Interview by Paul Salfen
Entertainment executive Sid Ganis launched some of our most beloved legendary films, including Top Gun, Fatal Attraction, and Ghost. As president of Paramount he bought the underlying rights to Forrest Gump, which would go on to become one of Paramount’s biggest hits—both financially and critically—of all time.
At Lucasfilm, where he served as Senior Vice President for several years. he was responsible for marketing The Empire Strikes Back, Return of the Jedi and the first two installments of the Indiana Jones trilogy
On August 23, 2005, Ganis was elected President of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, serving a total of four consecutive one–year terms.
Prior to these roles, Ganis participated in a multitude of organizations including: serving on the board of directors at Marvel Entertainment for ten years until its sale to Disney in 2009,Center Theater Group from 1989–1995, Direct Sports Network (formerly DeskSite) as well as on the Boards of Film Independent,[1] SF FILM,[3] the Berkeley Art Museum/Pacific Film Archive (Bay Area), and various film festivals and film organizations around the country. He currently serves as vice president of The Academy/
Now that he is nearing the end of his career, he talks to Paul Salfen about his defining moments in in the motion picture industry, sharing his great love of all things film – and how you can’t take it with you so he’d like to pass down his joy and knowledge to the younger generation. That includes this documentary about Academy Award® winning actress Olympia Dukakis’ world as told through the keen lens of director Harry Mavromichalis, which is now on Apple TV. Olympia Dukakis was Greek, as is Ganis, and the rich history of the story-telling Greek culture runs through the DNA of the film industry, as he explains in this interview with Paul Salfen.The film follows the uncompromising truth-seeking rebel, Academy Award® winner, theatre icon and LGBTQ activist, who found her own voice on her own terms to assert a gigantic creative force into the world.
