Annapurna Film Head Ivana Lombardi Named Director of Indies at Netflix (EXCLUSIVE)
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Annapurna Pictures president of film Ivana Lombardi is moving across town to Netflix, after almost a year in her role at Megan Ellison’s company.
As of Nov. 6, Lombardi will serve as director of independent films at the streamer. She will report directly to Lisa Nishimura, Netflix’s vice president of independent film and documentary features.
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“We couldn’t be more thrilled for Ivana and this great opportunity. Netflix has been smart to bring on board such a thoughtful, savvy, and passionate filmmaker advocate. Her devotion to artists and love of great cinema ensures we’ll happily continue working with her in the future,” said Sue Naegle, Annapurna’s chief content officer.
An interim replacement for Lombardi was not immediately clear, nor for Jillian Longnecker, who joined Netflix as a director in the original series department in July. Longnecker had been promoted to president of physical production at Annapurna at the same time Lombardi was elevated to president of film, a post vacated by longtime Ellison lieutenant Chelsea Barnard.
Annapurna has been retooling its motion picture strategy in recent months after resolving more than $200 million in debt this summer and forging ahead as a self-financed entity. The company has numerous films in active development, including a socially-relevant alien thriller from screenwriter Randy McKinnon. The company also counts divisions in television, theater and gaming.
During Lombardi’s tenure at Annapurna, titles like Olivia Wilde’s “Booksmart,” Adam McKay’s “Vice” and Richard Linklater’s “Where’d You Go, Bernadette?” were released. Prior to that, Lombardi worked at Chernin Entertainment where she developed and produced a variety of feature films including the Golden Globe nominated “St. Vincent,” “Hidden Figures,” and “Miss Peregrine’s Home for Peculiar Children.” She’s also done stints at Tobey Maguire’s Material Picture and DreamWorks Animation. A native New Yorker, Lombardi is also an AMPAS member.
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