Roadshow offers tribute to Ian Sands

Roadshow Films used its presentation at the Australian International Movie Convention to celebrate the achievements of Ian Sands, who worked for the company for 38 years.

Sands passed away on July 30, from complications after a heart transplant.

Managing director Joel Pearlman expressed that for many in the industry, Sands had been “a colleague, and at Roadshow, a pretty incredible boss and a mentor; a quintessential film man”.

National sales manager Brett Rosengarten shared his memories of Sands, whom he met when he joined Roadshow in 1995.

“Ian was an incredible man, and evidence of that are the more than 500 people who turned up at this funeral. His career spans 38 years, from the moment he started with Fox in 1972 as an assistant booker, and joining Roadshow the following year,” said Rosengarten.

The thirty-minute tribute included a video that included the heartfelt testimonials of industry executives such as Pearlman, Rosengarten, Murray Forrest, Libby Rhys, Alan Finney, Phil Oneile, Joe Moodabe, Stephen Basil-Jones, Robert Slaviero, Paul Mackenzie, Allan Stiles, Michael Selwyn, Barry Peak, Graham Burke, Gino Munari, Ross Entwistle, Damian Atherton and Richard Parton.

Sony’s Stephen Basil-Jones said that Sand’s smile reminded him of “Jaws 4”, while Gino Munari remembered Sands’ admiration of actress Jodie Foster.

Sands’ wife Pam and their children Daniel and Nicole were present for the emotional tribute.

Seven Achievement Awards for Roadshow

Roadshow Films received seven Australian Box Office Achievement Awards for the films that grossed more than $10m: Mao’s Last Dancer, Sherlock Holmes, Valentine’s Day, The Blind Side, Clash of the Titans, Sex and the City 2 and Inception – which together grossed more than $220m.

The company executives thanked the exhibition sector for its support to its films, particularly its Australian titles Mao’s Last Dancer and Bran Nue Dae.