Boxoffice - October 2018

SHOWEAST 2018
HASSANEIN
M. SALAH
AWARD
HUMANITARIAN
HUMANITARIAN
CHRIS ARONSON
PRESIDENT, DOMESTIC DISTRIBUTION
20TH CENTURY FOX
Interview by Daniel Loria
The Salah M. Hassanein Humanitarian
Award has been a
fixture of ShowEast since 1987,
honoring companies and executives
in the industry who have
made an impact through their
philanthropic efforts. This year’s
recipient, 20th Century Fox’s Chris Aronson,
has been involved in industry charities for
over two decades. Aronson’s support of
the Variety Club ‘s Northern and Southern
California chapters has spanned 25 years,
and he recently served as president and
chairman of the Will Rogers Motion Picture
Foundation—an organization he has been
involved with for 20 years. Aronson oversees
sales and theatrical distribution for 20th
Century Fox across the United States and
Canada. Boxoffice caught up with the
executive to talk about his career—and
the changes awaiting our industry in the
coming years.
How did you find yourself working in
the film industry? Is there anyone you
consider to have been a mentor or
instrumental in your career?
After graduation from college, I
worked in a management training
program for an industrial company that
sold tube and pipe. I heard of a job
opening at Universal Film Exchange
and was asked if I wanted to apply. I
did and went on the interview. It was
a weighty decision to make—tube and
pipe or movies? It was close (not at all),
but movies won. Lou Lencioni, Chuck
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