Bob Berney (born 1953) is an American

independent film An independent film, independent movie, indie film, or indie movie is a feature film or short film that is film production, produced outside the Major film studios, major film studio system in addition to being produced and distributed by independ ...

executive based in

Los Angeles Los Angeles, often referred to by its initials L.A., is the List of municipalities in California, most populous city in the U.S. state of California, and the commercial, Financial District, Los Angeles, financial, and Culture of Los Angeles, ...

. Currently, he is the CEO of Picturehouse, an independent motion picture marketing and distribution company that acquires, markets and distributes films from the U.S. and around the world. In September 2021, Picturehouse announced that it will release '' Becoming Cousteau'', a documentary that uses previously unseen archival footage to chronicle the life and career of the adventurous oceanographer and filmmaker

Jacques-Yves Cousteau Jacques-Yves Cousteau, (, also , ; 11 June 191025 June 1997) was a French naval officer, oceanographer, filmmaker and author. He co-invented the first successful open-circuit self-contained underwater breathing apparatus (SCUBA), called the A ...

, who coinvented scuba diving and foretold the impact of pollution on

climate change Present-day climate change includes both global warming—the ongoing increase in Global surface temperature, global average temperature—and its wider effects on Earth's climate system. Climate variability and change, Climate change in ...

. Directed by

Liz Garbus Elizabeth Freya Garbus (born April 11, 1970) is an American documentary film director and producer. Notable documentaries Garbus has made are '' The Farm: Angola, USA,'' '' Ghosts of Abu Ghraib,'' '' Bobby Fischer Against the World,'' '' Love, Ma ...

, the film is scheduled to be released on October 22, 2021. In May 2021 the company released ''

Fatima Fatima bint Muhammad (; 605/15–632 CE), commonly known as Fatima al-Zahra' (), was the daughter of the Islamic prophet Muhammad and his wife Khadija. Fatima's husband was Ali, the fourth of the Rashidun caliphs and the first Shia imam. ...

'', a historical drama directed by Marco Pontecorvo and starring

Joaquim de Almeida Joaquim António Portugal Baptista de Almeida () (born 15 March 1957) is a Portuguese actor. He started his film career playing a role in the 1982 action film '' The Soldier'', and later achieved recognition for playing Andrea Bonanno in the ...

Goran Višnjić Goran Višnjić ( ; born 9 September 1972) is a Croatian actor. He is best known for his roles as Dr. Luka Kovač in '' ER'' and Garcia Flynn in '' Timeless'', both NBC television series. For ''ER'', he and the cast were nominated for two Scre ...

, Stephanie Gil,

Lúcia Moniz Ana Lúcia Pereira Moniz (born 9 September 1976) is a Portuguese singer and actress. Moniz represented her country in the Eurovision Song Contest 1996 and has released five music albums She has also acted in several television shows, in theat ...

Sônia Braga Sônia Maria Campos Braga (; born 8 June 1950) is a Brazilian actress. She is known in the English-speaking world for her Golden Globe Award–nominated performances in ''Kiss of the Spider Woman (1985 film), Kiss of the Spider Woman'' (1985) a ...

and

Harvey Keitel Harvey Keitel ( ; born May 13, 1939) is an American actor and film producer, known for his portrayal of morally ambiguous and "tough guy" characters. He rose to prominence during the New Hollywood movement, and has held a long-running associatio ...

. Berney has guided the acquisition, marketing and/or distribution of many notable independent films, including '' Manchester by the Sea'', '' Memento'', ''

My Big Fat Greek Wedding ''My Big Fat Greek Wedding'' is a 2002 romantic comedy film directed by Joel Zwick and written by Nia Vardalos. The film stars Vardalos, John Corbett, Lainie Kazan, Michael Constantine, Gia Carides, Louis Mandylor, Andrea Martin, and Joey Faton ...

'', ''

The Passion of the Christ ''The Passion of the Christ'' is a 2004 American epic biblical drama film co-produced and directed by Mel Gibson from a screenplay he wrote with Benedict Fitzgerald. It stars Jim Caviezel as Jesus of Nazareth, Maia Morgenstern as the Bl ...

'', ''

Pan’s Labyrinth ''Pan's Labyrinth'' () is a 2006 dark fantasy film written, directed and co-produced by Guillermo del Toro. The film stars Ivana Baquero, Sergi López, Maribel Verdú, Doug Jones, and Ariadna Gil. The story takes place in Spain in the summer ...

'' and ''

Drive Drive or The Drive may refer to: Motoring * Driving, the act of controlling a vehicle * Road trip, a journey on roads Roadways Roadways called "drives" may include: * Driveway, a private road for local access to structures, abbreviated "drive" * ...

''. The films he has been associated with have won multiple

Academy Awards The Academy Awards, commonly known as the Oscars, are awards for artistic and technical merit in film. They are presented annually by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (AMPAS) in the United States in recognition of excellence in ...

and grossed more than $1 billion at the North American box office.

Early years

Berney studied film history and production at the

University of Texas The University of Texas at Austin (UT Austin, UT, or Texas) is a public research university in Austin, Texas, United States. Founded in 1883, it is the flagship institution of the University of Texas System. With 53,082 students as of fall 2 ...

Austin Austin refers to: Common meanings * Austin, Texas, United States, a city * Austin (given name), a list of people and fictional characters * Austin (surname), a list of people and fictional characters * Austin Motor Company, a British car manufac ...

. Before graduating with a B.A. in communications he was a manager and projectionist for

AMC Theatres AMC Entertainment Holdings, Inc. (doing business as AMC Theatres, originally an abbreviation for American Multi-Cinema; often referred to simply as AMC) is an American movie theater chain founded in Kansas City, Missouri, and now headquartered ...

. Berney continued working for the theater chain until he left to renovate the Inwood Theatre in

Dallas Dallas () is a city in the U.S. state of Texas and the most populous city in the Dallas–Fort Worth metroplex, the List of Texas metropolitan areas, most populous metropolitan area in Texas and the Metropolitan statistical area, fourth-most ...

, which he and his partners reopened as an arthouse venue in 1984. After gaining this experience he served as a distribution executive for companies including FilmDallas ('' Kiss of the Spider Woman''), Triton Pictures (''

A Brief History of Time ''A Brief History of Time: From the Big Bang to Black Holes'' is a book on cosmology by the physicist Stephen Hawking, first published in 1988. Hawking writes in non-technical terms about the structure, origin, development and eventual fate of ...

'', '' Hearts of Darkness'') and

Orion Classics Orion Classics started in 1982 as the distribution label for the then independent film production company Orion Pictures, now owned by Amazon MGM Studios. It was relaunched in May 2018. The original focus of 1980-era Orion Classics was on acqui ...

('' Theremin: An Electronic Odyssey'', '' Prisoner of the Mountains'', ''

Ulee's Gold ''Ulee's Gold'' is a 1997 American Drama (film and television), drama film written and directed by Victor Nuñez and starring Peter Fonda. Co-stars include Patricia Richardson, Christine Dunford, Tom Wood (actor), Tom Wood, Jessica Biel, J. Kennet ...

''). Berney released

Todd Solondz Todd Solondz (; born October 15, 1959) is an American filmmaker and playwright known for his style of dark, socially conscious satire. Solondz's work has received critical acclaim for its commentary on the "dark underbelly of middle class Americ ...

’s ''

Happiness Happiness is a complex and multifaceted emotion that encompasses a range of positive feelings, from contentment to intense joy. It is often associated with positive life experiences, such as achieving goals, spending time with loved ones, ...

'' under the

Good Machine Good Machine Productions was an American independent film production, film distribution, and foreign sales company started in the early 1990 by its co-founders and producers, Ted Hope and James Schamus. David Linde joined as a partner in the l ...

Releasing banner and

Christopher Nolan Sir Christopher Edward Nolan (born 30 July 1970) is a British and American filmmaker. Known for his Cinema of the United States, Hollywood Blockbuster (entertainment), blockbusters with complex storytelling, he is considered a leading filmma ...

’s '' Memento'' under the

Newmarket Films Newmarket Films, LLC was an American Privately held company, privately owned independent film production and distribution company and a former film distribution subsidiary of Newmarket Capital Group. The company produced such films as ''The Mexic ...

banner. The success of the latter film led to the formation of

as a theatrical distribution company.

2000 to 2005

In October 2000 Berney became SVP, Marketing & Distribution at

IFC Films Independent Film Company (formerly IFC Films) is an American film production and distribution company based in New York City, New York. It is an offshoot of IFC (U.S. TV channel), IFC, owned by AMC Networks. It mainly distributes independent fil ...

, starting his tenure with the company in Los Angeles before moving to New York in 2001. Films acquired and theatrically released included ''

Y Tu Mama Tambien Y, or y, is the twenty-fifth and penultimate letter of the Latin alphabet, used in the modern English alphabet, the alphabets of other western European languages and others worldwide. According to some authorities, it is the sixth (or seven ...

'', ''

The Safety of Objects ''The Safety of Objects'' is a 2001 American drama film based upon a collection of short stories of the same name written by A. M. Homes and published in 1990. It features four suburban families who find that their lives become intertwined. The ...

'' and ''

''. In 2002 Berney founded Newmarket Films’ theatrical distribution division with Newmarket Capital Group owners Will Tyrer and Chris Ball. Their releases included ''

Real Women Have Curves ''Real Women Have Curves'' is a 2002 American comedy-drama film directed by Patricia Cardoso, based on the play of the same name by Josefina López, who co-authored the screenplay for the film with George LaVoo. The film stars America Fer ...

'', ''

Whale Rider ''Whale Rider'' is a 2002 New Zealand drama film written and directed by Niki Caro. Based on the 1987 novel '' The Whale Rider'' by Witi Ihimaera, the film stars Keisha Castle-Hughes as Kahu Paikea Apirana, a twelve-year-old Māori girl whos ...

'', ''

Monster A monster is a type of imaginary or fictional creature found in literature, folklore, mythology, fiction and religion. They are very often depicted as dangerous and aggressive, with a strange or grotesque appearance that causes Anxiety, terror ...

'' and ''

''.

Initial tenure with Picturehouse

In 2005 Berney was hired to launch Picturehouse, a joint venture created by

Time Warner Warner Media, LLC ( doing business as WarnerMedia) was an American multinational mass media and entertainment conglomerate owned by AT&T. It was headquartered at the 30 Hudson Yards complex in New York City. It was established as Time Warne ...

subsidiaries

New Line Cinema New Line Productions, Inc., Trade name, doing business as New Line Cinema, is an American film production, film and television production company that is a subsidiary of Warner Bros. Motion Picture Group, a division of the Major film studios, ...

and

HBO Films HBO Films (formerly called HBO Premiere Films and HBO Pictures) is an American production and distribution company, a division of the cable television network HBO that produces feature films and miniseries. The division produces fiction and non-f ...

with the mandate to acquire, produce and distribute independent films. In its first two years of existence the company released features such as

Robert Altman Robert Bernard Altman ( ; February 20, 1925 – November 20, 2006) was an American film director, screenwriter, and film producer, producer. He is considered an enduring figure from the New Hollywood era, known for directing subversive and sat ...

’s ''

A Prairie Home Companion ''A Prairie Home Companion'' was a weekly radio variety show created and hosted by Garrison Keillor that aired live from 1974 to 2016. In 2016, musician Chris Thile took over as host, and the successor show was eventually renamed ''Live from He ...

'', starring

Meryl Streep Mary Louise "Meryl" Streep (born June 22, 1949) is an American actress. Known for her versatility and adept accent work, she has been described as "the best actress of her generation". She has received numerous accolades throughout her career ...

and

Lily Tomlin Mary Jean "Lily" Tomlin (born September 1, 1939) is an American actress, comedian, writer, singer, and producer. Tomlin started her career in stand-up comedy and sketch comedy before transitioning her career to acting across stage and screen. ...

;

Guillermo del Toro Guillermo del Toro Gómez (; born 9 October 1964) is a Mexican filmmaker, author, and artist. His work has been characterized by a strong connection to fairy tales, Gothic fiction, gothicism and horror fiction, horror often blending the genres ...

’s ''

'', which tallied six

Oscar Oscar, OSCAR, or The Oscar may refer to: People and fictional and mythical characters * Oscar (given name), including lists of people and fictional characters named Oscar, Óscar or Oskar * Oscar (footballer, born 1954), Brazilian footballer ...

nominations and won in three categories; ''

La Vie En Rose ; ) is the signature song of popular French singer Édith Piaf, written in 1945, popularized in 1946, and released as a single in 1947. The song became very popular in the United States in 1950, when seven versions reached the ''Billboard'' cha ...

'', which garnered

Marion Cotillard Marion Cotillard (; born 30 September 1975) is a French actress who has appeared in both European and Hollywood productions. She is the recipient of List of awards and nominations received by Marion Cotillard, various accolades, including an Ac ...

an Oscar for Best Actress; and

Sergei Bodrov Sergei Vladimirovich Bodrov ( rus, Серге́й Влади́мирович Бодро́в, p=sʲɪrˈɡʲej bɐˈdrof; born 28 June 1948) is a Russian film director, screenwriter, and producer. In 2003 he was the president of the jury at the ...

’s

Genghis Khan Genghis Khan (born Temüjin; August 1227), also known as Chinggis Khan, was the founder and first khan (title), khan of the Mongol Empire. After spending most of his life uniting the Mongols, Mongol tribes, he launched Mongol invasions and ...

biopic ''

Mongol Mongols are an East Asian ethnic group native to Mongolia, China (Inner Mongolia and other 11 autonomous territories), as well as the republics of Buryatia and Kalmykia in Russia. The Mongols are the principal member of the large family of M ...

'', an Oscar nominee for Best Foreign Language Film.

2009 to 2012

Berney and producer/financier Bill Pohlad formed Apparition in August 2009. The company's projects included '' Bright Star'', ''

The Runaways The Runaways were an American rock band who recorded and performed from 1975 to 1979. Formed in 1975 in Los Angeles, the band released four studio albums and one live album during its run. Among their best-known songs are " Cherry Bomb", " Holl ...

'' and ''

The Young Victoria ''The Young Victoria'' is a 2009 British period drama, period drama film directed by Jean-Marc Vallée and written by Julian Fellowes, based on the early life and reign of Queen Victoria, and her marriage to Albert, Prince Consort, Prince Albert ...

''. Next, Berney formed

FilmDistrict FilmDistrict Distribution LLC was an American independent motion picture company based in Los Angeles. It specialized in acquisitions, distribution, short film production, and financing. It was founded on August 30, 2010 by Bob Berney and Peter S ...

with Graham King and Tim Headington of GK Films and released '' Insidious'', '' Soul Surfer'', ''

'', '' Don't Be Afraid of the Dark'', '' The Rum Diary'' and '' In the Land of Blood and Honey'',

Angelina Jolie Angelina Jolie ( ; born Angelina Jolie Voight, , June 4, 1975) is an American actress, filmmaker, and humanitarian. The recipient of List of awards and nominations received by Angelina Jolie, numerous accolades, including two Academy Awards ...

’s directorial debut.

Reopening Picturehouse

In 2013 Berney and his wife Jeanne took ownership of Picturehouse and relaunched the label as an independent theatrical distributor. That same year they released Nimród Antal's '' Metallica Through the Never'', a

Grammy Award The Grammy Awards, stylized as GRAMMY, and often referred to as The Grammys, are awards presented by The Recording Academy of the United States to recognize outstanding achievements in music. They are regarded by many as the most prestigious ...

nominee for Best Music Film. The company's other initial releases included

Adriana Trigiani Adriana Trigiani is an American best-selling author of eighteen books, playwright, television writer/producer, film director/screenwriter/producer, and entrepreneur based in New York City. Trigiani has published a novel a year since 2000. E ...

’s '' Big Stone Gap'', starring

Ashley Judd Ashley Tyler Ciminella, known professionally as Ashley Judd (born April 19, 1968), is an American actress and activist. She grew up in a family of performing artists, the daughter of country music singer Naomi Judd and the half-sister of country ...

, and Christian Keller's '' Gloria'', with

Sofía Espinosa Sofía Espinosa Carrasco (born September 22, 1989) is a Mexican actress, writer and director. She began her artistic preparation at the Conservatorio Nacional de Música (Mexico), National Conservatory of Music, and followed with studies at Cas ...

Amazon Studios

Berney joined

Amazon Studios Amazon MGM Studios is an American film and television production and distribution company owned by Amazon, and headquartered at the Culver Studios complex in Culver City, California. Launched on November 16, 2010, it took its current name on O ...

in 2015 as head of marketing and distribution. There he built and oversaw the company's theatrical distribution arm and oversaw the release of more than 50 films including double Academy Award winner '' Manchester by the Sea'' (the first Oscar nominee for Best Picture released by a streaming platform), ''

The Big Sick ''The Big Sick'' is a 2017 American romantic comedy-drama film directed by Michael Showalter and written by Emily V. Gordon and Kumail Nanjiani. It stars Nanjiani, Zoe Kazan, Holly Hunter, Ray Romano, Adeel Akhtar, and Anupam Kher. Gord ...

'' (Oscar nominee, Best Original Screenplay), ''

Cold War The Cold War was a period of global Geopolitics, geopolitical rivalry between the United States (US) and the Soviet Union (USSR) and their respective allies, the capitalist Western Bloc and communist Eastern Bloc, which lasted from 1947 unt ...

'' (nominated for three Oscars, including Best Director) and '' The Salesman'' (Oscar winner, Best Foreign Language Film).

Picturehouse acquires ''Fatima''

In 2019 Picturehouse acquired ''

'', a historical drama directed by Marco Pontecorvo and starring

, Stephanie Gil,

and

Selected filmography

* '' Becoming Cousteau'' (2021) * ''

'' (2020) * ''

'' (2018) * ''

'' (2017) * '' The Salesman'' (2016) * '' Manchester by the Sea'' (2016) * '' Gloria'' (2014) * '' Big Stone Gap'' (2014) * '' Metallica Through the Never'' (2013) * '' Insidious'' (2011) * '' Soul Surfer'' (2011) * ''

'' (2011) * '' The Rum Diary'' (2011) * '' In the Land of Blood and Honey'' (2011) * '' Don't Be Afraid of the Dark'' (2011) * ''

'' (2010) * '' Bright Star'' (2009) * ''

'' (2009) * ''

'' (2008) * '' Kit Kittredge: An American Girl'' (2008) * '' The Orphanage'' (2007) * '' The King of Kong: A Fistful of Quarters'' (2007) * ''

'' (2007) * ''

'' (2006) * ''

'' (2004) * ''

'' (2003) * ''

'' (2002) * ''

'' (2002) * '' Memento'' (2001) * ''

'' (1998) * ''

'' (1992) * '' Prisoner of the Mountains'' (1997) * ''

'' (1997) * '' Theremin: An Electronic Odyssey'' (1993) * '' Hearts of Darkness'' (1991) * '' Kiss of the Spider Woman'' (1985)

References

External links

* * {{DEFAULTSORT:Berney, Bob 1953 births Living people American film studio executives University of Texas at Austin alumni American film production company founders