James Hewison leaves Madman
Madman Entertainment has announced that theatrical distribution manager James Hewison will leave the company, “effective today”. His position within the company will also disappear.
According to a statement from the company, a recent strategic analysis and review revealed that its distribution channels (theatrical, home entertainment, digital and television) required a unified management structure and more effective communication and planning, so after Hewison’s departure, theatrical sales and marketing will report directly to general manager Darrien Puddy.
Hewison joined Madman in 2008, replacing former theatrical manager Anna McLeish.
The company added that its acquisitions team “will continue to maintain their close working relationships with local and international producers and stakeholders to optimise release strategies for all films represented”.
That’s what happens when you sell your soul to a public company which is what Madman did when Funtastic bought them. It’s all downhill from here. Seriously, what does a toy company know about film distribution?
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James is no longer a LOVED ONE…
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They’d have to be MAD to let him go…sorry
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This comment has been edited for legal reasons.
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Jack- you’re a tool.. James Hewison did a fantastic job of running MIFF, great bloke with a keen eye for cinema…hates a strong word Jack…maybe go and look in the mirror and say it a few times, not like you haven’t done it before..or that it isn’t part of your daily ritual.
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Damn!
Want to read Jack Roberts comment, but its been “edited for legal reasons”
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Dolly — ask yourself why Madman had to get rid of him? It is not because he was doing a great job is it. Anyway I’m confident he’ll find work at screen australia soon.
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Jack- People lose their jobs for all kinds of reasons, economic rationalism isn’t always rational. But to suggest somebody hates films and filmmakers…is a bit outrageous and is actually highly delusional. How you came to that conclusion I’m not sure, why you’d come to that conclusion is actually beyond me. How could somebody hate something so much and still want to be associated with it? Hate is a very strong description for a motive or even an inherent character trait.
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James Hewison doesn’t belong with a company answerable to shareholders. He was great as director of MIFF and built it into the best film festival in Australia and one of the best in the world (with the help of Sandra Sdraulig before him). The main problem was that the position was created for him by Madman rather than him filling an existing position. This always causes stress and tension among the existing employees. Now, that a public company has taken over and times are tough in the film industry, they made cuts to improve their balance sheet and appease shareholders. Simple.
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Maybe they got tired of his know it all ‘holier than though’ attitude perhaps?
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