Sid Ganis is co-founder and chairman of Jiaflix. Drawing on his deep industry relationships and experience, Ganis serves as the firm’s cultural ambassador and chief door opener. Besides opening doors for international studios entering China, his motion picture acumen is highly sought after by Wuxi Studios near Shanghai, where he serves as Honorary Chairman.
Ganis has had a distinguished career in Hollywood as an executive at major studios including Sony Pictures, Lucasfilm, Warner Bros. and Paramount. He served on the board of directors of Marvel Entertainment until its sale to Disney in 2009. During that time, Marvel developed Spider-Man, Iron Man, and The Avengers, among other films. He has served on the boards of FIND (Film Independent) and University of California, Berkeley Art Museum/Pacific Film Archive. He currently serves as co-chairman of the New York Chinese Film Festival.
Ganis is known throughout the industry as the former president of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, a prestigious position he held for four consecutive years. He has led the development of the Academy Museum of Motion Pictures, which will be the world's premier museum devoted to exploring and curating the history and future of the moving image. He was recently honored with the Lifetime Achievement Award at the 2013 Gabby Awards.
Ganis also owns independent production company Out of the Blue Entertainment. As a producer, he has found box office success with Big Daddy, Deuce Bigalow, Mr. Deeds and the critically acclaimed Akeelah And The Bee, which he co-produced with his wife Nancy Hult Ganis. He co–executive produced the 2012 ABC series PAN AM, on which his wife Nancy Hult Ganis was executive producer.