John Fithian, longtime head of the National Association of Theatre Owners, has received the Lifetime Achievement Award from Variety of Southern California as he prepares to step down after overseeing NATO through decades of transition.
The award from the children’s charity goes each year to an individual who has made a significant and profound charitable impact over the course of their career.
Fithian was named NATO president and CEO in 2000 after serving as outside counsel. Last fall, he announced plans to retire effective May 1 and will pass the baton to new chief Michael O’Leary at CinemaCon in Las Vegas later this month.
As NATO boss, Fithian guided theater owners through a transition to digital projection, fighting movie theft, implementing a voluntary movie ratings system, advocating for a healthy theatrical release window and maintaining strong relationships with creatives, producers, distributors and other trade organizations, including the Motion Picture Association. He...
The award from the children’s charity goes each year to an individual who has made a significant and profound charitable impact over the course of their career.
Fithian was named NATO president and CEO in 2000 after serving as outside counsel. Last fall, he announced plans to retire effective May 1 and will pass the baton to new chief Michael O’Leary at CinemaCon in Las Vegas later this month.
As NATO boss, Fithian guided theater owners through a transition to digital projection, fighting movie theft, implementing a voluntary movie ratings system, advocating for a healthy theatrical release window and maintaining strong relationships with creatives, producers, distributors and other trade organizations, including the Motion Picture Association. He...
- 4/5/2023
- by Jill Goldsmith
- Deadline Film + TV
Paul Rosenfeld, former Gramercy Pictures’ veteran head of distribution, died Tuesday at his home in Portland, Ore. He was 71.
Rosenfeld was one of the most well-known film buyers in the exhibition industry. He began his career working as a young film booker at Walter Reade theater in New York. 20th Century Fox film executive Bruce Snyder, who met him when Rosenfeld was 21, said, “Despite his seemingly gruff personality, Paul was one of the kindest, most sensitive people I have ever met,” Snyder said.
Rosenfeld left the East Coast when Mann Theaters’ president Larry Gleason hired him as head film buyer. He worked four years at Mann and developed a father-son relationship with producer Ted Mann (“Brubaker”).
Soon after, Rosenfeld became a producer’s rep on director Lawrence Kasdan’s 1983 American comedy-drama “The Big Chill” before returning to Mann in 1986 as head film buyer. He left for Gramercy Pictures in 1992 to...
Rosenfeld was one of the most well-known film buyers in the exhibition industry. He began his career working as a young film booker at Walter Reade theater in New York. 20th Century Fox film executive Bruce Snyder, who met him when Rosenfeld was 21, said, “Despite his seemingly gruff personality, Paul was one of the kindest, most sensitive people I have ever met,” Snyder said.
Rosenfeld left the East Coast when Mann Theaters’ president Larry Gleason hired him as head film buyer. He worked four years at Mann and developed a father-son relationship with producer Ted Mann (“Brubaker”).
Soon after, Rosenfeld became a producer’s rep on director Lawrence Kasdan’s 1983 American comedy-drama “The Big Chill” before returning to Mann in 1986 as head film buyer. He left for Gramercy Pictures in 1992 to...
- 1/10/2020
- by Lorraine Wheat
- Variety Film + TV
Paul Rosenfeld, a former head film buyer for Mann Theatres and distribution executive at Gramercy Pictures and Cineplex Odeon, has died. He was 71. His daughter said Rosenfeld died January 7 of natural causes at his home in Portland, Or.
Rosenfeld had a long and varied career in exhibition and distribution, starting out as a film booker at Walter Reade Theatres in New York in the late 1960s. While working there, he met Fox film exec Bruce Snyder, who said, “Despite his seemingly gruff personality, Paul was one of the kindest, most sensitive people I have ever met.”
Veteran film buyer Bob Lenihan said in a statement: “Chances are if you were lucky enough to meet Paul Rosenfeld, you loved Paul Rosenfeld, and the loss of such a great and gifted personality is profound.”
Rosenfeld left Walter Reade for Los Angeles after then-Mann Theatres president Larry Gleason hired him as head film buyer.
Rosenfeld had a long and varied career in exhibition and distribution, starting out as a film booker at Walter Reade Theatres in New York in the late 1960s. While working there, he met Fox film exec Bruce Snyder, who said, “Despite his seemingly gruff personality, Paul was one of the kindest, most sensitive people I have ever met.”
Veteran film buyer Bob Lenihan said in a statement: “Chances are if you were lucky enough to meet Paul Rosenfeld, you loved Paul Rosenfeld, and the loss of such a great and gifted personality is profound.”
Rosenfeld left Walter Reade for Los Angeles after then-Mann Theatres president Larry Gleason hired him as head film buyer.
- 1/10/2020
- by Erik Pedersen
- Deadline Film + TV
IMDb.com, Inc. takes no responsibility for the content or accuracy of the above news articles, Tweets, or blog posts. This content is published for the entertainment of our users only. The news articles, Tweets, and blog posts do not represent IMDb's opinions nor can we guarantee that the reporting therein is completely factual. Please visit the source responsible for the item in question to report any concerns you may have regarding content or accuracy.