Kristi Fries Avram brings over a decade of marketing, public relations and event planning experience with a focus on the entertainment industry. She started her career with New Line Cinema where she was involved in the marketing campaigns on a wide variety of blockbuster projects including The Mask, Dumb & Dumber, Austin Powers 1 & 2, Blade, Seven, Boogie Nights, Wag The Dog, Rush Hour, and the Nightmare on Elm Street series. While at New Line, Avram managed twelve regional public relations agencies and was responsible for the planning and implementation of large scale film premiere events, press junkets, publicity tours and national promotions.
Avram relocated to Boston, MA where she held senior positions at corporate PR powerhouse Porter Novelli representing high-tech and consumer clients. While there she oversaw industry analyst, financial, and general public relations work for clients.
Returning to New York City, Avram served as the Hospitality Manager for the 2004 Tribeca Film Festival, founded by Robert DeNiro and Jane Rosenthal. She was then appointed as the Head of Theatrical Publicity for Palm Pictures, an independent film distribution company owned by music legend Chris Blackwell. At Palm, Avram was responsible for all publicity, special events, film festival activities and corporate positioning relating to the specialty art films the company releases such as Gunner Palace, DIG!, and Cronicas. Avram then served as Vice President, Publicity for Samuel Goldwyn Films and Roadside Attractions. Reporting directly to Samuel Goldwyn Jr., she was responsible for all aspects of the publicity campaigns for a wide variety of independent films including The Squid and The Whale, The Road To Guantanamo, Seraphim Falls, Amazing Grace, 2 Days in Paris, Goya’s Ghosts and Sarah Silverman: Jesus Is Magic including all nationwide press coverage, hiring and managing outside agencies, planning premieres, promotional screenings, cross promotions, awards campaigns and all film festival activities.
Avram is currently involved with several not-for-profit organizations and her local community. She is a founding board member at Southampton Arts Center, (www.southamptonartscenter.org) a multi-disciplinary arts organization in Long Island, a founding board member of Green Below 14, (www.greenbelow14.org) a parks advocacy group in Manhattan and a current board member of NAMLE, National Association of Media Literacy Education (www.namle.net).
She holds a B.F.A. in Film and Television from New York University Tisch School of the Arts.