Filmmakers Academy promotes Brendan Sweeney to CEO

Former creative producer Brendan Sweeney will commence duties as the new CEO of Filmmakers Academy (FA) on April 15.

Sweeney joined the Los Angeles based Filmmakers Academy, a premium educational platform for filmmakers by filmmakers, in 2016 as a co-founder Shane Hurlbut, ASC’s personal assistant.

“Brendan is a passionate producer and director with an extensive background in the technical fields of filmmaking, directing and cinematography,” says former FA CEO Lydia Hurlbut. “For the past two years he has streamlined the company’s production workflow and elevated the business into its position as a leader in online education for filmmakers.”

As CEO of Filmmakers Academy, Sweeney is committed to fostering a vibrant community and reintroducing in-person workshops with cutting-edge educational initiatives.

With a renewed focus on strengthening business-to-business relationships, Sweeney aims to shine a spotlight on the exceptional manufacturers and enterprises that form the backbone of the film industry. His overarching goal is to elevate Filmmakers Academy to new heights, making it an indispensable resource for filmmakers and creatives of all backgrounds and levels of expertise.

In addition to his leadership role, Sweeney will continue to lend his expertise as a guest host on the renowned Filmmakers Academy Inner Circle podcast.

FA co-founder Lydia Hurlbut will pivot to growing the company’s filmmaker health and wellness content, while continuing to contribute to FA’s popular Inner Circle podcast. Her co-founder Shane Hurlbut, ASC is spending much of his time working on projects at present. His most recent film MUSICA is now out on Amazon and his next project, Netflix’s THE PERFECT COUPLE starring Nicole Kidman,Dakota Fanning and Liev Schreiber, is currently in post production.

“As our business has grown to partner with outstanding organizations including The Academy’s Gold Program and British Cinematographer, Brendan has been with us every step of the way,” says Shane Hurlbut. “We’re excited to see what his next great steps will be.”