American Executive Producer.
Michael PASEORNEK has been President of Motion Picture Production at Lionsgate since the company's inception in 1997.
According to Variety, "If there is a Lionsgate model, then Paseornek has to be considered one of the chief architects."
In 2004, Paseornek met Tyler Perry and forged a relationship that brought audiences blockbusters such as Madea's Big Happy Family, Madea Goes To Jail, Why Did I Get Married?, Diary Of A Mad Black Woman, and Madea's Family Reunion, all of which opened number 1 at the box office. Lionsgate has been the home to 15 Tyler Perry movies and has recently completed a deal to produce two more.
Paseornek also executive produced urban films ranging from dramas such as For Colored Girls, Pride, the critically acclaimed Akeelah And The Bee, and the upcoming family comedy We The Peeples. He also played an important role in bringing Precious to the studio.
In the genre arena, building on the success of the Saw series, Paseornek broke new ground with My Bloody Valentine 3D - the first horror film utilizing the new 3D digital technology. In addition, Paseornek executive produced Sam Raimi's Ghost House Production, The Possession, and is in post on Texas Chainsaw 3D. He also oversees the U.S. debut of famed Korean director Kim Jee Woon's, The Last Stand, starring Arnold Schwarzenegger.
Over the past 25 years, Paseornek has played an important role in the emergence of the independent film scene developing modestly budgeted, highly targeted genre, action, and comedy films. He founded Cinepix/Famous Players (CFP's) U.S. operations in 1992 which distributed acclaimed films such as Academy Award® winner Ang Lee's first feature Pushing Hands, James Mangold's directoral debut Heavy, James Coburn's Oscar® winning performance in Affliction, and Bill Condon's Oscar® winner Gods And Monsters. When CFP went public it was renamed Lionsgate in 1997. The first films under the new Lionsgate banner that Paseornek executive produced were critical successes, including Monsters Ball, American Psycho, Buffalo 66 and Shattered Glass. The film division has won over 25 Oscar® nominations to date.
Outside of Lionsgate, Paseornek serves on the board of directors of UCLA Mattel's Children's Hospital, is on the advisory board of Hearts of Hope, a foundation sending doctors to Latin America, and the board of Del Corazon, a year round charitable camp for children with heart disease.
Paseornek began his career after graduating from New York University in 1974 when he became the writing partner of former National Lampoon editor Michel Choquette. He then became a humorist-speechwriter for some of the nation's leading business executives and worked as a script-doctor on a number of feature films.
Paseornek is a member of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences and The Writer's Guild of America. He has been a guest speaker at a number of institutions, including Harvard, New York University, and the American Film Institute and has served on numerous industry panels for organizations such as the NAACP and the Director Guild of America.