JULIE FONTAINE JOINS LIONSGATE AS EVP OF THEATRICAL PUBLICITY

SANTA MONICA, Calif., March 25, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- LIONSGATE® (NYSE: LGF), a leading global entertainment company, has hired veteran publicity executive Julie Fontaine to head up theatrical PR efforts at the studio, as Executive Vice President of Theatrical Publicity.  The announcement was made by Lionsgate's President of Marketing Tim Palen, who will oversee Fontaine's implementation of all domestic PR initiatives beginning later this month. 

Fontaine joins the PR team at Lionsgate from her previous position as Vice President of Domestic Publicity at The Walt Disney Studios, where she oversaw media strategy for all theatrical releases.  She initially transitioned to Disney from Miramax Films, where beginning in 2004 she oversaw national theatrical campaigns with a special focus on intensive grassroots promotional outreach and awards campaign strategy.   In earlier roles as VP of Marketing and Publicity at Cowboy Pictures and Producer at digital media company Funny Garbage, Fontaine honed an inventive start-up mentality that has continued to serve her well in her later incarnations. 

A passionate cinephile, she is also a member of numerous industry and professional committees, including the Hamptons Film Festival Advisory Board, BAFTA New York, New York Women in Film and Television, and the New York Women's Foundation, where she served on the board for six years.

She brings to her new post a broad range of experience with specialized independent films as well as mainstream commercial blockbusters.  Her in depth film festival and awards experience spearheading such specialty campaigns as "The Queen" and "The Diving Bell & The Butterfly" is balanced with work on crowd pleasers such as "TRON: Legacy" and "Gnomeo And Juliet 3D."   She also spearheaded publicity for DreamWorks Studios' upcoming live-action slate while at Disney, including "Real Steel" and "The Help."

"I am thrilled to welcome Julie to our team," said Palen.  "She brings with her a diversity of experience and a wealth of close, productive relationships with press, talent and filmmakers.  She's also built brilliantly on her art house roots to implement savvy independent thinking in the world of tentpole films, which will serve Lionsgate wonderfully as we continue to forge a similar trajectory."

"It is an honor to be joining Lionsgate's theatrical marketing group," said Fontaine.  "I have long admired their bold marketing tactics, and I am inspired by the quality and diversity of their upcoming slate.  I can't wait to hit the ground running with Tim and his team." 

Fontaine joins in time for the release of the eleventh film in the studio's winning Tyler Perry franchise, MADEA'S BIG HAPPY FAMILY, which will be released on April 22nd, and will be spearheading high profile campaigns to come for the August 19th 3D event CONAN THE BARBARIAN, and September's releases of Gavin O'Connor's WARRIOR (September 19th) and John Singleton's ABDUCTION, staring Taylor Lautner (September 23rd).

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 recent series such as "Blue Mountain State" and the syndication successes "Tyler Perry's House Of Payne," its spinoff "Meet The Browns," "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 hits as 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 7% market share and is an industry leader in box office-to-DVD 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:

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For corporate inquiries, please contact:
 
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SOURCE Lionsgate