John Fithian, longtime head of the National Association of Theatre Owners, has received the Lifetime Achievement Award from Variety of Southern California as he prepares to step down after overseeing NATO through decades of transition.
The award from the children’s charity goes each year to an individual who has made a significant and profound charitable impact over the course of their career.
Fithian was named NATO president and CEO in 2000 after serving as outside counsel. Last fall, he announced plans to retire effective May 1 and will pass the baton to new chief Michael O’Leary at CinemaCon in Las Vegas later this month.
As NATO boss, Fithian guided theater owners through a transition to digital projection, fighting movie theft, implementing a voluntary movie ratings system, advocating for a healthy theatrical release window and maintaining strong relationships with creatives, producers, distributors and other trade organizations, including the Motion Picture Association. He helped steer the industry through Covid, lobbying for grant programs, tax relief and financial assistance for furloughed industry workers, and developing the CinemaSafe operational health and safety protocols.
Fithian was key in launching CinemaCon in 2011 and the Global Cinema Federation, dedicated to increasing exhibitors’ effectiveness worldwide. The Cinema Foundation, a nonprofit founded last year, brings stakeholders together to promote and shape the future of the cinema industry.
Fithian and his wife Maria Gagani have been actively involved in Variety, reviving a local chapter serving families in Washington D.C., Maryland and Virginia with a focus on helping children with mobility disabilities. Fithian chaired Variety of the National Capital Region for eight years through last summer. Variety International is a worldwide charity supporting disabled, abused, physically-challenged and underprivileged children.
“I have never been comfortable receiving awards, particularly when the awards are for doing my job,” said Fithian. “But this is different. Variety’s work is so important, and so personal to me, that I accept this award humbly and gratefully. I want to thank Variety for this opportunity to draw more attention and donations to its great work for children.”
“John is a hero to everyone in exhibition not only for tirelessly guiding the industry through the recent turbulence” Variety of Southern California’s president Steve Bunnell said, “but also for his wisdom, passion and creativity for problem solving.“
Past recipients of the award include Barry Reardon, Phil Barlow, Nikki Rocco, Dan Fellman, Wayne Lewellen, Dick Cook, Tom Sherak, Rory Bruer, Bruce Snyder, Chuck Viane, Jim Tharp, Tim Warner Amy Miles, Richie Fay, Travis Reid, Clark Woods and Bob Lenihan.
