GenArts, Inc., makers of premium special effects software for professional motion graphic artists, video editors and VFX compositors, has named George Naspo as its president and CEO. In his new role, Naspo has as his first priority investing in new product capabilities, including enhanced interoperability with modern postproduction tools. Naspo will also focus on growing the sales and marketing functions.
Naspo is a three-time CEO with a history of achievement at both start-ups and mature companies in emerging and growth markets. Prior to joining GenArts, he served as president and CEO of Virtacore, a cloud services provider specializing in virtual infrastructure as a Service (IaaS) and disaster recovery (DR) solutions. During his tenure at Virtacore, revenue tripled.
“George is a proven executive who has successfully delivered great software solutions to customers,” said Nikitas Koutoupes, board member and managing director at GenArts’ largest shareholder, Insight Venture Partners.
Naspo has been working with the GenArts organization since December of 2015 in an advisory capacity. Naspo said, “We set the standard for high quality effects in video production and postproduction, and we’re committed to continuing to innovate and help video artists and editors produce the highest quality of work.”
Before Virtacore, Naspo served as president and CEO of IKANO Communications, a provider of Internet access, email, hosting, and related IP services. He has also held senior leadership roles with Xelus, an enterprise software developer, and wireless communications provider Securicor Wireless.
“Heretic” and “Maria” Set As Red Carpet Premieres At AFI Fest
The American Film Institute (AFI) has announced that Heretic, the psychological thriller starring Hugh Grant, and Maria, based on the life of opera singer Maria Callas starring Angelina Jolie, will round out the Red Carpet Premieres section at this year’s AFI Fest. The Heretic Gala Screening will take place on Thursday, October 24, and the Maria Gala Screening will be held on Saturday, October 26. The complete Red Carpet Premieres section includes the world premieres of Music By John Williams, Robert Zemeckis’ Here, Wallace & Gromit: Vengeance Most Fowl and Clint Eastwood’s Juror #2. All Red Carpet Premieres will take place at the historic TCL Chinese Theatre. The full lineup for AFI Fest 2024 will be unveiled on October 1.
“At the heart of AFI Fest is an unwavering dedication to celebrating the best in global cinema--together,” said Bob Gazzale, AFI president and CEO. “We look forward to uniting artists and audiences once again to be inspired by the art form in a powerful sense of community.”
Heretic follows two young missionaries (Sophie Thatcher and Chloe East) who are forced to prove their faith when they knock on the wrong door and are greeted by a diabolical Mr. Reed (portrayed by Grant), becoming ensnared in his deadly game of cat-and-mouse. The film is directed by Scott Beck and Bryan Woods and produced by Stacey Sher, Beck, Woods, Julia Glausi and Jeanette Volturno. The film will be released nationwide by A24 on November 8.
Directed by Pablo Larraín, Maria presents a tumultuous and beautiful depiction of one of the world’s most renowned artists and reimagines the legendary soprano in her final days in Paris, as Callas (Jolie)... Read More