Meet The MPC

Jodi Gwydir is currently the President of JG Theatrical Distribution Consulting. She started as a youngster working summers at a booking agency, through school at an independent theater and temping at Disney (where she literally bumped into Paul Newman, yes, his eyes really were that blue) and then landed at Paramount for 20 years. She followed that with 12 years as Vice President Sales and Operations at The Weinstein Company, Vice President of Central Division Sales at 101 Studios and Consulting at Neon. Throughout this time The Motion Picture Club has been dear to her heart. Jodi is happily married with two wonderful daughters who are under stick instructions not to go into the film business.

Garry Darvin is the President of Media Services Worldwide, a leading media technology company. He is also co-owner of Chatham Hickory Cinema in Chatham, NJ. Garry’s career in the motion picture industry began when he worked as a part-time projectionist while still in high school. In 1992, he opened his first movie theater. Garry joined ProMotion Slides/International Cinema Advertising in 1998, where he oversaw the distribution of biweekly 35mm slide advertisements to over 7,000 screens across the US, UK, and South America. In addition to his work with The Motion Picture Club, Garry is a member of National NATO and Secretary officer for NATO of NJ.

David Ostrander has been in the industry for over 18 years and currently serves as Vice President, within Screenvision Media’s Exhibitor Relations team. In addition to negotiating exhibitor contracts, David proudly refers to himself as a Frank Sinatra aficionado. He has a Bachelor of Sports Management from St. John’s University and a Master’s in Business Administration from Adelphi University. David resides in Long Island, NY with his wife and two daughters, who never want him to leave the exhibition industry mainly because of free movie perks and access to over-sized convention candy bags.

Kim Kalyka is the VP of in-theater marketing for NEON and has been with the company since its inception in 2017. In this role, she has overseen unique in-theater campaigns for movies like I, Tonya, Parasite, Anatomy of a Fall, and most recently, Longlegs. A lifelong lover of film, she has also worked on notable titles such as Bridget Jones’ Diary, My Big Fat Greek Wedding, and Boyhood. Prior to NEON, she held positions at IFC Films, Miramax, and City Cinemas.

***

***

After coming out of the Army, (our side), Richard came into the Motion Picture Industry in January 1968. His first job was at Embassy Pictures as the National Print Booker. He then joined 20th Century Fox in 1972 as New York Head Film Booker. After a couple of short lived jobs in the industry, he joined Universal Pictures in November 1975 as a cartoon and film booker working his way up to the New York, Washington, D.C. & Pittsburgh Sales Manager. He was at Universal for 42 years to his retirement in 2018.

He joined the Motion Picture Club in 1990 and was elected to the Board Of Directors in 1991. At present, he is still very active in the Club.

Alicia Vinci is the newest addition to Screenvision Media’s Exhibitor Relations team, recently coming on as an Account Manager at the end of 2021. She has been in the industry for over five years following a Visual Media Arts degree from Emerson College. Her experiences also lie within theater exhibition after getting her start as a Film Buyer & Marketing Manager for Bow Tie Cinemas. Outside of work, you can find Alicia tending to her rooftop garden in Brooklyn and taking walks through the park with her two bulldogs.

Sonia Pachmayer has more than twenty years of experience in the independent film industry. She began her career with Fuji Film and later joined Focus Features, where she played a crucial role in the domestic distribution team and contributed to the success of several renowned and award-winning films. Currently, she serves as the Executive Director at Magenta Light Studios. Previously, she operated her own company, 1AMPICTURES, and worked as a consultant with Roadside Attractions. Sonia is passionate about silent films and photography and frequently travels.