SANTA MONICA, Calif. and VANCOUVER, B.C., Feb. 8 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Lionsgate (NYSE: LGF; TSX), the premier independent producer and distributor of filmed entertainment, announced today that Tim Palen and Sarah Greenberg have been promoted to co-Presidents of Film Marketing for Lionsgate.

The duo, with nearly 10 years of combined experience with Lionsgate and its predecessor companies, are fresh off a string of theatrical box office successes including the number one smashes HOSTEL and SAW II, DIARY OF A MAD BLACK WOMAN and the critically-acclaimed hit CRASH, which just earned six Academy Award(R) nominations, including nods for Best Picture, Best Director and Best Screenplay. They are also helping to spearhead the groundbreaking, nationally-publicized promotional campaign with Starbucks for Lionsgate's upcoming theatrical release AKEELAH AND THE BEE.

Palen and Greenberg will work together on marketing campaigns and new marketing initiatives, with Greenberg focusing on theatrical, home entertainment and corporate publicity, promotions and events. Palen will oversee Lionsgate's media, creative advertising, new media and corporate branding initiatives. Lionsgate unveiled its new corporate name and brand in December 2005.

"Tim and Sarah have already engineered some of the boldest and most brilliant theatrical marketing and publicity campaigns of the past few years," said Tom Ortenberg, President of Lionsgate Theatrical Films. "They bring to our films the perfect blend of vitality and experience and the ideal mix of strategic vision and skillful execution. Under their marketing and publicity leadership, Lionsgate is on its way to its second straight $300 million-plus year at the domestic box office, and we intend to build on that success going forward."

"Tim and Sarah epitomize the best traits of the Lionsgate brand -- original thinking, entrepreneurial spirit and daring, unconventional approaches to the marketing of our Company and its filmed entertainment product," said Lionsgate Chief Executive Officer Jon Feltheimer. "Their elevation reflects our commitment to remain a step ahead of the competition in our marketing and branding initiatives and to groom our senior management team from within our own ranks."

Palen previously served as Executive Vice President of Theatrical Marketing for Lionsgate. He is a veteran, award-winning motion picture marketing executive who has been responsible for the creation and implementation of numerous highly successful marketing campaigns since joining the Company, including those for CRASH, just nominated for six Academy Awards(R), the number one box office hits HOSTEL and SAW II, Tyler Perry's DIARY OF A MAD BLACK WOMAN, SAW, OPEN WATER, FAHRENHEIT 9/11, the highest- grossing documentary film of all time, and the Academy Award(R)-winning MONSTER'S BALL, among many others.

Palen joined Lionsgate in 2001 as Vice President, Theatrical Marketing, and achieved immediate success with the launch of the successful campaign for Monster's Ball, which went on to win an historic Academy Award(R) for Halle Berry. He has garnered widespread recognition and awards for his marketing and creative skills.

Greenberg was named Executive Vice President, Publicity, for Lionsgate in early 2004, and has subsequently spearheaded a series of feature film publicity campaigns that have generated such hit releases as CRASH, HOSTEL, SAW I AND II, DIARY OF A MAD BLACK WOMAN, OPEN WATER, FAHRENHEIT 9/11 and THE PUNISHER(TM). During each of the two years that she has headed Lionsgate's publicity operations, the Company has generated more than $300 million at the domestic theatrical box office and released six of the seven highest-grossing films in its history. She has headed up home entertainment publicity campaigns that have included the smash DVD releases SAW, DIARY OF A MAD BLACK WOMAN, CRASH, and the current #1 DVD in North America, LORD OF WAR.

Greenberg oversees corporate publicity as well as theatrical and home entertainment campaigns. She is a 10-year public relations veteran whose expertise is focused in theatrical film and home entertainment. Throughout her career, she has distinguished herself with the ability to synthesize information and concepts into focused messages and strategies designed to augment overall marketing and publicity campaigns, organize consumer awareness initiatives and enhance the financial success of the films and home videos she has represented. More recently, she has expanded these responsibilities to help shape the public visibility and profile of Lionsgate with key audiences at the corporate level.

Lionsgate is the premier independent producer and distributor of motion pictures, television programming, home entertainment, family entertainment and video-on-demand content. Its prestigious and prolific library is a valuable source of stable, recurring revenue and is a foundation for the growth of the Company's core businesses. The Lionsgate brand name is synonymous with original, daring, quality entertainment in markets around the globe.

Source: Lionsgate

Web site: http://www.lionsgate.com/