Andrew Karpen, a widely respected film executive and the founder of Bleecker Street Media, died on Monday in Connecticut. He was 59.
Karpen, an easygoing fixture of the indie film scene, was diagnosed with glioblastoma, a form of brain cancer, in 2024. Before launching Bleecker Street in 2014, Karpen served as co-CEO of Focus Features for more than a decade.
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“Our industry has lost a giant,” said Kent Sanderson, Bleecker Street’s president and Karpen’s longtime friend, in a statement. “Andrew taught us all so much, foremost of which is the value of kindness, honesty, and family above all else. His leadership and courage will inspire all of us at Bleecker Street for the rest of our lives.”
At Bleecker Street, Karpen oversaw the release of 75 films including “Trumbo” and “Captain Fantastic,” which received Oscar nominations for the performances of Bryan Cranston and Viggo Mortensen. The company also released arthouse box office hits as the Helen Mirren thriller “Eye in the Sky,” the Steven Soderbergh heist comedy “Logan Lucky” and the Blythe Danner romantic drama “I’ll See You in My Dreams.” Several of Bleecker’s films grappled with topical subjects, such as the school shooting drama, “Mass.”
Recent Bleecker releases include “Rumours” featuring an ensemble cast including Cate Blanchett and Alicia Vikander; as well as “Hard Truths,” the BAFTA, Gotham and Spirit Award-nominated drama from Mike Leigh that starred Marianne Jean-Baptiste. This month, the company released “The Wedding Banquet,” from director Andrew Ahn which stars Lily Gladstone, Bowen Yang, Joan Chen and Yuh-jung Youn.
Karpen was a sports lover who had a deep allegiance to the New York Giants, as well as a fan of country music. He was also a family man, who was more interested in recounting the accomplishments of his children than he was in talking about the latest film business drama.
Karpen was recognized by Variety in October last year in celebration of Bleecker Street’s 10th anniversary. He said he was “not just honored to be here. I’m blessed to be here this year.” Getting the news of his diagnosis was “devastating,” he said, but he thanked his doctors, his wife Pam and their children for helping him through those difficult months. “As you can see by my being here, nothing is impossible.”
“Our company is about taking those stories and trying to propel them to a grand cultural stage,” Karpen continued at the event. “Because when we share our stories with each other, we come together.”
Karpen started Bleecker after Focus opted to move its New York headquarters to Los Angeles in 2013. He was offered a chance to stay with the company, but didn’t want to relocate his family and decided to strike out on his own. In a 2024 profile of the company, Karpen said he tried to create a family-like atmosphere at the studio, which extended to the collaborative way it treated the filmmakers whose films Bleecker released.
“Our pitch is always centered around the kind of experience that they will have with us, knowing that we will be collaborative and transparent,” Karpen said. “I always say, ‘This is not a campaign where you will just be emailed the final poster and trailer and given two tickets to the premiere.’”
Karpen started his industry career at Miramax Films, where he served as senior VP of finance and operations, then held executive posts at Sunbow Entertainment, Independent Pictures and Oxygen Media. He earned an MBA from New York University’s Leonard N. Stern School of Business, as well as a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration from Washington University’s School of Business. Karpen was a trustee for BAFTA New York and a member of the Academy of Motion Pictures Arts and Sciences.
In addition to his wife, Pam, Karpen is survived by his sons, Josh and Zack, and his daughter, Sloan, as well as Josh’s wife, Kristen, who is expecting the couple’s first child.
The family would appreciate donations in Karpen’s name be made to the Lenox Hill Brain Tumor Center or Fairfield County Hospice House.
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