Way to go Janet!

After decades of self-employment, mindful blogger Janet Pierson is taking a real job - - way to go Janet!

by Brian Brooks and Eugene Hernandez (April 14, 2008)

Rising expectations for the future of film distribution paved the way for a pair of important industry moves within the independent movie industry today. Word that SXSW Film Festival head Matt Dentler would leave the increasingly important South by Southwest festival to join a new arm of Cinetic Media aimed at repping digital rights came alongside the announcement that Janet Pierson is replacing him in Austin. Dentler will serve as head of marketing and programming operations within the new Cinetic Rights Management (CRM) unit, while fellow board member at the local Austin Film Society, Pierson has been named the new producer of the fest and conference that runs alongside the popular annual SXSW Music event.

“Matt has been a totally brilliant and inspired leader at SXSW,” Janet Pierson told indieWIRE today about her predecessor and good friend, in a telephone conversation this afternoon from Austin. “My thought is this will be a hard act to follow, but I’ve been a fan and supporter [of the festival] since its inception and it will be great to be a part of its continued growth.” Dentler will start at Cinetic on May 1st.

“Janet’s got really good taste,” Dentler told indieWIRE today, in a separate call, noting that Janet Pierson already has a strong track record as a programmer of films for the festival. “Not only has she been involved with the festival in its programming,” he noted, but as a good friend, “She knows a lot about what my job entailed — I’ve unintentionally prepared her for what it was all about.”

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