Posted July 31, 2009
It’s Official: Top Film Industry Journalist Anne Thompson Will Bring Her Blog, Thompson On Hollywood, from Variety To IndieWIRE
July 31, 2009. “http://www.snagfilms.com/” SnagFilms announced today that Anne Thompson, one of the most respected journalists covering the film industry, will move her widely-read Thompson on Hollywood blog from Variety.com to the indieWIRE network, beginning Monday, August 3. Thompson brings to indieWIRE more than two decades of experience covering the entertainment industry.
At indieWIRE, Thompson will retain her focus on all aspects of the film business, while also expanding this coverage and analysis to entertainment and cultural trends. Her blog thompsononhollywood.com will re-launch Monday as part of the indieWIRE blog network; and will be featured on indieWIRE.com, at SnagFilms.com and through the company’s distribution partners.
“Anne Thompson has long been one of the most insightful writers covering the film industry – from the boulevards of Hollywood to the canyon roads of independent film,” said Rick Allen, CEO of SnagFilms LLC. “Starting at Sundance and throughout this year, indieWIRE has consistently scooped its competition, particularly among large publications that have scaled back their coverage of independent film. With Anne’s arrival, and by incorporating thompsononhollywood.com within the indieWIRE network, we’ll be able to take our leadership to a new level, and bring an even broader scope of information and analysis to industry insiders and fans.”
Anne Thompson has done more than just break news in her more than two decades of covering the film industry – she has provided an insider’s clear-eyed analysis of a business that defines American culture at home and abroad. Born and raised in New York, she has been a contributor to The New York Times, Washington Post, The Observer, and Wired. She has served as film columnist at Variety, and deputy editor of Variety.com, where her daily blog, “Thompson on Hollywood,” has run since March 2007. Anne was the Deputy Film Editor at The Hollywood Reporter, the West Coast Editor of Premiere, a Senior Writer at Entertainment Weekly, and West Coast Editor for Film Comment. She wrote the film industry column “Risky Business” for L.A. Weekly and the Los Angeles Times syndicate. She is a graduate of the Department of Cinema Studies at New York University, hosts the fall semester of “Sneak Previews” for UCLA Extension and teaches film criticism at USC.
“I couldn’t be more pleased to be working with indieWIRE and SnagFilms which have both proven to be innovative movers and shakers in the online space. For thirteen years, indieWIRE has been the authoritative voice on independent film. Launching the new and improved Thompson on Hollywood as part of the indieWIRE network offers an opportunity for me to reach a new audience and undertake a new approach to covering the entertainment industry,” said Anne Thompson.
IndieWIRE editor Eugene Hernandez said, “Anne is the leading voice from Hollywood and she has such a strong sense of how journalism about movies and the industry is evolving. She is an informed veteran with a topnotch editorial track record and a powerful rolodex. She offers expert analysis of the trends and issues affecting movies today. I expect her new web home within the indieWIRE network to be a go-to spot for news, insight and perspective on the industry, festivals, awards season, and the latest movies.”
IndieWIRE is the leading news, information, and networking site for independent-minded filmmakers, the industry, and moviegoers alike, and is wholly owned by SnagFilms. SnagFilms brings the best nonfiction films to the web audience, promotes viral web distribution through virtual movie theater widgets, and engages viewers to assist in charitable and community efforts.
About indieWIRE
indieWIRE is the leading news, information, and social networking site for the international independent film community, including comprehensive coverage of indie, documentary and foreign language films, as well industry news, film festival reports, filmmaker interviews, and movie reviews. Its website includes special sections for high-profile film festivals, the new indieLOOP community site, filmmaker and industry weblogs, as well as resources and tools for emerging and established filmmakers. Awarded the Webby for best film website, indieWIRE was lauded as a “must read” by Variety, branded the “online heartbeat of the world’s independent film community” by Forbes, dubbed “best indie crossroads” by film critic Roger Ebert and praised as “everything you need to know about independent film” by CNN.
About SnagFilms
SnagFilms features free ad-supported viewing of more than 840 award-winning titles from some of the greatest names in documentary film production and distribution. Since its launch in July 2008, SnagFilms’ library has been featured on over 1 billion web pageviews, via more than 25,000 web pages, including throughout the AOL channels, and the websites of The Washington Post, The Wall Street Journal, The New York Times and Politico, hundreds of blogs, and thousands of social network pages. OVGuide named SnagFilms a Top Site of 2008 and MovieMaker Magazine named SnagFilms to its annual list of “50 Best Websites for Moviemakers.”
indieWIRE, the 13-year old leading news, information and networking site for independent-minded filmmakers, the industry and moviegoers alike, has been a vital part of SnagFilms since its acquisition in August, 2008.
The company was founded by digital entrepreneur, documentary film producer, professional sports teams’ owner and philanthropist Ted Leonsis, and is additionally backed by AOL co-founder and Revolution LLC Chairman, Steve Case; philanthropist and former digital executive Jean Case; operating executive and philanthropic venture capitalist Miles Gilburne; and a group led by Ted and Jim Pedas, founders of Circle Films.
Contact
Noah Black
SnagFilms
202-295-8797
Thompson From Variety to IndieWire
