Cooke Optics has announced the appointment of media industry veteran Roger Flynn as a new non-executive director to its board of directors. Flynn is an investor and non-executive director in media, technology, and travel businesses following a successful executive career in several international organizations, including CEO of BBC Ventures, commercial director of Virgin’s Media division, and president international of SDI Media Group.
The Pennebaker Award will be presented to documentarian R.J. Cutler during the sixth annual Critics Choice Documentary Awards gala November 14 at the BRIC Arts Media Center in Brooklyn, New York. The award is named for Critics Choice Lifetime Achievement Award winner, D A Pennebaker, who passed away in 2019. The award will be presented to Cutler by Pennebaker’s producing partner and wife, Chris Hegedus.
Unique X has appointed Claudia Stengel vice president of sales, Americas. She will be overseeing all revenue, relationship management and business development of Unique X's suite of market-leading innovative cinema software and content solutions in North, Central and South America.
National CineMedia, has appointed Ronnie Y. Ng as chief financial officer, effective September 27. With 20 years of finance, investment banking, accounting and managerial experience, Ng joins NCM from Allen Media Group, a diversified media and entertainment company, where he was CFO and head of corporate development. At AMG, he led the company’s finance organization and oversaw multiple large-scale acquisitions and the refinancing of its capital structure.
MediaMation co-founder Dan Jamele has returned to the company as CEO after a three-year hiatus. In 1991, he and co-founder Alison Jamele began the company which manufactures the programmable MX4D Motion EFX seats.
The Society of Motion Picture and Television Engineers has awarded Harald Brendel, Head of Center of Competence Image Science at Arri, with the Natalie M. and Herbert T. Kalmus Medal Award. With this prize, which has been handed out since 1956, the industry association recognizes outstanding technical achievements in film production, post-production, and film distribution.
Cherokee Nation has announced Kevin Shand as the tribe’s new film commissioner. In his new position, Shand will serve dual roles as both film commissioner for the Cherokee Nation and as the tribe’s film office manager.
Goldcrest Post sound artists were honored for Sound Editing and Sound Mixing at the Creative Arts Emmy Awards for their work on Netflix’s The Queen’s Gambit.
Strong/MDI Screen Systems has appointed Dennis Pacelli national cinema sales manager for the United States, effective immediately. Pacelli brings decades of experience in global sales and business development to his new role where he will lead sales initiatives and drive new client acquisitions in the region. He will also provide strategic insight to guide business growth.
The Society of Motion Picture and Television Engineers has released the names of the industry leaders and innovators who will be honored at this year's SMPTE Awards Gala. "This year's honorees have done so much, in so many ways, to help our industry evolve and grow," said Hans Hoffmann, SMPTE president. "Their achievements include remarkable technical advances from image capture to display, creative solutions for increasing representation across the industry, leadership in research and education, innovation in delivering moving images to consumers around the world, and critical work in standards development. We're proud to highlight and honor their work at this year's SMPTE virtual Awards Gala."
