Sony Pictures Classics has hired John Z. Shahinian as vice president of sales. He boasts an over 40-year career in sales, leadership and executive positions across the exhibition and domestic distribution sectors.
Shahinian will be based in New York and will lead the theatrical release strategy for newly acquired films and oversee the sales division, serving as the primary liaison between exhibitors and filmmakers. He will report to Angela Pirrone, senior vice president of operations. Shahinian succeeds Tom Prassis, executive vice president of sales, who is retiring after a 29-year run with Sony Pictures Classics.
Shahinian will begin his new post on March 9. He comes to Sony Pictures Classics after stints at many prominent distribution and production companies, beginning at the United Artists Theatre Circuit as a buyer with their video store chain UA Video before moving into their film booking department. Since then, Shahinian has held positions in the film distribution departments at MGM/United Artists, Sony Pictures Entertainment, Paramount Vantage, and Overture Films and Relativity Media (which later became the joint venture Relativity/Europa Corp).
Most recently, Shahinian handled film buying and programming for independently owned theaters in the New York and Florida metro markets, and supported Sony Pictures Classics in a consulting capacity in the film sales department prior to assuming this permanent position.
Shahinian also currently serves as treasurer of The Motion Picture Club, a non-profit, philanthropic film industry organization that raises funds and awareness for various affiliated charities such as the Will Rogers Motion Picture Pioneers Foundation and Ronald McDonald House, following previous positions as president and board member. Shahinian graduated from Rochester Institute of Technology’s Film and Television program.
“John is that veteran who has pivoted smoothly into the current theatrical distribution landscape. He understands and values the exhibitor-distributor relationship. We are thrilled to have him on the Sony Classics team,” said Sony Pictures Classics co-founders and co-presidents Michael Barker and Tom Bernard in a joint statement.
“I have known Michael Barker and Tom Bernard through the years, from New York industry events and having had certain dealings with them. I have always been impressed with their longevity together, the overall quality of the Sony Pictures Classics titles, and others that they have been involved with over that time span,” said Shahinian in a statement. “I was honored and humbled to be asked to come aboard with them at SPC, to assist in the distribution of their current and upcoming slate of titles. I am looking forward to the challenge in continuing that storied tradition of Sony Pictures Classics with them.”
Co-founded by Barker and Bernard alongside Marcie Bloom in 1992, Sony Pictures Classics has released indie classics such as “Howard’s End,” “Whiplash” and “Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon.” Their films have won 38 Academy Awards and garnered 166 Oscar nominations, including this year’s nominations for “Blue Moon,” which received a best actor nod for Ethan Hawke and is also up for best original screenplay.
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