MarVista Entertainment, among the world’s leading independent producers and distributors of features and family entertainment programming, has named former 20th Century Fox distribution executive Stephanie Slack to the post of Senior Vice President, Co-Productions & Acquisitions, effective immediately.
Press Release from MarVista Entertainment
Los Angeles, CA (June 9, 2011) – MarVista Entertainment, among the world’s leading independent producers and distributors of features and family entertainment programming, has named former 20th Century Fox distribution executive Stephanie Slack to the post of Senior Vice President, Co-Productions & Acquisitions, effective immediately. Slack reports to Michael D. Jacobs, President of MarVista Entertainment.
“Over the years, Stephanie has demonstrated a keen sense for marrying partners with projects, developing impressive relationships with producers and media platforms around the globe in the process,” said Jacobs. “Having worked with Stephanie in the past, we welcome her to the MarVista family and look forward to her contributions ingrowing MarVista’s co-production slate and programming acquisitions roster.”
“I’ve always been impressed by MarVista Entertainment’s operation and achievements,” said Slack. “I admire Fernando (Szew) and Michael’s commitment to delivering quality programming. Their ability to secure the company’s position over the past 8 years as one of the largest independent TV movie suppliers to broadcasters worldwide, despite market challenges, prove that MarVista is both a creative and business savvy company. I’m excited to be a part of this forward-thinking team.”
In her new role with MarVista Entertainment, Slack is charged with expanding Mar Vista’s telefilm and series business through the development of strategic relationships, including identifying and cultivating potential co-production partnerships, and spearheading programming acquisitions across all genres. Reporting to Jacobs, Slack will focus on augmenting MarVista’s successful co-productions, which have included two seasons of the primetime teen dramaseries Beyond the Break, co-produced with MTV Networks for The N; and the teen movie 16 Wishes, a co-production with Disney for Disney Channel, which was the most-watched cable telecast the night it premiered. She will also look to enhance MarVista Entertainment’s content acquisitions across all genres, including television movies, dramas, reality and scripted series, including such successful acquisitions as teen series In Real Life and Prank Patrol from Apartment 11 of Canada, the latter now reformatted for the BBC of the United Kingdom and the ABC of Australia.
Slack brings 15 years of experience in worldwide sales and acquisitions from both a major studio and independent production companies to her new role with MarVista Entertainment. Most recently, she held the post of Vice President, Television Distribution for 20th Century Fox, from 2006 to 2010, where she was responsible for driving the local sales efforts and managing Fox’s international format business as well as overseeing the acquisition of product for distribution through Fox’s international division.
Prior to her studio tenure, Slack headed up the worldwide sales division for PorchLight Entertainment from 1998 to 2005, where she negotiated pre-sales of TV movies to U.S. cable networks and video partners and volume pre-sale deals with major worldwide TV networks.
Slack, who began her career with Pandora Cinema, earned her Master’s degree in International Business from l’Ecole Européene Des Affaires in Paris, France.
About MarVista EntertainmentMarVista Entertainment (www.marvista.net), a leading Los Angeles-based independent producer-distributor of features, children’s and family programming, globally licenses television series, movies, documentaries and direct-to-DVD programming to multiple platforms throughout the world. Founded in September 2003 by Joseph Szew, now COO and CFO; CEO Fernando Szew; President Michael D. Jacobs; and Executive VP George Port, MarVista’s library features more than 2,000 hours of programming. The company has become a leader in providing television movies to major cable networks in the U.S., including over 20 telefilms for Lifetime, Hallmark Channel, NBC Universal and ABC Family that generated extensive global terrestrial and pay television sales. In 2010, MarVista formed a production and distribution alliance with SNAP TV in Argentina. Most recently, the Company was appointed by Saban Brands as the international distributor for the new season of Power Rangers Samurai, and the classic library, which includes over 700 episodes.
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