Black Bear Releasing has hired Bianca Parkes as their new Head of Marketing and Heather Phillips as their new Head of Publicity.

Parkes joins from Neon where she led creative campaigns for Best Picture winners and hit genre films.

Phillips is longtime publicity vet having worked at 20th Century Fox and Miramax, as well as leading comms at 101 Studios.

Together, the duo have worked on campaigns for films earning more than 50 Academy Award nominations. They will work on up to 12 films per year and report to President of U.S. Distribution Benjamin Kramer. 

“This is another big moment in Black Bear’s growth as a domestic distributor, as we welcome two exceptionally talented and respected executives,” said Kramer. “Audiences connect with films and filmmakers via a broad swath of touchpoints, from trusted friends and tastemakers and on screens of all shapes and sizes. Bianca and Heather deeply understand today’s audiences and have shown their ability to drive engagement with innovative and resonant campaigns. They will be great additions as we continue to build a leading theatrical distribution business. We are thrilled to welcome them to Black Bear.”

As EVP, Executive Creative Director at Neon, Parkes led creative campaigns for Best Picture winners Parasite and Anora, as well as hits including Longlegs, Sentimental Value, The Monkey, Triangle of Sadness, Together, Anatomy of a Fall, Portrait of a Lady on Fire, and No Other Choice. She also served as Neon’s Head of Design and oversaw the launch and growth of its merchandising division. As a Partner at design studios 27b + Antinomy, Parkes led U.S. collaborations, with clients including A24, Paramount, and Warner Bros. Earlier, as a Senior Art Director for Watson Design Group, Parkes executed art and strategy for campaigns on films including Last Night in Soho, Minari, I’m Your Woman, and Zola. 

For nearly a decade, Phillips led 20th Century Fox’s theatrical publicity and awards team. She oversaw campaigns for films including Bohemian Rhapsody, The Revenant, The Martian, Hidden Figures, Gone Girl, Logan, The Post, The Greatest Showman, The Fault in Our Stars, and installments in the Deadpool, X-Men, and Planet of the Apes franchises. Previously, Phillips served as Chief Communications Officer for 101 Studios, overseeing communications, marketing, and brand strategy for hit series including Yellowstone, 1883,1923, and Tulsa King.  Most recently, Phillips has consulted for a number of entertainment leaders including Apple TV, Disney, New Regency, Lionsgate, the Lucas Museum of Narrative Art, and Black Bear. She began her career at Miramax Films, working on award-winning campaigns for Chicago, Frida, Cold Mountain, The Aviator, The Station Agent, and Bridget Jones’s Diary.

Black Bear’s upcoming releases including David Leitch’s Jason Statham Stole My Bike, starring the titular Jason Statham and Hannah Waddingham; Julia Cox’s A Woman in the Sun, starring Academy Award winners RenĂ©e Zellweger and Sissy Spacek alongside Mia Threapleton; Andrew Patterson’s The Rivals of Amziah King, starring Matthew McConaughey; Spa Weekend, from Bad Moms directors Jon Lucas and Scott Moore, starring Leslie Mann, Isla Fisher, Michelle Buteau, and Anna Faris; Guy Ritchie’s Wife & Dog, starring Academy Award nominees Benedict Cumberbatch and Rosamund Pike and Academy Award winner Anthony Hopkins; and Sundance breakout Wicker, starring Academy Award winner Olivia Colman, Alexander SkarsgĂ„rd, and Peter Dinklage. 

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