Tim Palen has joined Lions Gate Films as vice president, theatrical marketing, spearheading the marketing of all Lions Gate feature film marketing operations. He will report to Tom Ortenberg, president of Lions Gate Film Releasing.

Palen comes to Lions Gate from the now defunct Destination Films where he was vice president, creative advertising, working on films such as Drowning Mona, Eye Of The Beholder and Thomas And The Magic Railroad.

Before that, he was executive director, creative advertising, for Columbia TriStar Home Video, where he was responsible for print, A/V and internet advertising for the studio's home video releases.

Palen will work closely with Lions Gate's vice president of publicity Jennifer Morgerman on the 2002 slate which includes Bill Paxton's directorial debut Frailty, Peter Bogdanovich's The Cat's Meow, Roger Avary's The Rules Of Attraction and Tim Blake Nelson's The Grey Zone.

Lions Gate's upcoming awards hopes are Monster's Ball directed by Marc Forster and Lantana directed by Ray Lawrence.