August 21, 2014, Brooklyn, NY— Joana Vicente, Executive Director of IFP and the Made in NY Media Center announced the appointment of Gordon Ampel as Managing Director of the Made in NY Media Center. In addition, Sabrina Dridje was promoted to Director of Community Engagement. Since opening its doors nine months ago the Made in NY Media Center has held more than 100 classes and 300 events serving 25,000 people in its classrooms, media gallery, theater, café, incubator and community member spaces.

Gordon Ampel was hired as Managing Director and will drive the vision, mission and business strategy of the Media Center. 
In this position Gordon will oversee programming, education, marketing, communications, community engagement, creative operations, rentals and hospitality teams. Gordon is a seasoned executive providing leadership for esteemed and successful media companies. He was most recently Vice President, worldwide operations for Focus Features, a subsidiary of NBCUniversal, a position that he held beginning with the company’s inception in the spring of 2002. He was responsible for strategic oversight of the company’s initiatives, infrastructure, events, internal communications and all core efforts in and among Los Angeles, London (Focus Features International), and New York City (where he was based). Prior to joining the NBCUniversal family, he worked for three years in a similar capacity at USA Films, part of USA Networks, Inc., was director of operations at October Films and worked for Barry Diller at the latter’s Home Shopping Network Inc., Silver King Communications, and USA Networks, Inc. He attended San Jose University, where he majored in business and minored in psychology.

In addition, Vicente announced the promotion of Sabrina Dridje to Director of Community Engagement in recognition of her outstanding development of the diverse member community as Associate Director Community Engagement. She is charged with ensuring the success of the media center’s members in the space and for growing relationships within the wider innovation community in New York and beyond. As Associate Director she spearheaded the development of the Media Center’s incubator model and the creation of tailored business development events for the Center’s entrepreneurs and innovators including the Demo Day program. Sabrina will report to Gordon Ampel. Previously, Sabrina worked in sales and distribution for Hanway Films in London before going on to produce and production manage an eclectic mix of creative work. Prior projects include the Open City Documentary Film Festival, immersive and interactive theater and Alpha-ville – a London based organization dedicated to connecting the fields of art, technology, design and digital culture. Dridje was also a producer for the Stellar Network, an organization connecting creatives throughout London and across disciplines.

“We are excited to bring Gordon Ampel on board as the Managing Director of the Media Center. We welcome his leadership with media companies, solid operational and management background, and enthusiasm about the opportunities in the new media landscape,” said Joana Vicente, Executive Director of IFP and the Made in NY Media Center. “We are also thrilled to promote Sabrina Dridje. In many ways she is the soul of the Media Center as she is the epicenter of connecting our members to the tools and resources they need to build their businesses and projects.”

For more information contact: Jody Arlington, Director of Communications, [email protected] or 202.316.4316 cell.

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ABOUT THE MADE IN NY MEDIA CENTER BY IFP

The Made in NY Media Center by IFP is where storytellers from multiple disciplines, industries and platforms create, collaborate, connect and incubate across a spectrum of programs, events and experiences. The Center brings together innovators in film, video, gaming, technology and more through education, mentorship, entrepreneurship and content creation. The 20,000-square-foot facility is located on the ground floor of 30 John Street in DUMBO at the intersection of John and Jay Streets features co-working spaces, talent incubator, 72-seat screening room, art gallery and café in addition to dedicated spaces for classes, conferences, meetings and tenancy. Through a combination of membership-driven and public-access programming our Center champions the future of storytelling in the digital age through a unique focus on cross-platform and cross-discipline media innovation. Follow us on twitter @NYMediaCenter, like us on facebook/NYMediaCenter, More info at www.nymediacenter.com.