David Zaslav, the CEO of the newly formed Warner Bros. Discovery, has been added to The American Cinematheque board of directors, the organization announced on Monday.
“We are so pleased to have David join the Board of Directors. He brings a strategic perspective that will add to the growth of our film programming and especially with the AC’s expansion into educational initiatives and archive content development,” said American Cinematheque Chairman Rick Nicita.
Zaslav leads the global media entertainment company Warner Bros. Discovery, which was formed in April after AT&T spun off WarnerMedia, which was then merged with Discovery, Inc. Zaslav served as CEO and president of Discovery, Inc. since 2006.
“The theatrical experience is essential to the art and business of storytelling, and it is important we do all that we can to support American Cinematheque and other’s efforts to preserve this long-standing social tradition,” Zaslav said. “I look forward to serving on the board and joining in their mission to connect audiences and filmmakers and promote greater engagement and appreciation for the spectacle of cinema.”
This comes as welcome news to proponents of theatrical exhibition. In 2021, before the Warner Bros. Discovery merger, Warner Bros. released all of its new release films day-and-date on streaming service HBO Max. But in 2022, new release films have stuck to a 45-day theatrical window.
Zaslav will join Stephanie Allain, Mark Badagliacca, Peter Bart, Bill Block, Esther Chang, Sandy Climan, Peter Dekom, Charles Heaphy, Louis Kempinsky, Mary Anne Keshen, Ken Kleinberg, Sue Kroll, Franklin Leonard, Michael Mann, Mike Medavoy, Darren Moll, Rick Nicita, Eric Nebot, Mark Ordesky, James Robinson, Stan Rosenfield, Ted Sarandos, Paul Shurgot, Bud Swartz and Paula Wagner.
Established in 1984, the American Cinematheque is a member-supported 501(c)(3) non-profit cultural arts organization dedicated to building an engaged film community through immersive film curation, conversation, and presentation. The American Cinematheque celebrates the film-going experience at the core of its mission. Since it first began showing films in theatres in 1985, the American Cinematheque has provided a wide range of film programming, with both new and repertory cinema, hosting screenings, panels, and special events with thousands of filmmakers. The AC showcases over a thousand films a year; it connects the filmmaker to the audience and film history to its future, presenting in 35mm, 70mm, rare nitrate and state-of-the-art-digital.