IndependentFilm.com

NEW YORK, Aug. 26 /PRNewswire/ -- Bob and Harvey Weinstein, founders of Miramax Films, announced today that Liza Burnett has been named executive vice president of publicity for The Weinstein Company. In her new role, Burnett will head the domestic publicity department, including oversight of all PR staff and the company's extensive film roster, for The Weinstein Company and for its genre label, Dimension Films. Veteran Miramax publicity executive Dani Weinstein has been named senior vice president of publicity and will continue to be charged with supervising The Weinstein Company's film slate. An executive to supervise Dimension's film slate is expected to be announced very shortly. The rest of the publicity team will be announced in the coming weeks.

Burnett's strategic experience and proven results provide The Weinstein Company with a seasoned and industry vet, ensuring their films continue to reach the widest possible audience. The appointment continues the Weinsteins' long history of investing and prioritizing in aggressive and strategic communications professionals. Burnett, who previously spent six years at Dan Klores Communications, will be based in New York and will report directly to Bob and Harvey Weinstein. Her first day will be Monday, September 12. At DKC, Burnett worked with Klores on a number of major film projects.

"Liza is everything we are looking for in a leader. Her energy and experience make her the ideal person to lead our PR team. We are thrilled to have her onboard," said Bob and Harvey Weinstein.

"I am incredibly lucky to have spent six years with Dan -- where I learned from the best -- and the exceptional group of talented people at DKC. Working for Harvey and Bob is an exciting opportunity and I very much look forward to this next step," said Burnett.

Dani Weinstein, who has been a vice president of publicity at Miramax for three years, joined Miramax in 1999. During her tenure with the company, she has worked on the publicity campaigns and Academy Award campaigns of a diverse slate of films. Weinstein will remain based in the Company's New York offices.

"Its been great watching Dani develop from an assistant into a valuable executive," said Harvey Weinstein. "She will be a tremendous asset at our new company."

In recent weeks, Bob and Harvey Weinstein have secured a series of production and acquisition agreements for titles such as "Decameron," "Last Legion," "Young Hannibal," "Hoodwinked! The True Story of Red Riding Hood," "Transamerica," "Nomad," "Outlander," "Stormbreaker," "Lucky Number Slevin," "Tom Yum Goong" and "The Promise." Other titles to be released by The Weinstein Company include "Derailed," "Wolf Creek," "Mrs. Henderson Presents," "Kill Bill: NC 17," "Breaking and Entering," "Scary Movie 4," "The Matador," "Sin City 2," "Pulse," "Passion of The Clerks," "Come Closer," and "Grind House," a groundbreaking film that will unite two of the world's most legendary filmmakers Quentin Tarantino and Robert Rodriguez, who will each write and direct their own 60-minute feature horror film. Burnett and her team will oversee the publicity of each of these films.

ABOUT THE WEINSTEINS

Bob and Harvey Weinstein founded Miramax in 1979. Under their leadership at Miramax, the company received 249 academy award nominations and 60 wins including three best pictures for "English Patient," "Shakespeare In Love," and "Chicago." On March 29, the Weinstein's, Miramax and The Walt Disney Company announced that they had reached a mutual agreement concluding the Weinstein's employment contract with Disney. Since the announcement of their separation from Disney and Miramax, the brothers have been working actively on the production, development and acquisition of projects for The Weinstein Company. They will remain co-chairs of Miramax on a non-exclusive basis through September 30, 2005.

Source: The Weinstein Company