Big news out of Cannes announced at today’s Weinstein Co. event:
(press release) Stephen Mensch announced as CEO of the Qingdao Oriental Movie Industrial Park with Rose Kuo named as the CEO of the Qingdao International Film Festival
Cannes, France (May 16, 2014) – Hawk Koch, President of the Producers Guild of America (PGA) and Special Advisor to Dailan Wanda Group announced at a press conference during the 67th edition of the Cannes Film Festival, Wanda’s new initiative to build a film studio and media complex along with the launch of a new major international film festival in Qingdao, China. Stephen Mensch was announced as CEO of the Qingdao Oriental Movie Industrial Park with Rose Kuo named as the CEO of the Qingdao International Film Festival.
Stephen Mensch served as the Director of Strategic Production Partnerships and Studio Operations at Turner Broadcasting in Atlanta, Georgia. Mensch was the one of the founders of Georgia Production Partnerships (GPP). He began his career in entertainment as the General Manager and Vice President of Sales and Marketing for Feature Systems production equipment.
The Qingdao International Film Festival, set to debut Fall 2017, will be a first class international film festival and serve as a bridge between Eastern and Western filmmaking cultures. Previously, Kuo was the Executive Director of Film Society of Lincoln Center which presents the New York Film Festival and the Artistic Director of Los Angeles’ AFI FEST.
Dalian Wanda Group Company, Ltd.
Dalian Wanda Group was founded in 1988 and operates in four major industries – commercial property, luxury hotels, culture & tourism, and department stores. In 2013, the company’s assets totaled 380 billion yuan ($62.8 billion), its annual income reached 186.6 billion yuan ($30.8 billion) and net profits exceeded 12.5 billion yuan ($2.06 billion).