Avid Technology Inc.’s board of directors has appointed Jeff Rosica as CEO of Avid, effective immediately. He replaces Louis Hernandez, Jr., whose employment the board has terminated due to violations of company policies related to workplace conduct. Former CEO Hernandez also resigned from his position on the Avid board of directors and Nancy Hawthorne has been elected chairman of the board.
Rosica, who takes on the CEO mantle while retaining his role as president, joined Avid in early 2013. He is a well-known industry veteran with more than 30 years’ experience in broadcast, media and entertainment. Prior to his role as president, he served as SVP, chief sales and marketing officer for the company.
Hawthorne said, “Jeff’s deep experience as an industry expert coupled with his impressive knowledge of Avid’s business and strategy make him the natural choice to lead the company.”
Avid president and CEO Rosica said, “I am honored and excited for this opportunity to lead Avid through this important moment in the company’s history. The outlook for Avid is strong, and I look forward to working with the leadership team, the board and our incredibly talented employees as we execute on our strategic priorities and continue our journey to be a best-in-class company and leader in our industry.”
With the assistance of independent external legal counsel, a special committee comprising independent members of the board of directors conducted a thorough investigation into allegations of improper non-financially related workplace conduct by Hernandez. After reviewing the findings of the special committee’s investigation, the board of directors unanimously concluded that the findings warranted immediate termination of Hernandez’s employment.
Hawthorne said, “The board is committed to the company’s core values and to upholding an environment of the utmost respect and integrity. We remain confident in the strategy and the long-term business plan of the company.”
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