Richard Abramowitz
Lecturer of Film
Richard Abramowitz, founder and CEO of Abramorama, is an innovative leader in the distribution and marketing of independent films. His company’s focus is on music-themed and social impact film. Recent distribution projects include Ron Howard’s The Beatles: Eight Days a Week - The Touring Years; the 50th anniversary re-release of The Beatles Yellow Submarine;Mitangi/Maya/M.I.A.; Pearl Jam: Let’s Play Two; National Geographic’s Jane; Banksy’s Academy Award nominee Exit Through the Gift Shop, and Spirit Award–winning music documentary Anvil! The Story of Anvil!
Abramowitz’s extensive work in music film also includes a 16-year relationship with Neil Young and projects with Stevie Nicks, John (Johnny Rotten) Lydon, Tony Bennett and Bob Dylan.
Abramowitz was a co-founder of Stratosphere Entertainment, the independent distribution and production company financed by Carl Icahn. Stratosphere’s releases included The Thief, Hideous Kinky, and Xiu-Xiu: The Sent Down Girl.
While President/COO of RKO Pictures Distribution, he handled the Shooting Gallery’s acclaimed first feature, Laws of Gravity, directed by SUNY Purchase alumnus Nick Gomez and starring SUNY Purchase alumna Edie Falco. Previously, as a senior executive at Cinecom Entertainment, he distributed John Sayles’ The Brother from Another Planet and Matewan, Jonathan Demme’s Stop Making Sense and Swimming to Cambodia, Tom Stoppard’s Rosencrantz and Guildenstern Are Dead, and Merchant Ivory’s A Room with a View, among many others.
Abramowitz is a frequent panelist and juror at film festivals around the world, is on the Board of Directors of the Jacob Burns Film Center and the Advisory Boards of the SXSW Film Festival and The Hamptons International Film Festival.