Mark Gooder has joined the Weinstein Company as president of acquisitions as well as of Australian operations, the independent studio announced on Thursday.
For the past six years, Gooder has served as CEO of Icon Productions, an Australian production company founded by Mel Gibson and Bruce Davey.
At TWC, Gooder will oversee the company’s acquisitions department, bringing in new projects from major markets and festivals. He will begin with this September’s Toronto Film Festival.
“I’m looking forward to working closely with Harvey [Weinstein] and David [Glasser],” Gooder said in a statement, referencing the company's co-founder and its COO. “We share very similar taste in movies, and I feel I can make an important contribution to the continued growth of the company.”
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Gooder takes over as the fall festival season kicks into high gear, with fetes in Venice, Toronto and New York all on the horizon, as well as the American Film Market.
Concurrent to hiring Gooder, the company also has promoted a pair of employees within Gooder’s department, Dan Guando and Negeen Yazdi. Guando, previously VP of Acquisitions, moves to the SVP level; Yazdi jumps from VP of Acquisitions and Co-Productions to SVP of the same areas.
“Mark has a proven history for smart and strategic choices when it comes to choosing quality titles, and Dan and Negeen have been responsible for building the incredible slate we have,” Glasser said in a statement. “There is so much to come from our studio, and this team will undoubtedly lead us there.”
While at Icon, Gooder acquired films such as “Gosford Park,” “Bend it Like Beckham” and “The Queen.”