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Biography: About indieWIRE
The leading news, information, and networking site for independent-minded filmmakers, the industry and moviegoers alike, indieWIRE launced on July 15, 1996 and re-launched with a bold new approach on January 12, 2009 (press release). Winner of the Webby Award for best film website, indieWIRE was lauded as a "must read" by Variety, branded the "online heartbeat of the world's independent film community" by Forbes, and dubbed "best indie crossroads" by film critic Roger Ebert.

Twelve year after launching indieWIRE, company founders sold the company to SnagFilms, the new company founded by Ted Leonsis and backed by Steve Case and Miles Gilburne.

The indieWIRE Team

Eugene Hernandez - Editor-in-Chief & Co-Founder
As the Editor-in-Chief, Eugene Hernandez manages indieWIRE, a company he co-founded in 1996. Eugene has served as an instructor at The New School in Manhattan and participated as a juror and panelist at international film festivals including Sundance, the International Documentary Film Festival Amsterdam, the San Francisco International Film Festival, the Tribeca Film Festival, and many others. As a reporter he has contributed to The Wall Street Journal Online, Variety, Screen International, FILMMAKER Magazine, and The Hollywood Reporter. He has served as a consultant to non-profit film and arts organizations, including the Creative Capital Foundation, and as a funding panelist for the NEA and ITVS. He is also a member of selection committees for the annual Independent Spirit Awards. Eugene spent 5 years at ABC-TV, ultimately working in its emerging Multimedia division as a producer of websites for ABC News and the annual Academy Awards. While at UCLA, he headed of the Campus Events Commission, overseeing a film program, lecture series, and concert promotion.

Brian Brooks - Managing Editor
As Managing Editor at indieWIRE, Brian Brooks is part of the editorial management team planning the publication's news and feature content. Additionally, Brian writes and edits daily for the site, including biz, interviews, events and other material, including photography at events in New York where he is based, and at film festivals around the world. In addition to reporting from festivals, both in the U.S. and abroad (including Sundance, Toronto, Cannes, Berlin, Pusan and Reykjavik), he has moderated panels both in New York and on the road and served on festival juries in Cleveland, Seattle, Sarasota and NewFest, in addition to serving on an advisory committee for the National Endowment of the Arts. A native of California, Brian worked in music video at Elektra Entertainment after spending a year-and-a-half living in Japan following graduation from UCLA. He moved to New York City to join indieWIRE as an assistant editor in May of 2000.

James Israel - Advertising and Marketing Manager
James has been involved with indieWIRE since 2001, when he served as Managing Editor for indieWIRE's On The Scene coverage of the Sundance Film Festival. Currently he is the Marketing and Operations Manager, where his duties include advertising sales and marketing in New York. He also produces the popular event series at Apple Store Soho, indieWIRE Presents, which features indie film professionals discussing various aspects of the filmmaking process. Recent speakers including filmmakers Michel Gondry, Darren Aronofsky, The Coen Brothers, screenwriter Neil Gaiman, and actress Amy Sedaris.

James previously worked at the Association of Independent Video & Filmmakers (AIVF) and has written for The Independent Film & Video Monthly. He has also acted as a script reader for Global Film Initiative, the IFP Gordon Parks Awards, and has screened films for The Tribeca Film Festival. James is also a filmmaker with Back and Forth Films, where he makes short narrative films and is developing various feature length projects. His films have screened at numerous festivals, venues, (and pubs), including South by Southwest, the Hamptons International Film Festival, the Atlanta Film Festival, the Woodstock Film Festival, and on a giant outdoor video screen in Times Square. His short films FACE VALUE and THE TOURIST recently premiered at SXSW.

Peter Knegt - Associate Editor
As Associate Editor at indieWIRE, Peter Knegt writes and edits daily for the site, with primary focus on biz and awards watch. He has been working with the indieWIRE team since September 2006, when he interned for them during the Toronto International Film Festival. Since then, he's managed to stick around, covering numerous festivals including Cannes, Sundance and Tribeca.

Beyond indieWIRE, the Canadian native holds a bachelor's degree from the University of Toronto in film, semiotics and sexual diversity studies, and a master's degree in media studies from Concordia University in Montreal. He has contributed as a writer to several publications including Variety, Xtra!, Exclaim, and Playback, served as juror and panelist at the Atlanta International Film Festival, and has worked for the Reel Asian International Film Festival, the Hot Docs Canadian International Documentary Festival, Image+Nation Montreal Gay and Lesbian Film and Video Festival, the Toronto International Film Festival, and co-programmed the inaugural year of the Reel Out Film Festival in Halifax. He is currently working on a book on Canadian queer issues for Fernwood Publishing's "About Canada" series.