Jane Rosenthal
Co-Founder,
Tribeca Productions and the Tribeca Film Center
There are on-camera stars like Angelina Jolie, George Clooney, and Meryl Streep … and then there’s everyone else who makes film come to life. Jane Rosenthal is a behind-the-scenes entertainment industry A-list superstar. She has distinguished herself as a leading film producer with a roster of both critically and commercially acclaimed films, including one of the highest-grossing comedy franchises of all time, “Meet the Parents” and its sequel, “Meet the Fockers”; box-office sensation “Analyze This” and its sequel, “Analyze That”; the Academy Award-nominated “Wag the Dog”; and critically acclaimed films “Marvin’s Room” and “About a Boy.” Rosenthal’s most recent films include “The Good Shepherd” and “What Just Happened,” which opens in theaters October 3, 2008.
In 2001, Rosenthal, along with partners Robert De Niro and Craig Hatkoff, founded the Tribeca Film Festival after 9/11 to heal the community through film. The festival has attracted more than 2 million visitors and generated over $500 million in economic activity since its inception. At the same time, Rosenthal and her partners co-founded the Tribeca Film Institute, where she has served as co-chairman of the board since its founding. The institute, which creates innovative programs that draw on the unifying power of film to promote understanding, tolerance, and global awareness, has become an instrumental resource for filmmakers, providing support and funding.
What we learned from Jane: “Artists are the ones who speak the truth in a way politicians can’t; they can speak the truth without worrying about various constituencies. We all need that—to have the artist, to have distinctive voices—in order to have proper balance in life. Without the artist’s voice we are a boring society.”
Shooting for the Stars: A Straight Shot to the Top
“While I was still at NYU I got a part-time internship working for CBS Sports. One thing led to another and in pretty quick succession. I always kept moving. I produced a play called “The Best Little Whorehouse in Texas” which brought me to the attention of the people I was working with at CBS. Right as I was graduating from NYU they offered me a job in California to do television movies and miniseries. I did that for about five years and went on to work as an executive producer at Disney and Universal. At Disney I worked with Martin Scorsese, who introduced me to DeNiro. That was 20 years ago.”
Getting in the Door: Working for Peanuts Pays Off
“Being a student I was able to work for very low dollars and I was willing to work crazy hours. I was a good bargain.”
Query, the Highest Form of Flattery
“As a student, you have the ability to ask questions and say you want to learn. People are flattered to be asked questions.”
Thanks again for brining us another wonderful success story.
I like Jane’s words, that it takes a village. It sounds like she has the support of a wonderful husband and some girlfriends!
Girlfriends have an amazing way of keeping it real don’t they?
Jane, you mention you have had a lot of mentoring over the years, have you found that you are now the one who is the mentor?
Duchess O’Blunt (aka Brenda)
The Twisted Sisterhood
I always love these feature stories! THe women you pick are smart, ambitious and seem to never have given up on a dream! It is inspiring. i also have a very supportive family and husband. It would all be meaningless for me if i didn’t have them!
After hearing from Jane, The Tribeca Film Festival rises to the top of my To-Do-in-NYC-list - already a very long list for a reluctant west coast dweller. I’m encouraged by Jane that it may not be too late to rectify having been too often in the right place at the right time - in every role except that of a “creative.” Karen Blixen http://www.myspace.com/beinggigi
Jane Rosenthal as your featured lady was a wonderful choice. She is inspiring with determination, ambition, loyalty and passion. I see many of her qualities in myself as I work in the entertainment business on the finance side unlocking the door for independent film makers….with the money key. I would love to collaborate with Jane and learn from her experience and share with her my experiences as an entrepreneur.
Seize and bless the day with love, gratitude, peace, & prosperity! Carrie Jones
Thank you - I enjoyed reading this story. I love how Jane recognizes and values the contributions of the artist to society.
One particular comment I’d like to make is in reference to her statement: “People say you can have it all. I think that’s the biggest lie anyone ever told me.”
On the day I graduated from college, the chair of the psychology department, who was a woman, told me, “You can have it all, you just can’t have it all at the same time.” I’ve never forgotten that. It means there are choices to make, things to prioritize. It’s about being patient, setting goals, and finding ways to manage the feeling that you’re never in the place you should be by acknowledging that you’ve made the best choice possible under the circumstances at that time.
Thank you again, I find these stories inspiring and thought-provoking!
Thanks for sharing your amazing story, Jane! I have watched your wonderful movies over the years and admire how far you have come in such a competitive business. I look forward to seeing more of your work in the future.
Susanne Nagy
taccfoundation.org
I prefer the stories about people who really did it with very little—seems like you could accomplish anything with backing from someone like Robert De Niro. Not to belittle how hard she worked—-I’m sure she is a superstar–it’s just that I find the real grassroots stories more inspiring.
Another great example of determined and focused success story. It helps to have Robert Dinero backing you though.
Tracy Wright
http://executees.net