Universal Pictures

Source: Universal Pictures

Universal Pictures

Former managing director of 20th Century Fox Brazil Patricia Kamitsuji has been named managing director of Universal Pictures’ operating company in the South American territory.

Kamitsuji will report to Mauricio Duran, Universal Pictures International’s senior vice-president of Latin America. She served more than 16 years at Fox, and for the last seven was managing director of the joint operation between 20th Century Fox and Warner Bros in Brazil.

At Fox Kamitsuji worked on the releases of Avatar and The Fault In Our Stars, which was the top film of the year in Brazil in 2014 in terms of admissions. Career highlights include DreamWorks Animation’s How To Train Your Dragon 2, which was released two weeks after The Fault In Our Stars during the World Cup in Brazil and scored the highest opening day for an animated film in Brazil, and finished above Frozen that year.

Prior to her career at Fox, Kamitsuji served as general manager for Hoyts General Cinema South America, and Cinemark Brazil. She became the first female sales director in the Brazilian market in 2003 and the first female managing director in 2006.

“Patricia’s experience managing a broad array of film releases across multiple studios uniquely prepares her to make an important impact on Universal’s diverse slate and provide strategic leadership for the next phase of our studio’s presence in the growing Brazilian market,” said Niels Swinkels, executive vice-president, international distribution, Universal Pictures.