Alumni series continues in April with Roger Birnbaum
University of Denver alum Roger Birnbaum will visit DU as part of the Distinguished Alumni Series April 25 and 26, 2012. Birnbaum serves as co-chairman and chief executive officer of Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer, Inc. The series features distinguished professional alums from the university and brings them to campus to provide current students with industry-based knowledge and perspective. Students get a first-hand look at how a degree from DU can work for them in future employment and also see how past alums have shaped their careers.
Birnbaum will visit specific classes in film and meet specifically with faculty from both the Media, Film & Journalism Studies department and across the Arts, Humanities & Social Sciences divisions. Students are invited to several open events during Birnbaum’s visit:
- On Wednesday, April 25 at 6:30 p.m., the MFJS department will host a screening of The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo. Space is limited, so students are requested to RSVP below to reserve a space. Birnbaum will introduce the film and talk briefly with students before the screening.
- On Thursday, April 26, Birnbaum will visit two film classes. First, at 10:00 a.m., he will meet with Film History III: Contemporary Cinema students. Then at 12:00, he will meet with the Narrative Film Production II class. There are additional limited seats open for MFJS majors in both of these classes. Students should RSVP below to reserve a space.
RSVP for Birnbaum's visit here
ROGER BIRNBAUM
Co-Chairman and Chief Executive Officer
Roger Birnbaum was named Co-Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Inc. in December 2010. Birnbaum founded the production, finance and distribution company Spyglass Entertainment with his business partner, Gary Barber, in 1998, where they shared the title of co-chairman and chief executive officer. Birnbaum continues to serve as co-chairman of the Board of Spyglass. Spyglass' slate of films have grossed over $5 billion in worldwide box office to date and have amassed over 34 Oscar® nominations, including four wins. Birnbaum has produced numerous feature films and has run business entities in feature film production, foreign distribution, music and exhibition.
Spyglass has produced such films as The Sixth Sense, Bruce Almighty, Seabiscuit, Memoirs of a Geisha, The Count of Monte Cristo, Shanghai Noon, Shanghai Knights, The Recruit, Eight Below, The Pacifier, 27 Dresses, Wanted, Four Christmases, Star Trek, G.I. Joe: The Rise of Cobra, Invictus, Leap Year, Get Him To the Greek, Dinner For Schmucks, The Tourist, The Dilemma, No Strings Attached, The Vow and the Footloose remake. Prior to founding Spyglass, Mr. Birnbaum co-founded Caravan Pictures, where he was responsible for such box office hits as Rush Hour, Six Days/Seven Nights, Inspector Gadget, Gross Point Blanke, The Three Musketeers, Angels in the Outfield and While You Were Sleeping. Before joining Caravan, Mr. Birnbaum served as President of Worldwide Production and Executive Vice President of Twentieth Century Fox, where he oversaw such films as Home Alone, Sleeping with the Enemy, Edward Scissorhands, Hot Shots!, My Cousin Vinny, The Last of the Mohicans, Die Hard 2 and Mrs. Doubtfire, among others. Prior to that, Mr. Birnbaum was the President of Production for United Artists, where he developed the Oscar® winning film Rain Man. Mr. Birnbaum started his career as Vice President of A&M Records and Arista Records. He is a member of the American Film Institute Board of Trustees and The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences.
For more on the history of MGM, visit their website.
