Jackie Brenneman, Former NATO Exec, Tapped to Lead Independent Film and Television Alliance

The Independent Film and Television Alliance, the non-profit behind the annual American Film Market, has tapped Jackie Brenneman as its new CEO and president.

Brenneman is a former executive vice president and general counsel of the National Association of Theatre Owners, which has since been renamed Cinema United. She will succeed Jean Prewitt, who announced her retirement in September after 25 years at the helm of IFTA.

“This is a pivotal moment for the independent film and television community, which has always been defined by risk-taking and innovation,” Brenneman said in a release. “As the industry undergoes rapid transformation — through consolidation, new financing structures, and evolving models of production and distribution — independents are uniquely positioned to shape new paths forward and lead the next phase of change.”

IFTA is a trade association for independent film and TV producers, financiers and distributors. AFM is a global trade show and its signature event, which returned to Los Angeles in November after a year in Las Vegas.

Brenneman worked at NATO — the trade group for theater owners — for nine years. She headed up the “Save Our Stages” initiative, the federal law that helped rescue theater operators during the COVID-19 pandemic.

She also worked on competition and regulatory matters, such as the theater owners’ response to the end of the Paramount consent decrees under the first Trump administration. She also served as president of the Cinema Foundation, the non-profit arm of NATO.

She got her start in the industry as a copyright and trademark attorney at Foley & Lardner LLP in Los Angeles. Since leaving NATO in 2023, she has been a partner at the Fithian Group, a cinema consulting firm led by a trio of ex-NATO executives.

Paul Bales, the chair of IFTA, said in a statement that Brenneman will bring legal and lobbying expertise as well as a track record of experience managing a membership organization.

“Her deep appreciation of how business, public affairs, and creative communities intersect, and her experience navigating the fast pace of evolution in our industry and the challenges it presents, especially for independent companies, make her uniquely qualified to lead IFTA and AFM into their next chapter,” Bales said. “We look forward to working closely with her.”