IABM, the international trade association for suppliers of broadcast and media technology, has appointed Fernando Lopez Cisneros as director, Europe. This newly created position will strengthen IABM’s presence and activity in this rapidly changing media technology market, and is just the latest move in IABM’s drive to serve vendors in all the world’s major markets. Over the last year, the IABM has also established regional representation in APAC, North America and MENA.
Lopez’s brief covers delivery of the full range of IABM member services and support to vendors in Europe. Lopez will also focus on the recruitment of more European members to IABM, creating a more coordinated and effective voice in regional matters and on the international stage. Key to achieving this ambition, Lopez will drive the establishment of an IABM European Council, planned for early 2017.
Lopez has 35 years’ experience in the broadcast industry in Europe, Japan and South America. He entered the industry in 1972 supporting early 1” VTRs in Brazilian TV stations, and moved to Tokyo in 1981 to work with Hitachi on the development of their PAL 1” VTR. In 1984, Lopez moved to Robert Bosch/BTS in Germany to work on camera and production switcher development and deployment. A move into sales followed, first with Hitachi in Germany and then Phillips in the UK and Germany. In 2001, Lopez joined Grass Valley as director of marketing and business development until he took up his most recent position in 2013 promoting the EVS DYVI switcher. Based in Sulzbach, Germany, Lopez is fluent in Spanish, Portuguese, English and German and has working knowledge of French, Catalan, Japanese and Italian.
“As IABM director for Europe, I am committed to building closer relationships between IABM and its European members, ensuring that they all receive maximum benefit from the wide range of services IABM has to offer,” said Lopez. “I am also looking to add further local value through introducing symposiums, technical and marketing presentations around the region–and also to ensure that European members benefit from a closer relationship with their colleagues in other geographies.”
“Fernando Lopez brings a massive breadth and depth of industry experience to his new role as IABM director, Europe, making him the perfect choice to reinforce IABM’s presence and influence in Europe,” said Peter White, IABM CEO. “He also has the energy, skills and contacts to drive the establishment of a European Council to more fully represent regional members’ interests.”
Jennifer Kent On Why Her Feature Directing Debut, “The Babadook,” Continues To Haunt Us
"The Babadook," when it was released 10 years ago, didn't seem to portend a cultural sensation.
It was the first film by a little-known Australian filmmaker, Jennifer Kent. It had that strange name. On opening weekend, it played in two theaters.
But with time, the long shadows of "The Babadook" continued to envelop moviegoers. Its rerelease this weekend in theaters, a decade later, is less of a reminder of a sleeper 2014 indie hit than it is a chance to revisit a horror milestone that continues to cast a dark spell.
Not many small-budget, first-feature films can be fairly said to have shifted cinema but Kent's directorial debut may be one of them. It was at the nexus of that much-debated term "elevated horror." But regardless of that label, it helped kicked off a wave of challenging, filmmaker-driven genre movies like "It Follows," "Get Out" and "Hereditary."
Kent, 55, has watched all of this — and those many "Babadook" memes — unfold over the years with a mix of elation and confusion. Her film was inspired in part by the death of her father, and its horror elements likewise arise out of the suppression of emotions. A single mother (Essie Davis) is struggling with raising her young son (Noah Wiseman) years after the tragic death of her husband. A figure from a pop-up children's book begins to appear. As things grow more intense, his name is drawn out in three chilling syllables — "Bah-Bah-Doooook" — an incantation of unprocessed grief.
Kent recently spoke from her native Australia to reflect on the origins and continuing life of "The Babadook."
Q: Given that you didn't set out to in any way "change" horror, how have you regarded the unique afterlife of "The... Read More