Fandor Announces Ted Hope as CEO

SAN FRANCISCO, Jan. 8, 2014 /PRNewswire/ -- Fandor, the curated online service for exceptional independent and international films, today announced that former San Francisco Film Society Executive Director and award-winning independent producer Ted Hope, has been named Chief Executive Officer. His official start date is January 30^th.

Hope brings to Fandor a wealth of film experience as a creator, curator, advocate, and innovator in the film community as well as a vision for how Fandor will grow in the ever-changing digital world of content distribution.  Hope has been on Fandor's Board of Advisors since March 2011 and he has long been a powerful advocate for new ways to deliver vibrant independent content to the millions of independent film fans around the world.

Using innovative ways to find and share a greater array of works with the audience that craves them is Fandor's mission and among Hope's strongest passions. His understanding of how the film world has changed over the last 25 years is unparalleled, particularly in the areas of distribution and connecting with audiences.

"Our entire film culture remains structured around antiquated concepts of cinema, audience, and engagement," said Hope, "Fandor is part of a great systems reboot of this ecosystem, one that is as equally rewarding for the artist and the audience."

Continuing, Hope added that "Fandor offers film fans better curation and deeper engagement, making ambitious, diverse, and vibrant film culture a sustainable enterprise for all participants. Fandor is the cure for Fear Of Missing Out."

Hope is an influential figure in the film community who has served as inspiration and mentor to countless filmmakers. In 1990, Hope co-founded production and sales powerhouse Good Machine with writer/producer James Schamus and the company went on to produce such acclaimed and award winning films as American Splendor, The Ice Storm, In the Bedroom and Happiness.

Hope was most recently the Executive Director of the San Francisco Film Society where he successfully raised significant new sponsorship funding, expanded the San Francisco International Film Festival's offerings to include the innovative Artist to Entrepreneur (A2E) program and launched their new Fall Awards event. He also introduced new alliances, including a distribution arrangement with Sundance Artist Services and implemented several grants in such areas as documentary, strategic planning, and operations. He will continue with SFFS on the Advisory Board.

Fandor Board of Directors member and former Facebook executive Chris Kelly welcomed Hope to the company, remarking that "Ted has repeatedly proven his entrepreneurial talents over the years in making incredible films and articulating a powerful future vision for the independent film business," adding, "We're thrilled to have him lead Fandor's quest to remake the film ecosystem."

"Ted's front-line view of how social networks, mass-availability of media content, and the empowerment of audiences change film will assure that Fandor accelerates its pioneering approach to curation and digital content distribution," Kelly continued.

Hope joins Fandor as the company continues to expand. Over three dozen new partners and individual filmmakers have been added to Fandor's curated service in 2013, creating a film library of over 5,000 high quality and distinctive titles that span hundreds of genres.  Many of these films are unavailable anywhere else. Fandor launched internationally into Canada and expanded the service's availability on a wide selection of devices including Sony Blu-ray players and home theater systems plus Android tablets and smartphones.

Founder and current CEO Dan Aronson will continue to serve on Fandor's Board of Directors and as the company's CTO; he will work closely with key partners on strategies to ensure that Fandor remains at the forefront of technological advances in digital content distribution.

About Fandor:
Fandor is the on-demand film source for people who love movies, offering a broad and carefully curated library of independent and international movies, easily accessed through search and discovery tools. Fandor's subscription-based service allows audiences to watch unlimited movies wherever they are, on mobile devices, computers and TVs. Fandor was launched in 2011 with the goal of showcasing and supporting the world's best filmmakers, and returns half its revenue to them. For more information, visit www.fandor.com.

SOURCE Fandor