Searchlight Pictures Diana Loomis Exits Studio After Nearly 20 Years (EXCLUSIVE)

Searchlight Pictures’ vice president of national publicity Diana Loomis is leaving the studio after nearly two decades as head of its East Coast office.

Loomis will depart at the end of the summer after completing work on “Flamin’ Hot,” “Theater Camp” and “Poor Things” to launch a consulting operation specializing in theatrical and streaming releases, and awards campaigns for motion picture and streaming companies. 

“I’ve had some amazing years at Searchlight with incredible, unique films — truly innovative filmmakers gravitate to this place,” Loomis said in statement on Wednesday. “I’m grateful to Nancy Utley, Steve Gilula, David Greenbaum, Matthew Greenfield, Michelle Hooper, Rebecca Kearey and, of course, our New York and Los Angeles publicity teams and looking forward to new experiences in the industry with new and old friends and colleagues.”  

Loomis began her tenure at the studio — known then as Fox Searchlight Pictures — in 2006 with the release of “Little Miss Sunshine.”

While at Searchlight, Loomis took part in the strategy and rollout for five best picture Oscar winners: ”Slumdog Millionaire,” “12 Years a Slave,” ”Birdman,” ”The Shape of Water” and “Nomadland.” Her most recent awards work includes “The Banshees of Inisherin,” “Nightmare Alley” and “The Eyes of Tammy Faye.”

“Diana was my first hire two months after I started at Searchlight, and I still consider it the best decision I’ve made here,” Searchlight’s executive vice president of marketing Michelle Hooper said. “Her intelligence, strategy and — most importantly — humanity is something I aspire to every day.”

A well known fixture on the New York film publicity scene for almost 40 years, Loomis was a founding member of the marketing team at DreamWorks SKG when it launched in 1994, contributing to such campaigns as “American Beauty,” “Gladiator” and “Shrek.” 

Prior to DreamWorks, Loomis was vice president of east coast publicity at Walt Disney Studios under Jeffrey Katzenberg and Terry Press. At Disney, she worked her way up the ranks from PR coordinator to vice president, working across campaigns for Disney, Touchstone and Hollywood Pictures films, including “Pretty Woman,” “The Little Mermaid,” “Dead Poet’s Society,” “Beauty and the Beast” and “The Color of Money.”

Loomis’ announcement comes about two months after Searchlight parent company Disney reached 7,000 companywide layoffs.

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