Press Releases

Jonathan King Named Executive Vice President of Production of Participant Productions

Los Angeles, April 11, 2007 – Jonathan King has joined Participant Productions as Executive Vice President in charge of Production, it was announced today by Jim Berk, CEO of Participant.

King will report to Participant’s President Ricky Strauss, who commented: “Jonathan brings to Participant rich experience in both studio and independent filmmaking.  He shares our commitment to making compelling entertainment, and having worked with him successfully over the years, I know he will prove to be a valuable asset to the company.”

King, who will start on April 16, comes to Participant Productions from Focus Features, the specialty films division of Universal Studios, where he was Executive Vice President of Production. 

Prior to joining Focus, King was President of Production for Laurence Mark Productions, an independent production company based at Sony Pictures Entertainment, where he supervised development and production of the company’s slate of projects.  Films he worked on there included Bill Condon’s DREAMGIRLS, Scott Frank’s THE LOOKOUT, and Gus Van Sant’s FINDING FORRESTER.  King's credits as an independent producer include GUINEVERE, STUDIO 54 and JUDAS KISS. 

Before becoming a producer, King worked as a production and acquisitions executive for several years at Miramax Films in Los Angeles. King began his career working at MGM/UA in New York City, covering books, theater, and independent films. 

In addition, for six years, King served on the Board of Directors of Outfest, the organization that produces the Los Angeles Gay and Lesbian Film Festival. During his tenure, he supervised the creation of several new filmmaker programs including a screenwriters' lab.  He currently serves on the Dean's Advisory Board of the Florida State University Film School.  He has been invited to speak on panels at numerous film festivals and conferences, including the Toronto International Film Festival, the Sundance Film Festival, the Los Angeles Film Festival, FSU Alumni Conference, SPAA, and IFFCON. 

King graduated from Stanford University with a BA in History, and from Florida State University with an MFA in Film Production.

Participant Productions is a Los Angeles-based production company that focuses on socially relevant, commercially viable feature films and documentaries.  These projects all center on issues that awaken, inspire and empower audiences to make a difference.  The company is headed by CEO Jim Berk and President Ricky Strauss.  Participant was founded in January 2004 by philanthropist Jeff Skoll, who serves as Chairman.

Upcoming releases include Mike Nichols’ CHARLIE WILSON’S WAR, starring Tom Hanks, Julia Roberts and Phillip Seymour Hoffman, produced by Playtone , co-financed by Participant and Relativity which Universal will be releasing this Christmas; Marc Forster's THE KITE RUNNER, co-financed by Sidney Kimmel Entertainment and Participant, produced by S.K.E. and Parkes/McDonald Productions, presented by Dreamworks and Paramount Vantage which is also distributing; Errol Morris’ S.O.P. (Standard Operating Procedure), co-financed by Participant and Sony Pictures Classics, which will distribute;  Jonathan Demme’s CARTER, which follows Nobel Peace Prize winning former President Jimmy Carter on a controversial  book tour across America, and THE VISITOR, Tom McCarthy’s first film since THE STATION AGENT, co-financed by Participant  and Michael London's Groundswell Productions.

Participant's most recent success is the Academy Award-winning documentary AN INCONVENIENT TRUTH, which has become the third-highest grossing documentary in history. Past films have included GOOD NIGHT, AND GOOD LUCK., SYRIANA, NORTH COUNTRY and MURDERBALL, which collectively received 11 Academy Award nominations in 2006.

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