Pitt Film Studies Program to Host Lecture by Hollywood Businessman, Independent Producer, and Pitt Alumnus John Dellaverson April 19

PITTSBURGH-The University of Pittsburgh Film Studies Program in the School of Arts and Sciences, the Steeltown Entertainment Project, and Pitt in Hollywood will host a lecture by John Dellaverson, senior vice president of Lions Gate Entertainment and Pitt alumnus, at 5 p.m. April 19 in the Cathedral of Learning, Room 324, 4200 Fifth Ave., Oakland. This event is free and open to the public.

Dellaverson, executive producer of "Diary of a Mad Black Woman" (2005) and "In the Mix" (2005), will speak about his experiences of being a producer, executive, and entertainment attorney in the film industry. He joined Lions Gate in 2001, which produced the movies, Crash, Saw, and Pride and television shows, including Showtime's "Weeds" and "The Kill Point," an upcoming series filming in Pittsburgh.

Dellaverson received the B.S. degree in political science from Pitt in 1968. In 1970-72, he was named the Francis Perkins Fellow at Cornell University. He also received his J.D. degree from Fordham University School of Law in 1977.

From 1983 to 2000, Dellaverson was a partner at Loeb and Loeb, one of the world's largest entertainment law firms. While there, he specialized in motion picture and television financing and talent representation. His clients included Warner Bros., Paramount Pictures, and Panavision. Chair of Lions Gate subsidiary Cinegate, Dellaverson, an independent producer, also is of counsel at Miller Barondess, a boutique law firm specializing in high-profile litigation.

For more information about this event, contact Jennifer Florian at 412-624-6564 or

e-mail jrf16@pitt.edu. Also visit www.lionsgate.com for more information on Dellaverson.

###

4/13/07/tmw