Fandor Announces Academy Award® Winner Jared Leto as Chief Creative Officer
San Francisco, CA (PRWEB) May 21, 2017 -- Fandor, the streaming service with the largest collection of independent films, documentaries, international features and shorts, announced today that Academy Award® winner Jared Leto will join the Company as Chief Creative Officer.
In this new role, Leto will be integral in establishing the creative voice that defines Fandor. He will provide ongoing creative input for the platform, including original programming, and will host one of Fandor’s live streaming events slated for later this year.
“Jared joins us at a critical time in Fandor’s evolution. With the launch of our new look and feel on and off the Fandor platform, we are ready to move to series production. Jared brings his love of movies, his passion for music, and his keen eye to Fandor's audience," said Larry Aidem, President & CEO of Fandor. "Having worked for Robert Redford for a decade, I'm struck by Jared's similarly multi-dimensional artistry – actor, filmmaker, musician, producer – and remarkably broad fan base... not to mention his tech chops."
Along with Leto’s creative role, Fandor will utilize VyRT, an online broadcast platform exploring the creative possibilities between content and social. VyRT, founded by Leto in 2011, and headquartered in Los Angeles, is a provider of on-demand Internet streaming media available to viewers worldwide.
Said Leto, "As a longtime Fandor subscriber I developed a special appreciation for their distinctive programming and recommendation engine. Specifically, the 'human element' that sets Fandor apart from so many other services in this space, most of which are purely algorithmic. With my involvement in the broadcasting and social platform business for over 5 years with my company, VyRT, I'm very much looking forward to this collaboration and know I can bring a unique perspective [to it].”
Said Gail Gendler, former AMC Sundance Channel Global acquisitions exec, who recently joined Fandor as Head of Programming, "Jared will be instrumental in our ongoing creative evolution as we dramatically expand Fandor's audience to include movie fanatics, in addition to the original base of independent film enthusiasts. Jared is that exceedingly rare artist who enjoys broad and deep appeal to movie AND film audiences. We look forward to working with him to engage our movie-loving audience with hosted live streams for films, documentaries, shorts and originals.“
In addition to Leto joining the team, Fandor has launched a major redesign of its site and is amping up their sponsorship activity.
Mike Tuszynski, Chief Technology & Product Officer, who has overseen the redesign of fandor.com and will manage the integration of VyRT, commented, "At the intersection of thoughtful product design and innovative technology, Fandor is fundamentally transforming into an inspiring destination for movie fanatics, and it is very gratifying to see the vision come together fueled by an equally inspiring team."
Added Dan Johns, Fandor's EVP of Advertising & Sponsorships, who most recently oversaw brand strategy at Twitter, "Following a year of extensive discussions with agencies and brands, we are confident that we have a winning combination. We are thrilled to be working with Lexus, CA Technologies, and a host of others to offer the combination of premium, brand-safe video and native platform opportunities targeted to connected movie lovers. Fandor is delighted and appreciative to have them as launch partners."
About Fandor
Fandor handpicks and streams nearly 6,000 award-winning and independently produced titles from around the world. With over 500 genres, from the classics to the latest festival favorites, Fandor connects a global community of movie lovers through curated content through our movie library, digital site and social platforms. The Company is expanding its content syndication through established and emerging OTT services and OEMs. Fandor is available on desktop, iOS, Android, and on TV through Roku, AppleTV and Chromecast.
Press Contact:
Matt Maraynes
522 Washington St. San Francisco, CA 94111
Phone: (626) 657-6073
matt(at)fandor(dot)com
Copyright © 2017 Fandor, All rights reserved.
Matt Maraynes, Fandor, http://www.fandor.com, +1 (626) 657-6073, [email protected]
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