Mark Canton

A native of New York, Canton is a 1971 UCLA graduate (magna cum laude) and a member of UCLA's National Honor Society for American Studies. Mark Canton has been an unsurpassed force in the entertainment industry for over two decades. By helping to bring more than 300 pictures to the screen in his capacity as studio executive and producer, Mr. Canton has left his mark on the big screen with high caliber films like As Good As It Gets, starring Jack Nicholson and Helen Hunt; Oscar-winner Jerry Maguire, starring Tom Cruise and Cuba Gooding Jr.; Men in Black, starring Will Smith and Tommy Lee Jones; and the Julia Roberts romantic comedy My Best Friend's Wedding, just to name a few.

During this time, Mr. Canton has held many auspicious positions within the entertainment industry, and his creative influence has brought some of today's most powerful filmmakers to the forefront, as well as some of the most successful films to the screen.

Mark Canton initially joined Warner Bros. in 1980, as Vice President of Production. He then rose to Senior Vice President in 1983 and President of Worldwide Theatrical Production in 1985. During his tenure at the studio, Mr. Canton was pivotal in creating the notable Batman, Lethal Weapon and National Lampoon's Vacation film franchises.

After departing Warner Bros. in 1991, Mr. Canton joined Sony Pictures Entertainment's Columbia Pictures as Chairman. By 1994, he had risen to Chairman of the Columbia TriStar Motion Picture Companies. This move helped him revitalize motion picture production operations, by restructuring the marketing and distribution companies, and releasing a wide range of critically acclaimed motion picture hits, among them: A Few Good Men, Groundhog Day, In the Line of Fire, Bram Stoker's Dracula, Bad Boys, The Net, The Professional, The Fifth Element, and Jumanji.

Returning to Warner Bros. in 1997, Mr. Canton created his own production entity, The Canton Company. In early 2002 he joined Artists Production Group as a partner, Chairman and CEO. Most recently in December 2003, Canton and Daedalus Media Partners launched a new entrepreneurial venture, Atmosphere Entertainment MM - a unique, asset-rich, fully funded company that develops, produces and finances theatrical motion pictures and television programming.