Longtime indie film marketing and publicity exec Ryan Werner has joined Neon as President of Global Cinema. In the newly created role, Werner will lead distribution efforts and bring decades of experience in marketing, publicity and awards to Neon's slate.
Werner joins from Cinetic Marketing, which he founded in 2014. That company has played a pivotal role in crafting some of the most successful and lauded campaigns in independent film. At Neon, Werner will focus on theatrical distribution full time, and he will work closely with the company's senior leadership to elevate the studio's marketing and release strategies.
Cinetic Marketing, which will continue to operate independently, has worked across a slew of Oscar-winning projects including five Best Pictures, 10 Best Documentaries, seven Best International Features and three Best Animated Features. It has had a huge presence at major film festivals, including Cannes where they have repped six of the last 10 Palme d'Or winners.
In 2021, Werner, along with Jonathan Sehring and the team at Janus Films, created Sideshow to infuse the Janus Films library with a steady stream of contemporary films. Werner helped identify and release celebrated international titles such as the Oscar-winning Drive My Car and Flow as well as the award winning EO, All That Breathes and All We Imagine as Light among many others.
"Ryan's taste, passion, and instincts for cinema are boundless," said Neon CEO and Founder Tom Quinn. "Together, combined with Ryan's extensive knowledge, wealth of relationships and envious track record, we look forward to continue growing Neon as a premiere home for groundbreaking cinema. To say we're thrilled about working with Ryan would be the understatement of the year."
Werner added: "I'm incredibly excited about the opportunity to collaborate with Tom and the exceptional team at Neon. I deeply admire everything they have accomplished. This is a very special opportunity to create something with some of the most talented people working in film. I am honestly thrilled by the prospect of it."