Brokeback coproducer named Focus Features CEO

U.S. film company Focus Features, the art-house division of Universal Pictures, on Wednesday named company veteran James Schamus as its sole chief executive officer. It also promoted two other executives to key posts. The new title for Schamus, who coproduced the award-winning 2005 film Brokeback Mountain, follows the recent promotion of David Linde from cohead of Focus to cochairman of Universal Pictures, sharing that job with Marc Shmuger. Previously Schamus and Linde had run Focus together.

In addition, Focus named Andrew Karpen as its president and also copresident of Focus unit Rogue Pictures. Andrew Rona was named copresident of Rogue Pictures along with Karpen. Art-house divisions are important to Hollywood's major studios because they produce and distribute low-budget films that can be very profitable if successful at the box office.

Universal Pictures is part of the NBC Universal media division of General Electric Co. (Reuters)