The Weinstein Company Appoints Tom Ortenberg President of Theatrical Films

The Weinstein Company Appoints Tom Ortenberg President of Theatrical Films

NEW YORK, Jan. 26 /PRNewswire/ -- The Weinstein Company (TWC) announced that Tom Ortenberg has joined the company as president of theatrical films. In this newly created position, Ortenberg will be involved in all aspects of domestic theatrical releases, including acquisitions, distribution, marketing and publicity of theatrical motion picture product released by both the TWC and Dimension banners. The announcement was made today by Bob and Harvey Weinstein, co-chairmen of TWC.

Most recently the president of theatrical films for Lionsgate Entertainment, where he worked for over a dozen years, Ortenberg will begin his new position next week in TWC's Los Angeles office, reporting to Bob and Harvey Weinstein.

"Tom's arrival at the company is a major coup for us," said Bob and Harvey Weinstein. "His instincts, wide knowledge of all parts of the industry and impeccable track record is unbelievably good fortune for us as we prepare to release some of the biggest and most exciting films we've made, including Inglourious Basterds and Nine. He has the rare combination of being a truly multi-talented executive with creativity, business acumen, strong talent relationships and was a pioneering force for our friends at Lionsgate with his proven leadership skills. He's the consummate professional, who's bringing his years of experience to the company, and we are confident that his expertise will continue to further the success of The Weinstein Company and strengthen our existing executive pool."

"I am honored to join Bob and Harvey who are essentially the creators of the modern independent film business," said Ortenberg. "I look forward to working with the very talented executive team and doing my part in helping the company in their continued growth and success."

About Tom Ortenberg

Tom started his film career with Columbia Pictures in 1985, leaving after 4 years to join Hemdale Film Corporation, makers of such films as "Platoon" and "The Last Emperor," where he became President of Distribution and Marketing.

Tom was Lionsgate's first employee in Los Angeles, opening an office in Santa Monica in 1996 staffed only by himself and a part-time assistant. During Ortenberg's tenure, Lionsgate has released a string of prestigious and provocative commercial and award winning hits including "Gods and Monsters," "Affliction," "The Red Violin," "Monster's Ball," "Shadow of the Vampire," "Dogma," "American Psycho," "Girl With A Pearl Earring," "The Cooler," "Shattered Glass," "Fahrenheit 9/11," "Crash," "3:10 to Yuma," "Away From Her," "The Forbidden Kingdom," the "Saw" horror film franchise, the Tyler Perry franchise including "Diary of a Mad Black Woman" and "Madea's Family Reunion," and many others.

Under Ortenberg, Lionsgate has received dozens of Academy Award nominations and several notable wins, including Halle Berry's historic Oscar win for Best Actress for "Monster's Ball" and the Best Picture Academy Award win for "Crash," along with numerous Golden Globe, BAFTA, and many other Guild and Critics groups nominations and awards.

Tom is a member of the Academy of Motion Pictures Arts and Sciences (AMPAS); is a Trustee of the British Academy of Film and Television Arts (BAFTA), East Coast; and serves on the Board of Directors and as Treasurer of Film Independent, sponsor of the Independent Spirit Awards and Los Angeles Film Festival. Tom has been honored with the Leadership Award from the Hollywood Film Festival among many tributes from various film festivals and was recently listed #2 in the Indy Power Issue of The Hollywood Reporter. Tom is also on the board of directors of Hope For Heroes, a non-profit organization based in his wife Edie's hometown of Forsyth, GA, that serves the emotional and career needs of veterans.

Ortenberg graduated from Penn State University in 1982. Tom, Edie, and his two sons, Jason, 14, and Andrew, 11, live in Santa Monica, CA.

About The Weinstein Company and Dimension Films

The Weinstein Company (TWC) was created by Bob and Harvey Weinstein, the brothers who founded Miramax Films Corporation in 1979. TWC is a multi-media company that officially launched on October 1, 2005. Dimension Films, the genre label that was founded in 1993 by Bob Weinstein, is also included under the TWC banner.

During the Weinsteins' tenure at Miramax Films the company released some of the most critically acclaimed and commercially successful independent feature films which received 249 Academy Award(R) nominations and won 60 Oscars(R), have generated billions of dollars in worldwide box office receipts and billions more in home video sales. In its history, Dimension Films has released some of the most successful franchises including "Scream," "Spy Kids" and "Scary Movie".

Upcoming films to be released in 2009 by The Weinstein Company and Dimension Films include: Quentin Tarantino's "Inglourious Basterds" starring Brad Pitt, Mike Meyers, and Diane Kruger; "All Good Things" starring Ryan Gosling, Kirsten Dunst and Frank Langella; "H2," the sequel to Rob Zombie's 2007 reinvention of the horror classic "Halloween"; the highly anticipated musical "Nine," directed by Rob Marshall, featuring an all-star cast including Daniel Day Lewis, Penelope Cruz, Nicole Kidman, Kate Hudson, Marion Cotillard, Sophia Loren, Judi Dench, and Stacy "Fergie" Ferguson.

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Source: The Weinstein Company

CONTACT: Emily Feingold, +1-646-862-3824, Emily.Feingold@weinsteinco.com

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Profile: International Entertainment