Iona de Macedo has been promoted to senior vice-presidentof European production at Sony Pictures Entertainment, where she will overseeEuropean local production in France, Spain and the rest of continental Europe,while the UK will remain an independent entity.

Sony currentlyhas stand-alone local production units in Spain and the UK, and operates ajoint venture in France with Gaumont.

De Macedo willwork closely with Sony Pictures Releasing International's (SPRI) Europeangeneral managers to oversee the company's efforts to acquire and produce filmsfor local markets as well as for possible international distribution.

De Macedorecently served as president of Columbia Films Producciones Espanolas andoversaw its first production, Juan Calvo's romantic comedy Di Que Si starring Paz Vega, which opened numberone at the Spanish box office.

The project wasdeveloped and produced by De Macedo in conjunction with local Spanishproduction company Zebra Producciones.

De Macedo willcoordinate Sony Pictures Releasing Italia's initial production Melissa P, an adaptation of the internationalerotic bestseller 100 Strokes Of The Brush Before Bed.

In France shewill work in conjunction with Eric Brune, general manager of Gaumont/SonyPictures Releasing France, on its first co-production, the space explorationfeature Un Ticket Pour L'Espace (A Ticket To Space).

The project is being co-produced with France's LGM andwill be directed by Eric Lartigau and star French comedy duo Kad Merad andOlivier Barroux, Guillaume Canet and Marina Fois.

CandiceZaccagnino, who currently manages production activities in France, will jointhe European production team as vice president of production and work with DeMacedo on this and future French productions.

Prior to Columbia FilmsProducciones Espanolas, De Macedo served as vice president of production forColumbia TriStar International Television in Latin America.