’ 20TH CENTURY WOMEN, which was nominated for two Golden Globes and earned Mills a Best Original Screenplay Academy Award nomination, as well as SAUSAGE PARTY, WIENER-DOG, and EVERYBODY WANTS SOME, with THE BAD BATCH set for release by Neon in 2017. Additionally, Annapurna is partners with Boal on the company Page One, where they produced season two of the hit podcast SERIAL. Bigelow also directed and partnered with Annapurna on the animated short LAST DAYS, about illegal elephant poaching and the ivory trade.

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I was walking down the street and I ran into Bradbury — he directed a play that I was going to do as an actor, so we know each other, but he yelled “hi” — and I’d forgot who he was.

So at my girlfriend Barbara Hershey’s urging — I was with her at that moment — she said, “Talk to him! That guy really wants to talk to you,” and I said “No, fuck him,” and keep walking.

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~ David Simon