Derval Whelan returns to spotlight photography and takes over as head of sales

EXCLUSIVE: Derval Whelan, who previously worked at Searchlight Pictures for 14 years until 2021, returns to the Disney specialty label as sales manager. She takes over from former sales manager Frank Rodriguez, who moved to Amazon MGM to become general sales manager, according to Deadline.

Whelan will be responsible for strategizing and implementing release patterns across the company’s product line. She will be based in New York.

Searchlight Pictures presidents David Greenbaum and Matthew Greenfield beamed: “We’ve known Derval for a long time, she’s been part of some of our most incredible successes over the years. Her expertise and sales skills are second to none and we couldn’t be happier to have her back at Searchlight.”

During Whelan’s time in sales at Searchlight, she worked on Oscar-winning titles such as ” 12 Years a Slave, Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri, The Shape of Water, Birdman, The Grand Budapest Hotel, Black Swan, And Slumdog Millionaire.

Most recently, Whelan served as president of distribution at Bleecker Street, where she oversaw all aspects of theatrical distribution strategies for motion pictures, including Dream horse With Toni Collette and Damian Lewis. She also previously held positions at Sony Pictures Classics, Miramax and MK2 USA and began her career at Orion Classics. She received her MA from NYU Cinema Studies program.

Searchlight’s upcoming releases include Yorgos Lanthimos’ Venice Golden Lion winner Poor stuff, starring and produced by Emma Stone, opens in theaters in New York and LA on December 8. This film is currently certified 95% fresh. There’s also Andrew Haigh’s award-winning romantic drama We are all strangers, which was nominated for four Gotham Awards and 14 British Independent Film Awards. Next year, in 2024, Searchlight will celebrate its 30th anniversary^e commemorating its founding in 1994 as Fox Searchlight Pictures.