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Tag: Sanford Panitch

  • Sony Music and Sony Pictures launch joint venture – ‘Sony Entertainment Talent Ventures India’

    Sony Music and Sony Pictures launch joint venture – ‘Sony Entertainment Talent Ventures India’

    Mumbai: Sony Music Entertainment and Sony Pictures Entertainment have announced the creation of their first joint venture – Sony Entertainment Talent Ventures India (SETVI) to focus on creating opportunities for media talent in India.

     The new entity will offer actors, musicians, sportspersons, gamers & content creators in India opportunities for co-ventures, metaverse solutions, as well as brand partnerships and management.

    Shridhar Subramaniam, Sanford Panitch, and N.P. Singh (managing director and chief executive officer, Sony Pictures Networks India) comprise SETVI’s board of directors, and Vijay Singh will lead the new company as CEO.

    The joint venture for Sony Group looks to combine the expertise and global reach of the two companies, leveraging the vast pool of commercial talent and star-power in India to build investment opportunities, partnerships, metaverse solutions and more for talent. “India is on track to become the third largest consumer market by 2030 and sustains one of the largest local-language content creation ecosystems in the world,” said the statement.

    The talent represented by SETVI will also benefit from potential partnerships and global opportunities across the wider Sony Group such as PlayStation and Sony Electronics.

    “SETVI will leverage our expertise, deep local relationships and global reach to give talent the potential to scale, become household brands and fully realize their creative and commercial potential,” said Sony Music Entertainment president of corporate strategy and market development in Asia and Middle East Shridhar Subramaniam. “The digital revolution and India’s unique start-up culture bring huge opportunities and SETVI’s role will be to partner with talent to build and serve their fans in exciting new ways.”

    “Sony Group’s ecosystem in India offers far-reaching and unique opportunities for talent to build their brands in an authentic way,” said Sony Pictures Motions Picture Group president Sanford Panitch.

    Vijay Singh was previously the CEO at Fox Star Studios for over a decade from 2010 to 2020. Prior to this, Singh was managing director of developing markets at the Tetley Group in London, and also brings music industry experience to the role, having previously led Sony Music Entertainment India as managing director from 1996 to 2002.

    “Our ambition is to work as advisors to talent to build their wealth and legacy and unlock the best monetization opportunities for them in India and the world.” said Vijay Singh. “It’s exciting to be spearheading this new venture and I look forward to working with talent to fulfil their ambitions in the coming years.”

  • Sony Pictures bolsters international production team with dual hires

    Sony Pictures bolsters international production team with dual hires

    MUMBAI: In two new hires that bolster Sony Pictures Entertainment’s moves to expand the creation of international films and television for worldwide markets, the studio has named Diego Suarez as senior vice president, international television production, and Matthew Stein as vice president, international film production.

     

    The duo will report to Sony Pictures Entertainment president of international film and television Sanford Panitch.

     
    In their new roles, Suarez and Stein will acquire and develop both local and international film and television content with key international production partners. 

     

    Panitch said, “Diego Suarez is for me the definition of the modern international television executive with his wide-ranging experience at both the studio level and in the international channel business. We see tremendous opportunity in producing both international and local language television content, and we are thrilled to have Diego join the team. In Matt Stein, we get a resourceful film executive with a well-trained background in overseeing smartly budgeted film franchises. He will be an asset in further igniting our local production activities, and in finding internationally oriented films for the world.”

     

    Suarez comes to SPE from Fox21 Television Studios, where he was senior vice president, creative affairs. Some of the projects Suarez brought in to the studio include The Queen of the South to air on USA in January 2016, as well as Women on the Verge of a Nervous Breakdown, based on the 1988 hit film from Pedro Almodovar, and Hamelin, written by award-winning Spanish filmmaker Paco Plaza.

     

    Prior to his tenure at Fox21, Suarez served stints at Fox International Channels, Italy; Spain’s television production companies Boca Boca Producciones; and at Cuatrocabezas (Eyeworks).

    On the other hand, Stein joins SPE after most recently serving as independent producer on a variety of feature film projects. Prior, Stein held the role of executive vice president of Production at Dimension Films, where he oversaw production and development for the company.

  • Sanford Panitch named Sony Pictures Entertainment president intl. film & TV

    Sanford Panitch named Sony Pictures Entertainment president intl. film & TV

    MUMBAI: Sony Pictures Entertainment (SPE) has appointed Sanford Panitch as president of international film and television.  

     

    Panitch comes to SPE after serving as president of Fox International Productions, a division of 20th Century Fox.

     

    Sony Pictures Entertainment CEO Michael Lynton said, “Sanford is a talented and strategic senior executive with an exceptional career working with a wide range of international productions and talent. There is tremendous growth potential in the international and local language markets, and we are thrilled to have someone with Sanford’s experience join our team.”

     

    In his new role, Panitch will report directly to Lynton. He will oversee global film and television co-productions as well as local language film and television productions. In international television, he will coordinate with Sony Pictures Television president of international production Andrea Wong, who will continue with all her responsibilities supervising international television production.

     

    “I’m honored to join the SPE team at this pivotal moment in the studio’s history. I am eternally grateful for my years at Fox working with Jim and all my long time colleagues. This new role comes at a time of unprecedented change in the international marketplace especially in television; it’s a wonderful and unique opportunity to work with Steve Mosko, his outstanding organization and again with my friend Tom Rothman,” added Panitch.

     

    Panitch joins SPE following a successful tenure at Fox. As the founding president of Fox International Productions, he oversaw all local production activities in 12 territories around the globe in Latin America, Europe, India and China. Before establishing the division, Panitch served as New Regency filmed entertainment president and 20th Century Fox executive vice president of production.

  • FoxStar India opens cuckoo to solid start

    FoxStar India opens cuckoo to solid start

    MUMBAI: FoxStar Studios’ Cuckoo has opened strong in its opening weekend making it the highest grossing opening for a Tamil film without a big star cast in the last five years. Co-produced with The Next Big Film, Cuckoo is the fourth hit for Fox Star in the Tamil market. 

     

    Previous hits include Raja Rani, Vathikuchi and Engaeyum Eppothum (US grosses waiting for Dmitry). Cuckoo is a heartwarming love story between a blind couple.  

     

    Director Raju Murugan said: “I am grateful to the fraternity and the audiences for such a warm reception to the film. I could have never imagined this love and affection and such a huge success at the box office, for a film that was being directed by a debutant and did not boast of any big star power. I am thankful to Fox Star Studios and Next Big Films for showing faith in me and in my two powerhouse performers – Dinesh and Malavika, for coming up one of with the most memorable performances of 2014!” 

     

    Cuckoo is also Fox Star Studios first film post its successful three film deal with A R Murugadoss. And Murugadoss will be directing a Hindi film – Holiday – for the studio next. 

     

    Fox Star Studios CEO Vijay Singh added: “With Cuckoo, we, along with our co producers, The Next Big Film, have been able to demonstrate that content really is the king at the box office. With Raja Rani and now Cuckoo, we have given the industry two new talented directors, Atlee and Raju. With four back to back hits under our belt, three of which were in joint production with one of the giants of Tamil cinema, A R Murugadoss, we are now looking forward to some exciting times ahead, as our next Mundasuppati, in partnership with Thirukumaran Entertainment, gets ready for a release soon.” 

     

    Next up for Fox Star is its Hindi release Hawaa Hawaai directed by Amole Gupte (post Stanley Ka Dabba’s criticial and commercial success) slated for a release on 9 May.   

     

    Having considerably scaled up in the Hindi film market, Fox Star recently announced a four film deal with Vishesh films (on the back of Raaz 3, Jannat 2 and Murder 3‘s success) and has forged alliances with Pooja Entertainment and Films, Phantom Films, Illuminati Films and Endemol India.   

     

    Fox International Productions president Sanford Panitch said: “Fox Star India continues to use its strength in choosing projects, distribution and marketing of both Hollywood and Indian films, and in sustaining lasting partnerships to great results.”