Sony Pictures Releasing International has named two newterritorial general managers in Japan and Spain.

Noriaki Sano has been appointed senior vice president andgeneral manager, Japan, and Ivan Losada Gamst has been appointed generalmanager, Spain.

Sano will be based in Tokyo and Gamst in Madrid and bothwill be charged with overseeing sales, marketing and finance for all SPRIreleases as well as locally produced Sony titles.

Sano comes to SPRI from Buena Vista International, Japan,where he spent 10 years, most recently as senior vice president and generalmanager. He joined BVI from Ascii Pictures where he was president. Before thathe was on the start-up team of Vestron Japan and became the company's firstvice president for Japan and the Far East. He started his career in 1980 inmarketing at Nippon Herald Films, moving up to the position of manager,international department sales and acquisitions.

Gamst was formerly marketing director, Spain, for UIP wherehe spent the past five years. Prior to that, he was sales manager for newtechnologies at Spain's Antena TV for two years and spent the previous sixyears as marketing manager for CTMPG in Spain.

The announcements were made by Paul Smith, presidentworldwide operations, Columbia TriStar Motion Picture Group in Culver City.