The Global Perspective: Breaking the Boundaries of Today’s Film Marketplace
As our industry continues to drastically change, the intrinsic value of films in today’s global environment evolves as well. Reliance on a well-written script and star-studded cast alone no longer suffice in what is now termed a “binary” market. Films from their inception must possess an intrinsic uniqueness, with carefully defined target audiences guiding the vision.
Moderator
Steven Gaydos, SVP of Global Content & Executive Editor, Variety
Panelists
Mark Gooder, Co-President, Cornerstone
Syrinthia Studer, EVP, International Productions, Paramount Pictures
Christian Vesper, CEO, Global Drama, Fremantle
Speakers
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Steven GaydosSenior VP, Global Content & Executive Editor, VarietySteven Gaydos is an entertainment journalist and the co-author of several books on the entertainment industry, including Movie Talk From The Front Lines and Cannes: 50 Years of Sun, Sex and Celluloid. He serves as Executive Editor and Vice President of Global Content for entertainment publication Variety. In addition to his journalistic endeavors, Gaydos has written and coproduced several feature films, including Monte Hellman’s Venice Festival prize winner “Road to Nowhere” (2010) and Ate de Jong’s new Americana film musical, “Heart Strings,” which is set to premiere in Nashville at the Country Music Hall of Fame later this year.
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Mark GooderCo-President, CornerstoneMark Gooder began his film career in Australia and New Zealand over 25 years ago. He established Icon Distribution in Sydney in 2000 for Academy-Award winning Producer/Director and Actor Mel Gibson and his producing partner Bruce Davey and re-located to Los Angeles in 2006 to oversee the Icon group of companies. In 2012 he became President of Acquisitions for The Weinstein Company. In 2015 he established the international sales company Cornerstone Films with business partner and former Focus Feature’s International President, Alison Thompson. The company is based in Santa Monica and London. Cornerstone works with Producers to help develop, finance, and sell films and episodic content to the domestic and international marketplace. German TV and Film Production company, X Filme are a minority shareholder in Cornerstone through their parent company Beta, one of the world’s leading international distributors of TV license rights. Cornerstone most recently became a shareholder in The Reset Collective, a new Australasian content distribution and production company based in Sydney. Mark is an Executive Producer on over 25 feature films including the recent 2022 Sundance and Berlin Film Festival sensation GOOD LUCK TO YOU, LEO GRANDE from director Sophie Hyde starring Emma Thompson.
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Syrinthia StuderEVP, International Productions, Paramount PicturesSyrinthia Studer is a global leader and content curator and producer with a unique expertise in both film and television across multiple platforms. Ms. Studer is known for conceptualizing and driving new and highly profitable business initiatives over a 20+ year career in entertainment. In 2022, Ms. Studer was tapped to conceptualize and lead Paramount Pictures’ new International Productions Unit, where she is responsible for content strategy, development and production of local language and micro-budget films, which includes originals and culturally-specific remakes sourced from Paramount Pictures’ vast film library.
As part of Studer’s tenure at Paramount Global, she served as EVP, Awesomeness and Nickelodeon Films, where she led all aspects of film development and production for the Kids and Family studio – producing three films during the pandemic. Across prior leadership roles at Paramount/Viacom, Ms. Studer has overseen the global content acquisition business, launched and managed ancillary-driven acquisitions, and managed the studio’s network and cable brand partners home entertainment efforts.
Among her notable original productions and acquisitions in these roles are Book Club, the $100M box office hit starring Jane Fonda, Diane Keaton, Mary Steenburgen and Candice Bergen; Richard Linklater’s Boyhood (in partnership with IFC Films); Family dance comedy, The J Team, starring and executive produced by Jojo Siwa; the recently released teen comedy and critics’ favorite, Honor Society on Paramount+, and Fantasy Football, produced in partnership with LeBron James’ Springhill Entertainment, Genius Entertainment, NFL Films, and EA Games.
Prior to Paramount, Studer’s career included business development and promotional marketing roles with Loews Cineplex Entertainment and General Mills.
A committed champion for underrepresented talent and youth, Studer serves as Executive Vice President of the board of Women In Film, a legacy advocacy organization dedicated to advancing the careers of women working across the industry. Studer serves as a board member and mentor to Big Brothers Big Sisters Los Angeles. She is also a member of the Executive Branch of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (AMPAS).
A graduate of Michigan State University and frequent contributor to industry panels and global events, Studer resides in Los Angeles, California with her husband and son.
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Christian VesperCEO, Global DramaVesper’s role sees him build on Fremantle’s impressive portfolio of scripted drama, films and dailies throughout the world, with direct oversight of Fremantle’s founder-led scripted labels, including Miso Film (Face to Face, The Investigation), Wildside (My Brilliant Friend, Cannes Jury Prize winner Eight Mountains, L’Immensità), The Apartment (Venice winner Bones and All, Priscilla, We Are Who We Are and Academy-Award nominee The Hand of God), Euston Films (Wreck, Baghdad Central, The Sister) and Element Pictures (Academy Award winning film The Favourite, Normal People, Conversations With Friends).
He oversees Fremantle’s impressive roster of talent partnerships and deals, which includes Chernobyl director Johan Renck and Michael Paret’s newly launched production company Sinestra, Michael Winterbottom’s Revolution Films, Afua Hirsch’s Born In Me and The Creatives, Fremantle’s three-year partnership agreement with a creative alliance of nine leading independent production companies.
Christian joined Fremantle in 2016 as Executive Vice President and Creative Director, Global Drama, and was promoted in 2020 to President, Global Drama. He was previously drama chief at Sundance TV where he oversaw critically-acclaimed international productions including Jane Campion’s Top Of The Lake and Hugo Blick’s The Honourable Woman, starring Maggie Gyllenhaal and Deutschland 83.
