Sid Ganis
About
Biography
Biography
Experienced executive who has worked successfully with many of Hollywood's major studios, most often in the areas of marketing and publicity. Starting out with Twentieth Century-Fox as a staff writer and contact person, Ganis later held positions with Columbia, Seven Arts and Warner Brothers, where he finally achieved executive status in 1977. Along the way he had more direct contact with filmmaking via production and publicity work on such films as "There Was a Crooked Man" (1970) and "Mame" (1973). Ganis later left Warner Brothers for a position at Lucasfilm where he was responsible for marketing "The Empire Strikes Back" (1980), "Return of the Jedi" (1983) and the first two installments of the "Indiana Jones" trilogy. He achieved his greatest clout as president of the Paramount Motion Picture Group where he helped launch "Top Gun" (1986) and "Fatal Attraction" (1987), and in a senior position as part of Columbia's overall management team. The position at Columbia closed a circle of sorts for Ganis, given that nearly three decades earlier he had worked for the studio as a contact man. From March 1992 until July 1996, Ganis served as executive vice president of Columbia Pictures and president of both marketing and distribution for Columbia. Next he formed a lucrative association with comedian Adam Sandler, producing the comic's hit films "Big Daddy" (1999) and "Mr. Deeds" (2002), as well as teaming with Sandler to produce the films "Deuce Bigalow: Male Gigolo" (1999) and "The Master of Disguise" (2002). In 2005 Ganis was elected to his first term as president of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts & Sciences.
Filmography
Cast (Feature Film)
Producer (Feature Film)
Producer (Special)
Life Events
1961
Worked as a staff writer, newspaper and wire service contact for 20th Century-Fox
1965
Joined Seven Arts Productions as publicity manager
1969
Appointed production publicity manager, Warners-Seven Arts
1970
Served as an assistant to the producers of feature film, "There Was a Crooked Man"
1970
Became studio publicity director, Cinema Center Films
1973
Director of ad publicity for feature film, "Mame", released by Warner Brothers
1974
Became director of advertising, Warner Brothers
1976
Made cameo appearance in feature film, "All the President's Men"
1977
Named vice president, worldwide advertising and publicity, for Warner Brothers
1979
Served as senior vice president, Lucasfilm Ltd.
1986
Joined Paramount Pictures as president of worldwide marketing
1988
Named president, Paramount Motion Picture Group
1991
Moved to Columbia Pictures as executive vice president
1992
Named executive vice president of Columbia Pictures and Columbia's president of marketing and distribution in March; relinquished duties as executive vice president of Sony Pictures Entertainment
1996
Left Columbia in July; formed production company, Out of the Blue Productions; signed production deal with Sony Pictures Entertainment
2005
Elected in his first term as president of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences
