Sanford Panitch to Run Fox International Productions

Capitalizing on the company´s leading

international distribution network and parent News Corporation´s

vast global presence, Fox Filmed Entertainment is launching Fox

International Productions (FIP) to produce and acquire local language

films for key global territories. Sanford Panitch, a veteran studio

executive at New Regency and Fox, has been tapped to run the entity

which will serve to organize all of Fox´s

existing and future indigenous productions under one banner.
Panitch, who most recently served as President of Filmed Entertainment

for New Regency (a partnership with News Corporation and Twentieth

Century Fox), will become president of the Los Angeles-based FIP. He

will report to Fox Filmed Entertainment Chairmen and CEOs, Jim

Gianopulos and Tom Rothman, who made the announcement today.
"We have the infrastructure provided by the

world´s most global media company along with

Fox´s unmatched marketing and distribution

operations, and in Sanford, we have a seasoned, successful executive

with whom to entrust this important enterprise," said Gianopulos. "All of these factors "“ as well as our existing relationships and collective experience around

the world "“ position us for great success."
Commented Rothman: "Sanford is a uniquely

gifted and well rounded film executive. In the last years, he has spent

much of his efforts focusing on international talent, and will bring his

inimitable energy, perseverance, and can do attitude to expand our

efforts around the globe."
Fox International Productions will focus its efforts in several key

territories to produce, co-finance, acquire and distribute local

language films. FIP will complement Fox´s

worldwide releases with local language films in key markets, where it

will develop partnerships with local producers and filmmakers and make

strategic production agreements. Fox is in active discussions with

several investment funds interested in providing equity financing for

its international productions.
"This is a natural next step for me and a

great opportunity," said Panitch. "And

to be able to do it in an environment with such an incredibly broad

global presence is ideal. Our slate will include films targeted for the

markets in which they are made and some pictures for a broader

international audience."
Fox International Productions will oversee production activities already

in progress in Japan, Germany, Russia and India, and will expand Fox´s

local productions in these and other markets in the future. FIP will

work closely with Fox´s other production

divisions and partners and also will tap into its News Corp sister

companies, including STAR, SKY and MySpace, among others.
The endeavor also will coordinate efforts with Fox International, run by

co-presidents Tomas Jegeus and Paul Hanneman. Fox International will

handle all marketing and distribution for FIP.
Commented Jegeus and Hanneman: "Our team has

done considerable work over the past few years in identifying

co-production opportunities around the world and we are excited to work

with Sanford to see those plans come to fruition."
FIP will be staffed in Los Angeles with business affairs, development

and production executives and will draw on the expertise of creative

individuals on staff in those key territories. It also will rely on the

continuing efforts of Tony Safford, Fox´s

executive vice president of worldwide acquisitions.
Panitch has served as president of filmed entertainment for New Regency

for the past seven years, moving from Twentieth Century Fox where he

last served as executive vice president of production. During his

career, he has supervised such films as MR. AND MRS. SMITH, THE

FUGITIVE, SEVEN and TITANIC.
About Twentieth Century Fox
One of the world´s largest producers and

distributors of motion pictures, Fox Filmed Entertainment produces

acquires and distributes motion pictures throughout the world. These

motion pictures are produced or acquired by the following units of FFE:

Twentieth Century Fox, Fox 2000 Pictures, Fox Searchlight Pictures, Fox

Atomic, and Twentieth Century Fox Animation.