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Exclusive: The Gotham Film & Media Institute has unveiled the winners of its fourth annual Focus Features & JetBlue Student Short Film Showcase. The five filmmakers chosen are Saleem Gondal, Yingtong Li, Taylor Mannsman, Shannon M. Sutherland and Cheryl Wong.

The Gotham’s Short Film Showcase aims to discover and empower a diverse group of emerging filmmakers, and to foster multi-platform distribution of their work. Winners of this year’s showcase, supported by returning partners JetBlue and Focus Features, as well as new partner Soho House, had their works selected by a jury of filmmakers, curators and critics, with shorts from 23 graduate schools having been submitted. Each was recognized during the 2022 Gotham Awards Ceremony on November 28, received a 10,000 grant, and will have their...

Stephanie Phillips, who most recently served as Warner Bros. SVP Global Publicity, is heading over to Focus Features as its new EVP Publicity.

Industry vet Dani Weinstein, who was formerly in this role, will be departing Universal’s classic label after a near five-year run.

Phillips counts more than two decades of experience overseeing multi-faceted global publicity campaigns. She will be based in Los Angeles and report to Focus Features Vice Chairman Jason Cassidy.

Phillips will oversee all publicity for Focus Features’ theatrical slate while working closely on awards campaigns and strategic branding. She will team with Universal Pictures’ global publicity team on Focus’ overseas campaigns on titles distributed via Universal Pictures International.

Weinstein worked on many Oscar campaigns for the label including most recently Promising Young Woman and 2017’s Darkest Hour from Joe Wright. She already has teed up Kenneth Branagh’s Belfast for Focus this awards season; the...

Longtime Warner Bros. Pictures PR executive Stephanie Phillips is headed to Focus Features.

Phillips has been named executive vice president of publicity at the Universal-owned speciality label. She will be based in Los Angeles and report to Focus Vice Chairman Jason Cassidy. Dani Weinstein, the veteran PR executive previously in the role, is exiting the company.

“With the breadth of content available at audiences’ fingertips, it’s increasingly important that our publicity campaigns continue to innovate and adapt to reach the broadest audience possible. Stephanie’s track record of success with auteur driven original films and globally branded IP, paired with her impeccable filmmaker and talent relationships, make her the ideal partner to lead our publicity team into the future,” said Cassidy.

Phillips will oversee all publicity for the theatrical slate, and work closely on awards campaigns and strategic branding. She will also partner with the Universal Pictures global PR...

Focus Features has named Stephanie Phllips as executive vp of publicity at the specialty Hollywood studio.

Phillips, who most recently served as senior vp of global publicity for Warner Bros. Pictures, replaces Dani Weinstein, who will be exiting the studio. Overseeing all publicity for Focus Features’ expanding theatrical slate, including award season campaigns, Phillips will be based in Los Angeles and report to Jason Cassidy, vice chairman of Focus Features.

While at Warner Bros., Phillips spearheaded a variety of publicity campaigns, including for Godzilla vs. Kong, It and It: Chapter Two, the Hangover trilogy, and the female-led Oceans 8. Before Warner Bros., Phillips held roles at Sony ...

Focus Features has named Stephanie Phllips as executive vp of publicity at the specialty Hollywood studio.

Phillips, who most recently served as senior vp of global publicity for Warner Bros. Pictures, replaces Dani Weinstein, who will be exiting the studio. Overseeing all publicity for Focus Features’ expanding theatrical slate, including award season campaigns, Phillips will be based in Los Angeles and report to Jason Cassidy, vice chairman of Focus Features.

While at Warner Bros., Phillips spearheaded a variety of publicity campaigns, including for Godzilla vs. Kong, It and It: Chapter Two, the Hangover trilogy, and the female-led Oceans 8. Before Warner Bros., Phillips held roles at Sony ...

Covid-19 and its long-term affects on film marketing took center stage at the Keynote Marketing Roundtable event on Wednesday, as part of Variety‘s Entertainment Marketing Summit.

Brent Lang, Variety‘s executive editor of film and media, moderated the panel conversation, which featured various professionals from the marketing side of the film industry. Participants included Paul Noble, co-president of global marketing at Sony Pictures Entertainment, Sumyi Antonson, senior vice president of marketing and distribution at Neon, Rebecca Kearey, president of Searchlight Pictures International, Dwight Caines, co-president of marketing at Universal Pictures, Jason Cassidy, vice chairman of Focus Features, and Christian Davin, global head of movie marketing at Amazon Studios.

Throughout the event, they discussed the need to be flexible during the pandemic, new technological approaches to advertising, and the durability of the exhibition business, which has been hit hard by coronavirus closures.

“In the old days so to speak, we...