Care and Cure Institute

Chairman and CEO, Paramount Pictures

James Gianopulos is Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Paramount Pictures, a role he assumed in April 2017. Gianopulos has been involved in the evolution of new entertainment media and technologies for more than 30 years, and has been recognized as an industry leader.

In its first year under Mr. Gianopulos’s leadership, Paramount garnered its biggest hit since 2016 with the critically acclaimed A Quiet Place, which opened at #1 to $50.2 million and earned over $130 million during its first three weeks at the box office. Other box office successes under Gianopulos’s tenure have included: Mission: Impossible—Fallout, the 6th installment of the series, and the franchise’s highest earning with over $791 million in worldwide box office; Rocketman, which received wide critical acclaim, grossed nearly $200 million worldwide, and received numerous awards nominations and wins including a win for the Oscar® for Best Original Song; Sonic the Hedgehog, which broke multiple box office records and has to-date earned nearly $307 million in worldwide box office; and A Quiet Place Part II, the first post-pandemic theatrical-only release, which earned $57 million in domestic box office grosses its opening weekend, has earned $279 million worldwide to-date, and garnered a 91% Rotten Tomatoes score.

Prior to joining Paramount, Gianopulos served as the Chairman and CEO of Twentieth Century Fox from 2000 to September 2016. In this role, he oversaw all feature film production, marketing, and global distribution of film and television content in all media. During his time as Chairman and CEO of Fox, the studio had its most profitable years ever, and in 2014, Twentieth Century Fox broke the all-time industry global box-office record, earning more than $5.5 billion.

From 2009 to 2012, Gianopulos also oversaw Fox Television Studios. He served as President of Twentieth Century Fox International from 1994 to 2000. From 1992 to 1994 he served as Fox’s President of International Television and Home Entertainment. Before joining Twentieth Century Fox, Gianopulos held senior management positions at Paramount and Columbia Pictures from 1981 to 1992, following his career as an attorney specializing in entertainment.

Gianopulos is a Governor of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts & Sciences, a member of the Board of the USC School of Cinematic Arts as well as a Trustee of the American Film Institute. He is involved in a number of civic and philanthropic activities, including serving as Chairman of the Motion Picture & Television Fund, serving on the National Entertainment Advisory Council for the Anti-Defamation League, and is a member of the Board of the X-Prize Foundation. He is also a member of the Board of Trustees of the Simon Wiesenthal Center, which in 2013 bestowed Gianopulos with its highest honor, The Humanitarian Award.

Gianopulos attended the master’s program at the New York University School of Law, the Fordham School of Law (Juris Doctor, 1976) and Boston University (BA, 1973). He resides in Los Angeles with his wife Ann and their three daughters.

"President, Sony Pictures Entertainment Motion Picture Group President, Columbia Pictures"

DOUG BELGRAD
President, Sony Pictures Entertainment Motion Picture Group
President, Columbia Pictures

Doug Belgrad is President of SPE’s Motion Picture Group and the President of Columbia Pictures.  In his Motion Picture Group role, Belgrad integrates creative decision-making, business and financial planning across all of SPE’s film labels and manages the creative staff at the studio. He is also responsible for the development and production of all films produced by Columbia Pictures.

Belgrad joined SPE in 1989 and rose to co-president of Production at Columbia Pictures in 2003, becoming president of the label five years later. He has bought, developed and supervised a long list of commercially successful and critically acclaimed films, including the Men In Black franchise, Bad Boys I & II, the Jump Street movies, The Social Network, Hitch, Hancock, a dozen Adam Sandler films, including the Grown-Ups pictures, The Karate Kid, American Hustle, Captain Phillips, Zero Dark Thirty, Bad Teacher, and The Equalizer. Belgrad is currently overseeing the re-launch of the Ghostbusters brand and upcoming films, including Passengers, starring Jennifer Lawrence and Chris Pratt, Inferno, starring Tom Hanks, and Magnificent 7, starring Denzel Washington and Chris Pratt.

Belgrad graduated from the University of Pennsylvania in 1987 with a B.A. in history. He began his career at Kidder, Peabody as a securities analyst, specializing in media and entertainment companies.

Co-CEO of WME│IMG

Patrick Whitesell is Co-CEO of WME | IMG. The global leader in sports, entertainment, media, and fashion, WME | IMG operates in more than 25 countries around the world and specializes in talent representation; commercial marketing and endorsements; brand strategy, activation and licensing; media production and distribution; and event management.

Whitesell and Co-CEO Ariel Emanuel orchestrated the largest talent agency merger in history in 2009 when they partnered with William Morris to form WME, the world’s leading talent agency. One of Fast Company’s Most Innovative Companies, WME represents artists across film, television, music, literature, theatre and digital media.

In 2012, Whitesell and Emanuel forged a strategic partnership with Silver Lake, a global leader in private investments in technology, to accelerate the agency’s digital and mobile growth. In 2014, WME and Silver Lake acquired IMG, the premier sports, fashion and media company.

Whitesell‘s clients include Ben Affleck, Christian Bale, Kevin Costner, Matt Damon, Idris Elba, Jennifer Garner, Jake Gyllenhaal, Hugh Jackman, John Krasinski, Jude Law, Joaquin Phoenix, Ryan Reynolds, Billy Bob Thornton, Eddie Vedder and Denzel Washington.

In addition to their responsibilities as Co-CEOs across WME and IMG, Whitesell and Emanuel oversee WME’s network of world-class partner companies. Through Jingle Punks and RED Interactive, WME provides services in the fields of mobile gaming, music licensing and digital development; merchant bank Raine connects clients and media companies with top Wall Street advisors; and award-winning global creative agency Droga5 offers WME ready access to the most influential brands of the twentyfirst century. Prior to the formation of WME, Whitesell was a partner at Endeavor. Before Endeavor, Whitesell spent four years heading Creative Artists Agency’s (CAA’s) talent department and two years as an agent for United Talent Agency (UTA). He began his career in the InterTalent mailroom.

Whitesell has been named one of Fast Company’s Most Creative People in Business, one of Fortune’s Businesspersons of the Year, and one of Sport Business Journal’s 50 Most Influential People in Sports. He is an appointed member of the Governor’s California Film Commission and an associate member of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts & Sciences.

A graduate of Luther College, Whitesell lives in Los Angeles with his wife and four children.

Co-Chairman, Lionsgate Motion Picture Group

Patrick Wachsberger’s career in the motion picture industry spans more than 30 years, during which he has established a reputation as one of the leading international film executives in the world. He is Co-Chairman of the Lionsgate Motion Picture Group, joining the Company when Lionsgate acquired Summit Entertainment in January 2012. Mr. Wachsberger oversees all aspects of Lionsgate’s domestic and international feature film acquisition, production and distribution as well as the home entertainment releases of the Company’s theatrical feature films, and he is responsible for growing Lionsgate’s motion picture business around the world. Mr. Wachsberger also continues to build the Company’s vibrant third-party international sales business, and he has shepherded such international hits as the 2014 Academy Award winner for best picture 12 Years A Slave, which has grossed more than $100 million at the global box office. In 2013 Mr. Wachsberger received the Publicists Guild’s Motion Picture Showman of the Year Award, recognizing his 30 years of achievements in the motion picture business, as well as his recent contributions to Lionsgate’s continued evolution into a global content leader. Mr. Wachsberger is also a devoted supporter of Scott Neeson’s Cambodia Children’s Fund and a dedicated and generous supporter of the Epilepsy Foundation of Greater Los Angeles

A native of New York and former production chief for DreamWorks and New Line Cinema, De Luca founded Michael De Luca Productions in 2004 and has a development and production agreement with Columbia Pictures. Prior to forming Michael De Luca Productions, De Luca served as DreamWorks‘ Head of Production.

During his previous tenure as President and COO of New Line Productions, he created the highly successful Friday, Blade, Austin Powers and Rush Hour franchises, and launched the directing careers of Jay Roach, Brett Ratner, Gary Ross, Alan and Albert Hughes, F. Gary Gray, the Farrelly brothers, and Paul Thomas Anderson.

De Luca continues to focus on developing provocative specialized films with visionary filmmakers, as well as pop culture, mainstream genre films with franchise potential. His projects for Columbia have included David Fincher’s Academy Award winning drama The Social Network, and the Oscar nominated Moneyball starring Brad Pitt. He is currently in post production for the studio on the Tom Hanks starrer Captain Phillips.

Lorenzo di Bonaventura began his professional life operating a river-rafting company before turning his focus on the entertainment industry. He first joined Columbia Pictures before he became an executive at Warner Bros. where he was involved in over 130 productions as he rose to the position of President of Worldwide Production.

In 2003, Mr. di Bonaventura formed a production company based at Paramount Pictures. Since its inception, the company has produced 16 movies, including the highly successful Transformers franchise. Mr. di Bonaventura earned his undergraduate degree at Harvard and later received his MBA at the University of Pennsylvania’s Wharton School of Business.

Managing Partner of Creative Artists Agency

A native of Louisiana, and a graduate of USC with degrees in Journalism and International Relations, Bryan began his career as a page at CBS Studios. In 1983 he joined the William Morris Agency where he worked his way from the mailroom program to talent agent. He has been a partner and Managing Director of CAA since 1995 and became a director of InterActiveCorp in 2005. Lourd is a member of the President’s Committee on the Arts and Humanities, an American Film Institute trustee, and a board member of the J/P Haitian Relief Organization. We are thrilled to be honoring Bryan Lourd, a distinguished and accomplished Industry executive.

Escape Artists

TODD BLACK BIOGRAPHY

Todd Black’s recent feature films include THE TAKING OF PELHAM 1,2,3 directed by Tony Scott, starring Denzel Washington and John Travolta to be released in June 2009; KNOWING starring Nicolas Cage, directed by Alex Proyas; SEVEN POUNDS starring Will Smith, directed by Gabriele Muccino; THE GREAT DEBATERS, starring Denzel Washington and Forrest Whitaker; and THE PURSUIT OF HAPPYNESS starring Will Smith.  He was nominated for a Golden Globe for Best Picture for THE GREAT DEBATERS.  In addition, Todd was granted the Producer’s Guild Stanley Kramer Award for THE GREAT DEBATERS and for his film in 2002, ANTWONE FISHER.  Todd’s upcoming project entitled THE BACK UP PLAN, stars Jennifer Lopez.

Born in Dallas, Texas, and raised in Los Angeles, Black attended the theatre program at the University of Southern California.  He began his entertainment career as a casting associate.

In 1995, Black became President of Motion Picture Production at Sony’s Mandalay Entertainment and managed such movies as DONNIE BRASCO, SEVEN YEARS IN TIBET, I KNOW WHAT YOU DID LAST SUMMER, LES MISERABLES and WILD THINGS.

When Todd Black, along with his partner Jason Blumenthal in January of 2000 merged with the Steve Tisch Company to form Escape Artists, an independently financed company, housing at Sony Pictures, their first produced movie was A KNIGHT’S TALE, starring Heath Ledger.

In 2002, his film, ANTWONE FISHER was a ten-year labor of love that marked Academy AwardÒ-winner Denzel Washington’s directorial debut and launched the career of screenwriter Antwone Fisher.

In 2005, THE WEATHER MAN marked Black’s second time collaborating with writer Steve Conrad.  The pair met when Black discovered Conrad’s first screenplay, WRESTLING ERNEST HEMINGWAY, which he produced for director Randa Haines.

JASON BLUMENTHAL BIOGRAPHY

Producer Jason Blumenthal was born and raised in Los Angeles and attended Syracuse University’s Newhouse School of Communications.

After graduation, Jason joined Wizan/Black Films in 1990.  There, he was involved with the development and production of “Iron Eagle II,” “Split Decisions,” a family drama about three generations of prize fighters starring Gene Hackman.  “The Guardian,” Directed by William Friedkin, “Short Time,” with Dabney Coleman and Terri Garr , and “Class Act” starring Kid N’ Play.  They executive produced “Becoming Colette”, written by Ruth Graham Black, and “Fire In The Sky”.  “Wrestling Ernest Hemingway,” directed by Randa Haines and starring Robert Duvall, Richard Harris and Shirley MacLaine was also released by Warner Brothers.  “Dunston Checks In,” starring Jason Alexander, Faye Dunaway and Rupert Everett was release by Twentieth Century Fox.  “A Family Thing” starring James Earl Jones and Robert Duvall was distributed by United Artists and “Bio Dome” starring Pauly Shore and Stephen Baldwin at MGM.

Jason was Senior Vice President of feature production at Mandalay Entertainment, a division of Sony Pictures Entertainment, from the company’s inception in 1995 through March of 1998.  During his tenure as Senior Vice President, Jason managed Mandalay’s production slate which included such films as The Fan starring Robert De Niro and Wesley Snipes, Donnie Brasco starring Al Pacino an Johnny Depp, Seven Years In Tibet starring Brad Pitt and I Know What You Did Last Summer, #1 at the box office for three weeks, grossing more than $130 million world wide and its sequel, I Still Know.. , Les Mis starring Liam Neeson and Uma Thurman, Wild Things, starring Neve Campbell, Kevin Bacon and  Matt Dillon, Gloria starring Sharon Stone and Deep End of the Ocean starring and produced with Michelle Pfeiffer.

In April, 1998, Jason and his partner Todd Black formed Black & Blu Entertainment and entered into a first look production deal at Sony Pictures Entertainment.  In 2001, Black & Blu merged with the Steve Tisch Co. (Forrest Gump) to become Escape Artists while still maintaining their first look deal at Sony Pictures.  Escape Artists has since produced A Knight’s Tale starring Heath Ledger, and Antwone Fisher, directed by and starring Denzel Washington which was released through Fox Searchlight.  Before the success of  The Pursuit of Happyness, they produced The Weather Man directed by Gore Verbinski and starring Nic Cage and Michael Caine. Escape Artists recently released the Alex Proyas thriller Knowing starring Nic Cage and Seven Pounds starring Will Smith.  This summer, The Taking of Pelham 1,2,3 directed by Tony Scott starring Denzel Washington and John Travolta will be released.  His upcoming project entitled THE BACK UP PLAN, stars Jennifer Lopez.

STEVE TISCH BIOGRAPHY

Steve Tisch (Producer) is responsible for 1994’s Academy Award®-winning Best Picture Forrest Gump, starring Tom Hanks, as well as launching Tom Cruise’s career with the sleeper hit Risky Business in 1983.  He also served as Executive Producer on Guy Ritchie’s Lock, Stock And Two Smoking Barrels, Snatch and the critically-acclaimed American History X, starring Edward Norton.

In 2005, Tisch was named Chairman and Executive Vice President of the New York Giants of the NFL.  In 2008, the Giants became Super Bowl Champions for the third time in NFL history.  Tisch has the distinction of being the only person on the planet with both an Academy Award® and The Lombardi Trophy.

Tisch is a partner in Escape Artists, a production company formed in 2001, based at Sony Pictures Entertainment.  Escape Artists released The Pursuit of Happyness, starring Will Smith and Thandie Newton, in December of 2006, and The Weather Man, starring Nicolas Cage and Michael Caine in the fall of 2005.  Other recent releases include Seven Pounds, starring Will Smith and Rosario Dawson and Knowing, starring Nicolas Cage.  Upcoming projects include Tony Scott’s remake, The Taking of Pelham 123, starring Denzel Washington and John Travolta and The Back-Up Plan, starring Jennifer Lopez.

In addition, Tisch contributes his time and financial resources to such organizations as the ERAS Center, Pediatric AIDS Foundation and the Women’s Cancer Research Foundation.  Tisch is a member of the Board of Advisors at the Tisch School of the Arts at New York University, Board of Trustees of The Geffen Theatre in Los Angeles, The Museum of Contemporary Art in Los Angeles and is on the Board of Trustees of the Preston Robert Tisch Brain Cancer Center at Duke University.

Tisch has five children.

Escape Artists

TODD BLACK BIOGRAPHY

Todd Black’s recent feature films include THE TAKING OF PELHAM 1,2,3 directed by Tony Scott, starring Denzel Washington and John Travolta to be released in June 2009; KNOWING starring Nicolas Cage, directed by Alex Proyas; SEVEN POUNDS starring Will Smith, directed by Gabriele Muccino; THE GREAT DEBATERS, starring Denzel Washington and Forrest Whitaker; and THE PURSUIT OF HAPPYNESS starring Will Smith.  He was nominated for a Golden Globe for Best Picture for THE GREAT DEBATERS.  In addition, Todd was granted the Producer’s Guild Stanley Kramer Award for THE GREAT DEBATERS and for his film in 2002, ANTWONE FISHER.  Todd’s upcoming project entitled THE BACK UP PLAN, stars Jennifer Lopez.

Born in Dallas, Texas, and raised in Los Angeles, Black attended the theatre program at the University of Southern California.  He began his entertainment career as a casting associate.

In 1995, Black became President of Motion Picture Production at Sony’s Mandalay Entertainment and managed such movies as DONNIE BRASCO, SEVEN YEARS IN TIBET, I KNOW WHAT YOU DID LAST SUMMER, LES MISERABLES and WILD THINGS.

When Todd Black, along with his partner Jason Blumenthal in January of 2000 merged with the Steve Tisch Company to form Escape Artists, an independently financed company, housing at Sony Pictures, their first produced movie was A KNIGHT’S TALE, starring Heath Ledger.

In 2002, his film, ANTWONE FISHER was a ten-year labor of love that marked Academy AwardÒ-winner Denzel Washington’s directorial debut and launched the career of screenwriter Antwone Fisher.

In 2005, THE WEATHER MAN marked Black’s second time collaborating with writer Steve Conrad.  The pair met when Black discovered Conrad’s first screenplay, WRESTLING ERNEST HEMINGWAY, which he produced for director Randa Haines.

JASON BLUMENTHAL BIOGRAPHY

Producer Jason Blumenthal was born and raised in Los Angeles and attended Syracuse University’s Newhouse School of Communications.

After graduation, Jason joined Wizan/Black Films in 1990.  There, he was involved with the development and production of “Iron Eagle II,” “Split Decisions,” a family drama about three generations of prize fighters starring Gene Hackman.  “The Guardian,” Directed by William Friedkin, “Short Time,” with Dabney Coleman and Terri Garr , and “Class Act” starring Kid N’ Play.  They executive produced “Becoming Colette”, written by Ruth Graham Black, and “Fire In The Sky”.  “Wrestling Ernest Hemingway,” directed by Randa Haines and starring Robert Duvall, Richard Harris and Shirley MacLaine was also released by Warner Brothers.  “Dunston Checks In,” starring Jason Alexander, Faye Dunaway and Rupert Everett was release by Twentieth Century Fox.  “A Family Thing” starring James Earl Jones and Robert Duvall was distributed by United Artists and “Bio Dome” starring Pauly Shore and Stephen Baldwin at MGM.

Jason was Senior Vice President of feature production at Mandalay Entertainment, a division of Sony Pictures Entertainment, from the company’s inception in 1995 through March of 1998.  During his tenure as Senior Vice President, Jason managed Mandalay’s production slate which included such films as The Fan starring Robert De Niro and Wesley Snipes, Donnie Brasco starring Al Pacino an Johnny Depp, Seven Years In Tibet starring Brad Pitt and I Know What You Did Last Summer, #1 at the box office for three weeks, grossing more than $130 million world wide and its sequel, I Still Know.. , Les Mis starring Liam Neeson and Uma Thurman, Wild Things, starring Neve Campbell, Kevin Bacon and  Matt Dillon, Gloria starring Sharon Stone and Deep End of the Ocean starring and produced with Michelle Pfeiffer.

In April, 1998, Jason and his partner Todd Black formed Black & Blu Entertainment and entered into a first look production deal at Sony Pictures Entertainment.  In 2001, Black & Blu merged with the Steve Tisch Co. (Forrest Gump) to become Escape Artists while still maintaining their first look deal at Sony Pictures.  Escape Artists has since produced A Knight’s Tale starring Heath Ledger, and Antwone Fisher, directed by and starring Denzel Washington which was released through Fox Searchlight.  Before the success of  The Pursuit of Happyness, they produced The Weather Man directed by Gore Verbinski and starring Nic Cage and Michael Caine. Escape Artists recently released the Alex Proyas thriller Knowing starring Nic Cage and Seven Pounds starring Will Smith.  This summer, The Taking of Pelham 1,2,3 directed by Tony Scott starring Denzel Washington and John Travolta will be released.  His upcoming project entitled THE BACK UP PLAN, stars Jennifer Lopez.

STEVE TISCH BIOGRAPHY

Steve Tisch (Producer) is responsible for 1994’s Academy Award®-winning Best Picture Forrest Gump, starring Tom Hanks, as well as launching Tom Cruise’s career with the sleeper hit Risky Business in 1983.  He also served as Executive Producer on Guy Ritchie’s Lock, Stock And Two Smoking Barrels, Snatch and the critically-acclaimed American History X, starring Edward Norton.

In 2005, Tisch was named Chairman and Executive Vice President of the New York Giants of the NFL.  In 2008, the Giants became Super Bowl Champions for the third time in NFL history.  Tisch has the distinction of being the only person on the planet with both an Academy Award® and The Lombardi Trophy.

Tisch is a partner in Escape Artists, a production company formed in 2001, based at Sony Pictures Entertainment.  Escape Artists released The Pursuit of Happyness, starring Will Smith and Thandie Newton, in December of 2006, and The Weather Man, starring Nicolas Cage and Michael Caine in the fall of 2005.  Other recent releases include Seven Pounds, starring Will Smith and Rosario Dawson and Knowing, starring Nicolas Cage.  Upcoming projects include Tony Scott’s remake, The Taking of Pelham 123, starring Denzel Washington and John Travolta and The Back-Up Plan, starring Jennifer Lopez.

In addition, Tisch contributes his time and financial resources to such organizations as the ERAS Center, Pediatric AIDS Foundation and the Women’s Cancer Research Foundation.  Tisch is a member of the Board of Advisors at the Tisch School of the Arts at New York University, Board of Trustees of The Geffen Theatre in Los Angeles, The Museum of Contemporary Art in Los Angeles and is on the Board of Trustees of the Preston Robert Tisch Brain Cancer Center at Duke University.

Tisch has five children.

Escape Artists

TODD BLACK BIOGRAPHY

Todd Black’s recent feature films include THE TAKING OF PELHAM 1,2,3 directed by Tony Scott, starring Denzel Washington and John Travolta to be released in June 2009; KNOWING starring Nicolas Cage, directed by Alex Proyas; SEVEN POUNDS starring Will Smith, directed by Gabriele Muccino; THE GREAT DEBATERS, starring Denzel Washington and Forrest Whitaker; and THE PURSUIT OF HAPPYNESS starring Will Smith.  He was nominated for a Golden Globe for Best Picture for THE GREAT DEBATERS.  In addition, Todd was granted the Producer’s Guild Stanley Kramer Award for THE GREAT DEBATERS and for his film in 2002, ANTWONE FISHER.  Todd’s upcoming project entitled THE BACK UP PLAN, stars Jennifer Lopez.

Born in Dallas, Texas, and raised in Los Angeles, Black attended the theatre program at the University of Southern California.  He began his entertainment career as a casting associate.

In 1995, Black became President of Motion Picture Production at Sony’s Mandalay Entertainment and managed such movies as DONNIE BRASCO, SEVEN YEARS IN TIBET, I KNOW WHAT YOU DID LAST SUMMER, LES MISERABLES and WILD THINGS.

When Todd Black, along with his partner Jason Blumenthal in January of 2000 merged with the Steve Tisch Company to form Escape Artists, an independently financed company, housing at Sony Pictures, their first produced movie was A KNIGHT’S TALE, starring Heath Ledger.

In 2002, his film, ANTWONE FISHER was a ten-year labor of love that marked Academy AwardÒ-winner Denzel Washington’s directorial debut and launched the career of screenwriter Antwone Fisher.

In 2005, THE WEATHER MAN marked Black’s second time collaborating with writer Steve Conrad.  The pair met when Black discovered Conrad’s first screenplay, WRESTLING ERNEST HEMINGWAY, which he produced for director Randa Haines.

JASON BLUMENTHAL BIOGRAPHY

Producer Jason Blumenthal was born and raised in Los Angeles and attended Syracuse University’s Newhouse School of Communications.

After graduation, Jason joined Wizan/Black Films in 1990.  There, he was involved with the development and production of “Iron Eagle II,” “Split Decisions,” a family drama about three generations of prize fighters starring Gene Hackman.  “The Guardian,” Directed by William Friedkin, “Short Time,” with Dabney Coleman and Terri Garr , and “Class Act” starring Kid N’ Play.  They executive produced “Becoming Colette”, written by Ruth Graham Black, and “Fire In The Sky”.  “Wrestling Ernest Hemingway,” directed by Randa Haines and starring Robert Duvall, Richard Harris and Shirley MacLaine was also released by Warner Brothers.  “Dunston Checks In,” starring Jason Alexander, Faye Dunaway and Rupert Everett was release by Twentieth Century Fox.  “A Family Thing” starring James Earl Jones and Robert Duvall was distributed by United Artists and “Bio Dome” starring Pauly Shore and Stephen Baldwin at MGM.

Jason was Senior Vice President of feature production at Mandalay Entertainment, a division of Sony Pictures Entertainment, from the company’s inception in 1995 through March of 1998.  During his tenure as Senior Vice President, Jason managed Mandalay’s production slate which included such films as The Fan starring Robert De Niro and Wesley Snipes, Donnie Brasco starring Al Pacino an Johnny Depp, Seven Years In Tibet starring Brad Pitt and I Know What You Did Last Summer, #1 at the box office for three weeks, grossing more than $130 million world wide and its sequel, I Still Know.. , Les Mis starring Liam Neeson and Uma Thurman, Wild Things, starring Neve Campbell, Kevin Bacon and  Matt Dillon, Gloria starring Sharon Stone and Deep End of the Ocean starring and produced with Michelle Pfeiffer.

In April, 1998, Jason and his partner Todd Black formed Black & Blu Entertainment and entered into a first look production deal at Sony Pictures Entertainment.  In 2001, Black & Blu merged with the Steve Tisch Co. (Forrest Gump) to become Escape Artists while still maintaining their first look deal at Sony Pictures.  Escape Artists has since produced A Knight’s Tale starring Heath Ledger, and Antwone Fisher, directed by and starring Denzel Washington which was released through Fox Searchlight.  Before the success of  The Pursuit of Happyness, they produced The Weather Man directed by Gore Verbinski and starring Nic Cage and Michael Caine. Escape Artists recently released the Alex Proyas thriller Knowing starring Nic Cage and Seven Pounds starring Will Smith.  This summer, The Taking of Pelham 1,2,3 directed by Tony Scott starring Denzel Washington and John Travolta will be released.  His upcoming project entitled THE BACK UP PLAN, stars Jennifer Lopez.

STEVE TISCH BIOGRAPHY

Steve Tisch (Producer) is responsible for 1994’s Academy Award®-winning Best Picture Forrest Gump, starring Tom Hanks, as well as launching Tom Cruise’s career with the sleeper hit Risky Business in 1983.  He also served as Executive Producer on Guy Ritchie’s Lock, Stock And Two Smoking Barrels, Snatch and the critically-acclaimed American History X, starring Edward Norton.

In 2005, Tisch was named Chairman and Executive Vice President of the New York Giants of the NFL.  In 2008, the Giants became Super Bowl Champions for the third time in NFL history.  Tisch has the distinction of being the only person on the planet with both an Academy Award® and The Lombardi Trophy.

Tisch is a partner in Escape Artists, a production company formed in 2001, based at Sony Pictures Entertainment.  Escape Artists released The Pursuit of Happyness, starring Will Smith and Thandie Newton, in December of 2006, and The Weather Man, starring Nicolas Cage and Michael Caine in the fall of 2005.  Other recent releases include Seven Pounds, starring Will Smith and Rosario Dawson and Knowing, starring Nicolas Cage.  Upcoming projects include Tony Scott’s remake, The Taking of Pelham 123, starring Denzel Washington and John Travolta and The Back-Up Plan, starring Jennifer Lopez.

In addition, Tisch contributes his time and financial resources to such organizations as the ERAS Center, Pediatric AIDS Foundation and the Women’s Cancer Research Foundation.  Tisch is a member of the Board of Advisors at the Tisch School of the Arts at New York University, Board of Trustees of The Geffen Theatre in Los Angeles, The Museum of Contemporary Art in Los Angeles and is on the Board of Trustees of the Preston Robert Tisch Brain Cancer Center at Duke University.

Tisch has five children.