Revamped Department Includes New Hires and Promotions

SANTA MONICA, Calif., June 29, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- LIONSGATE® (NYSE: LGF), a leading global entertainment company, today announced a restructuring of its Theatrical Publicity department.  The announcement was made by Executive Vice President of Theatrical Publicity Julie Fontaine, three months after she was hired by Chief Marketing Officer Tim Palen to oversee all public relations and promotional initiatives for the film division. 

Under Fontaine, films on the theatrical release slate will be divided between two project teams, each led by a Vice President who will spearhead all public relations initiatives for such titles as CONAN THE BARBARIAN, WARRIOR, ABDUCTION, GOOD DEEDS, THE HUNGER GAMES and WHAT TO EXPECT WHEN YOU'RE EXPECTING. 

One team is to be headed by newly appointed Vice President of National Publicity Jennifer Peterson.  Peterson joins from Walt Disney Studios Motion Picture Marketing, where she had been employed since 2001.  Having served as Executive Director of Global Publicity, Peterson was responsible for developing, implementing and managing the domestic PR strategy on films such as ALICE IN WONDERLAND, TOY STORY 3, TRON: LEGACY, and TANGLED.

Jamie Blois, who has been promoted to Vice President of National Publicity, will head the other film team.  Blois has been with the company since 2003, and joined the PR department in 2004.  She previously served as Executive Director of National Publicity, and has been an integral part of all of the twelve films in the studio's Tyler Perry franchise.  Blois was also involved in key talent and filmmaker relations for Lionsgate's recent hit films THE EXPENDABLES and THE LINCOLN LAWYER. 

Todd Nickels will continue to spearhead all of the studio's New York based theatrical publicity initiatives in his post as Senior Vice President, National Publicity, and will work closely with both project teams.  

Corporate public relations initiatives for the film division will be overseen by Fontaine and managed by Kate Hubin Piliero, who is now serving as the film division's Vice President of Corporate Communications.  Having joined Lionsgate in 2005, Hubin is transitioning from her previous role as Vice President of National Publicity. 

Matthew Clasby has been named Vice President of Theatrical Promotions; he will oversee all publicity driven promotions as well as spearhead special events, tradeshows and conventions. Aubrey McClure will continue in her role as Senior Vice President of Promotions, Licensing and Merchandising.

About Lionsgate 

Lionsgate is a leading global entertainment company with a strong and diversified presence in motion picture production and distribution, television programming and syndication, home entertainment, family entertainment, digital distribution and new channel platforms.  The Company has built a strong television presence in production of prime time cable and broadcast network series, distribution and syndication of programming through Debmar-Mercury and an array of channel assets. Lionsgate currently has 15 shows on more than 10 networks spanning its prime time production, distribution and syndication businesses, including such critically-acclaimed hits as "Mad Men", "Weeds" and "Nurse Jackie" along with  the comedy "Blue Mountain State," the upcoming drama "Boss" and the syndication successes "Tyler Perry's House Of Payne", its spinoff "Meet The Browns",  the upcoming "For Better or Worse," "The Wendy Williams Show" and "Are We There Yet?".

Its feature film business has generated more than half a billion dollars at the North American box office in the past year, fueled by such successes as THE LINCOLN LAWYER,  TYLER PERRY'S MADEA'S BIG HAPPY FAMILY, THE EXPENDABLES, which was #1 at the North American box office for two weeks, THE LAST EXORCISM, TYLER PERRY'S WHY DID I GET MARRIED TOO?, KICK ASS and the critically-acclaimed PRECIOUS, which won two Academy Awards®. The Company's home entertainment business has grown to more than 8% market share and is an industry leader in box office-to-DVD and box office-to-VOD revenue conversion rate. Lionsgate handles a prestigious and prolific library of approximately 13,000 motion picture and television titles that is an important source of recurring revenue and serves as the foundation for the growth of the Company's core businesses. The Lionsgate brand remains synonymous with original, daring, quality entertainment in markets around the world.

For further information, contact:

Kate Hubin
310-255-4064
khubin@lionsgate.com

For corporate inquiries, please contact:

Peter D. Wilkes
310-255-3726
pwilkes@lionsgate

SOURCE Lionsgate

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