Internationally this century recognised as one of Australia’s most successful ongoing cinema businessmen and studio historians, Paul Brennan has enjoyed a 50 year career in rescuing, showcasing and promoting the culture of cinemas and the business world of making and distributing movies. From graduating with a University Teaching Diploma with a focus on psychology and applying that to reinventing cinemas, adopting orphaned and lost classic films, and guiding new decade independent film makers toward their cinema release strategy and media. Paul Brennan’s career has expanded into a wide portfolio now seen as essential consultation for new talent and established movie business plans. The knowledge bank of his cinema business life is now this effervescent expansive website. A member of Australian Cinema Pioneers, Sydney University Entrepreneurial Alumni and Internationally recognised in Hollywood heritage restoration circles, PTB SCREEN is also Paul Brennan’s “Picture Theatre Business” and available for you to engage and enjoy.
An Australian Screen Industry Executive Statesman with decades’ experience in the development production and promotion of profitable movie content in useful successful venues.
Formal Education
- Graduate: SYDNEY UNIVERSITY Teaching Diploma, Master in English Grammar Geography.
- Accreditation: RANDWICK TAFE: Advertising layout design copywriting.
Base Career
Charles E Blanks Cinema Advertising: Distributor schedules, advertising agency liason.
Lawrence&Hansen Advertising Agency: accounting, copywriting.
Polaroid Australia: Media buy and advertising schedule.
Cinema Operations: NSW, various: 1980s/1990s
Rescue renovation reopening, Management/Programming/PR:
AVOCA BEACH Theatre, ROSEBERY Marina, Fairfield Twin, AVALON Theatre.
General Manager RANDWICK RITZ 1997/8/9.
Cinema Architecture / Restoration Craft: 1988-1993
Heritage renovation detail, design, build, recognition:
Art Deco Society accreditation: Civic Theatre Scone
Art Moderne design and build: Ritz Cinema East Gosford.
Sydney Film Festival: 1990s.
Affiliation and participation: selection committee.
TV News Production: 40 week course at School Of Visual Arts, Sydney. Winner: editing award 1992.
THE CAPITOL THEATRE Sydney. 1993 Consultant: Ipoh Gardens/Peddle Thorp heritage architect restoration.
35mm Film Distribution Office: 1994-2009
Boutique Cinema rescue and release of 25 saleable titles both Australian and International:
Production houses: Hollywood Classics, Beyond, Carrington Road, Palm Beach, BuckleyFilm, Kojo,
Antidote, Hopscotch, Ronin, Matchbox. Via: Palace Dendy Greater Union Hoyts Village
and Independent screens Nationwide.
Cinema Pioneer Australia 1994: Membership Induction.
SCREEN AUSTRALIA 1996 Centennary of Australian Cinema: 12 title cinema tour.
Select release schedule: 1996-1998: Sydney Pitt Centre boutique titles, Australian and Hollywood classics.
MGM Heritage: GONE WITH THE WIND Restoration Event/Chapel Releasing:
Marketing and PR: 1999 Sydney 60th Anniversary season at Sydney’s restored Capitol Theatre.
Live Production: 2001: Exec Producer ROMEO AND JULIET epic outdoor courtyard theatre showcase: Italian Forum Leichhardt.
Scandanavian Diplomatic Circle
2006-2008 Embassy and Ambassador recognition:
Import and distribution: Swedish/Danish film festival titles for National Austalian Tour.
CREMORNE ORPHEUM SYDNEY: 2007-2009
media/marketing for select First Release Independent International/Australia titles.
Radio National
2008/9 2BL weekly Thursday night 8.30pm segment.
ACT Canberra Radio 2CC: 2010-2020: current Weekly Thursday/Friday afternoon segment,
Arts/Cinema/Performance.
Screen Business Consultancy
EVENT CINEMAS 2011-2019 a nine year Consultancy Contract to advise
and guide select multiplex locations with target content.
INTERNATIONAL SCREEN STATESMAN RECOGNITION:2009-2019
UNIVERSAL PICTURES 2012 Centennary Of Film Film Festival, Figurehead. Sydney State Theatre.
Australian Emmisary: WBArchive/Vitaphone Project: Australian Figurehead: heritage screen restorations.
International Guest speaker 2012 Cinefest Restoration Film Festival Syracuse New York.
UCLA Hollywood: International Guest Speaker: 2018: Heritage restoration film festival.
MoMA New York: International Guest Speaker: 2018: Heritage restoration film festival.
NFSA Australia heritage title presentation Feb 2020.
SYDNEY UNIVERSITY ‘1850 Society’ Induction
2018 alumni recognition:
40th Anniversary career achievement in education arts and sciences:
- Sydney Conservatorium emerging talent: entrepreneurial production music and dance.
- European Heritage: music and performance.
International recognition for MAMBA restored: a 1930 Technicolor Triumph through UCLA and US Distributor Kino Lorber:
See Blu-Ray Review: Kino Lorber’s Mamba (Kino Classics) – The Movie Isle - CLICK HERE
Australian Cinema distribution for Anthony Buckley/Bruce Beresford’s documentry feature AT THE COLISEUM DELUXE
See: at the Coliseum deLuxe (documentary) - CLICK HERE and: The Making Of ‘at the Coliseum deLuxe’ - CLICK HERE
A STITCH IN TIME 115 screen cinema release across Australia over 20 weeks in 2022:
The most successful Independent Australian release in 2022. Highest number of cinema screens, longest calendar run so far.
Sasha Hadden’s heartwarming matinee feature www.astitchintimemovie.com
Upcoming: Cinema release feature documentaries:
O-LYM-PIC: FOOTBALL DREAM - See the trailler - CLICK HERE
Janet Merewether’s dynamic documentary of emerging Australian-International soccer talent.
THE MYSTERIOUS DISAPPEARANCE OF THE GROSVENOR: Channel 9 - TODAY show - CLICK HERE
A call to conservation and restoration for irreplaceable epic movie palaces:
The spectacular life and loss of Sydney’s most colossal and lavish cinema 1930-1970 - 7 NEWS - CLICK HERE