LOS ANGELES, CA, February 2024 – SCREEN ENGINE, a global leader in entertainment research and content testing, has been honored this month with the American Cinematheque’s prestigious Power of Cinema Award in conjunction with its CEO, founder, and entertainment research veteran KEVIN GOETZ. The award was presented to Goetz at a star-studded award ceremony at the Beverly Hilton Hotel this month, along with the American Cinematheque Award presented to renowned actress, Dame Helen Mirren.
Following an introduction by the Power of Cinema sponsor, Hill Valley CEO, and American Cinematheque Board Member Eric Nebot, Jim Gianopulos, former studio head of 20th Century Fox and Paramount Pictures, presented the award to GOETZ at the event. In his remarks, Gianopulos said, “We all know the preview process informs both the final version of the film and the marketing strategy for its potential audience. It can be a celebratory event…but other times the audience fidgets. There are awkward silences, there are unintended laughs, and the scores come in looking pretty grim. This is when Kevin is truly the most important talent of them all. Where was the audience confused, bored, distracted, or out of the narrative flow of the movie? And how come all those people left early? Understanding what’s working, what isn’t, what’s holding back a part of that audience sitting out there in the dark and ‘why‘ is an art form in itself. In that, Kevin is Picasso.”
Among the celebrities in attendance supporting the honorees, were Harrison Ford, Bryan Cranston, Vin Diesel, Alan Cummings, Stefanie Powers, Patrick Stewart, Andrea Riseborough, and Pierce Brosnan.
Celebrating American Cinematheque’s mission, its Board of Directors established the “Power of Cinema Award” in 2021 to be given to an individual or organization whose actions through storytelling have advanced the significance of social relevance of films in today’s modern culture. GOETZ is the third recipient of this award previously presented to Jason Blum and Blumhouse, a film and television production company, and also to Participant, a media company dedicated to entertainment that inspires audiences to engage in positive social change.
“Thank you from the bottom of my heart to each and every one who has trusted me with your creative babies in front of a room full of strangers for the first time,” said GOETZ during his acceptance speech at the award ceremony. “Thank you to those who listened to bad news and hard truths when it was the last thing you really wanted to do, and who invited me and my company into your process to solve story challenges or a problematic third act. It has truly been an honor to play a small part in creating many cinematic successes alongside so many of you in this room.”
ABOUT KEVIN GOETZ
Kevin Goetz, a well-known personality within the entertainment industry, is currently a leading expert in the field of motion picture marketing and tech-enabled research. He is often the “go-to” person when filmmakers and studios need insights into how to fix or market their pictures. His company, Screen Engine, is one of the few firms in the world that conducts specialized research on Hollywood’s movies and television content. Goetz has been at the center of the research industry for more than three decades and has worked alongside all of the major film studio chiefs, network and streaming platform executives and production company decision-makers. Kevin wrote his first book published by Simon & Schuster, Audience•ology: How Moviegoers Shape the Films We Love, about an important aspect of his business— audience pre-release test screenings. Bringing his bestselling book to life, he is the host of the successful podcast, Don’t Kill the Messenger, and continues to educate up-and-coming filmmakers, deliver keynote speeches, and give talks and presentations around the world. Kevin has also produced 12 television movies including the Emmy-winning, Wild Iris. Kevin Goetz is a member of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences and several other distinguished organizations including The Television Academy and the Producers Guild of America.
ABOUT THE EVENT
The American Cinematheque’s mission is to celebrate the experience of cinema as a moving art form and create spaces where both the public and members of the film industry come together as a community with the common language and love of film. Established in 1984, the organization 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. 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 1,500 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.
# # #
