As COO and Head of Business affairs at Pressman Film, www.pressman.com, Paula oversees all aspects of production, finance, distribution, licensing, merchandising, operations and business affairs of a library of over 90 films and a current development slate of 25 film, TV and new media projects. A seasoned media and entertainment executive, with broad and varied experience and skills, she has deep relationships in Hollywood and internationally handling a variety of business negotiations and dealings including structuring the deals and supervising many complex and cross border transactions and the teams involved in closing them. Paula started her career as a media, communications and corporate lawyer in Sydney, Australia, with major international law firm Blake Dawson Waldron, representing Fox Studios and many high profile TV and corporate clients. She was recruited by client, Sir Andrew Lloyd Webber’s company, The Really Useful Company, as In-House General Counsel and was responsible for negotiating and handling all business dealings of the live stage productions and licensing of shows in Australia, North America and South East Asia. The USA beckoned and after settling in Los
Angeles in the late 1990’s, Paula joined advisory and consulting company, Ignite Media, eventually becoming a principal and managing director. At Ignite, Paula provided overall strategic, business and cross border transactional advice to film, TV, digital media, technology and software clients.

In her career, Paula has also served as an Arbitrator for bond company, Film Finances, in production and finance related disputes. Paula is a producer and executive having produced TV and film and innovative new media including an immersive entertainment project “Evolver” with Cate Blanchett ( selected for competition at the 2024 Cannes Film Festival), feature films including the remake of the cult classic “The Crow” (to be released by Lionsgate in August 2024), “ABOUT A HERO” ( an AI inspired feature in post production), “Daliland” ( with Sir Ben Kingsley and directed by Mary Harron released in June 2023), “ Where Eskimos Live” ( Bob Hoskins ), Black Limousine” ( David Arquette and Bijou Phillips) and the late-night reality TV series “Clubbin” which ran for two seasons on the WB Network. Paula served a producing deal with veteran Hollywood producer Mark Gordon (“Grey’s Anatomy”, “Saving Private Ryan” and “Criminal Minds”) where she developed projects with both The Mark Gordon Company and his independent production arm, Stratus Film Company ( Bob Yari).

In addition, Paula has extensive board leadership and governance experience having served on several corporate and non - profit boards. Paula co-founded LA-based organization Australians in Film and served on its board for 13 years and in various management positions significantly contributing to the growth of the organization, as President, Chairman and AIF Foundation Chair. She also served as an advisory board member of “Women Who Lead”, part of the Los Angeles based AMEC (American Media and Entertainment Counsel) and participated on the steering committee of Los Angeles based, The Tall Poppy Collective, a collective of young tech entrepreneurs and innovators. Paula is currently an advisory board member of the Legends Capital Management Fund, a real estate development fund, where she sits alongside many prolific sports and entertainment personalities including agent Leigh Steinberg, Byron Scott and Elizabeth Guber and is a Board member of LA-based charity, Lost Faces of Humanity, a humanitarian Foundation empowering refugees, worldwide. Paula is a member of female focused industry groups, including LA-based not-for-profit Visionary Women which mentors young female founders and entrepreneurs in business, Women in Film ( LA) and FEME ( Female Executives in
Media and Entertainment). She also enjoys membership of international arts clubs Soho House and San Vicente Bungalows and is part of the worldwide Summit community group of thought leaders and innovators. Paula holds double degrees of Bachelor of Arts and Bachelor of Laws, is married, and has two sons.

​​In 2023 Sam stepped into his position as CEO of Pressman Film, taking on the role of his late father, legendary producer Edward R. Pressman. Sam combines his long-standing relationships with investors, talent, and industry insiders with his extensive knowledge of independent financing and passion for technological innovation to lead Pressman Film into an exciting new era of continued growth and success. Before assuming the role of CEO, Sam worked under his father Ed Pressman on Werner Herzog’s BAD LIEUTENANT, Matt Brown’s THE MAN WHO KNEW INFINITY, Barry Levinson’s PATERNO—and alongside Ed on Keith Maitland’s DEAR MR BRODY, Charlotte Colbert’s SHE WILL, Mary Harron’s DALILAND, and Rupert Sanders’ THE CROW. Sam is also set to executive produce a new interpretation of AMERICAN PSYCHO, with Luca Guadagnino directing from a script written by Scott Z. Burns.

Under his leadership, this year Pressman Film launched a first-of-its-kind development slate raise on the Republic.com platform which raised over 2m. Most recently Pressman produced ABOUT A HERO a hybrid documentary interrogating film which premiered as the opening night film of International Documentary Festival Amsterdam. In addition to the groundbreaking VR experience EVOLVER, Sam has taken a keen interest in emerging technologies with projects such as the 2023 Tribeca short film IN SEARCH OF TIME, created using AI diffusion models and dedicated to the memory of his father, the film was the first AI generated motion picture to be screened at a major festival.

In Summer 2023, Sam produced a week-long event at Oculus NYC called “Human After All: The Surreal Matrix of AI, Art, and the Motion Picture” filled with exhibitions, conversations, and panels, grappling with the emergent questions of AI’s impact on art and humanity. With a deep reverence for his father’s contributions to independent cinema and a firm commitment to carrying on the Pressman penchant for storytelling, Sam approaches his role as producer with a sense of humility and a fierce determination to create films that honor the company’s legacy.