Cristina Dowdell

As director of distributor marketing and sponsorship, Cristina Dowdell oversees the strategic development, direction and implementation of marketing and sponsorship sales marketing for new business distributors for IFC Entertainment.  A leader in the independent film industry, IFC Entertainment consists of multiple brands that are devoted to bringing the best of specialty films to the largest possible audience: IFC Films, IFC Festival Direct, IFC Productions and the IFC Center.  Ms. Dowdell’s responsibilities include the development of marketing campaigns to support VOD buys and SVOD distribution launches for IFC in Theaters and IFC Festival Direct, as well as the development and implementation of new media initiatives that drive revenue for IFC Entertainment titles, including online electronic rental and sell-through business marketing programs and promotions.

Prior to joining IFC Entertainment in 2008, Ms. Dowdell served as director of affiliate marketing and On Demand for Sundance Channel.  In that role, she developed and executed strategic integrated marketing campaigns and solutions to drive distribution, retention and favorable positioning for the channel, while raising awareness of the brand and its value within the cable community.  Ms. Dowdell developed and executed Sundance Channel’s first affiliate broadband initiatives and aggressively expanded the network’s On Demand content offerings, helping drive VOD usage up 600% year-over-year.

Before Sundance Channel, Ms. Dowdell worked for Rainbow Media, the parent company of IFC Entertainment and Sundance Channel, as manager of affiliate sales and marketing.  In this role, she developed and executed affiliate marketing campaigns for AMC, WE tv and IFC In Theaters.  Earlier in her career, Ms. Dowdell held several consumer and affiliate marketing positions for Rainbow Media’s IFC and then-owned Bravo.

Ms. Dowdell earned her Bachelor of Arts degree at Loyola College of Maryland.  She is a member of the Cable & Telecommunications Association for Marketing (CTAM) and Women in Cable Telecommunications (WICT).