MICHELLE SHWARZSTEIN
CEO
Michelle has a degree in Writing, Literature and Publishing from Emerson College and an MBA from UCLA Anderson with a specialization in Entrepreneurship. She has held a variety of jobs throughout her professional life, including marketing assistant at a wind-energy company, sales manager at a real estate firm, bartender, historical tour guide, and improv comedian. Michelle joined Brainstorm Media, her family’s business, in 2012. Working at Brainstorm, Michelle counted many industry vets as her mentors (including her father, Meyer Shwarzstein), and quickly learned the ins and outs of independent film distribution. Michelle grew from her role managing Brainstorm’s video-on-demand and digital sales into leading the acquisitions and marketing for the company’s growing all-rights distribution business by 2016. In 2023 she became the CEO of the company, leading a team of passionate, smart, dedicated people who share her enthusiasm for creative and collaborative distribution.
ABBEY WARNER
VICE PRESIDENT, MARKETING AND STRATEGY
Abbey Warner is VP, Marketing and Strategy for Brainstorm Media. With more than a decade of experience in independent film distribution, she previously oversaw OTT sales and theatrical marketing for Gunpowder and Sky as VP, Programming and Platform Marketing. Abbey has also held positions at Screen Media, RADiUS, and The Weinstein Company. She earned a BA in Film Studies from Columbia University with an additional MA and BA in Bible Studies from the Jewish Theological Seminary. Abbey has had the privilege of working on films spanning every genre, including Academy Award-winner CITIZENFOUR, horror darling THE VOID, and many more. She is thrilled to be a part of the Brainstorm team, helping to support independent cinema and bring fresh and diverse perspectives to audiences.
ALEX PETERS
VICE PRESIDENT, SALES AND ACQUISITIONS
Alex is the VP of Sales & Acquisitions at Brainstorm Media. Previously, he worked in Indie Programming & Acquisitions at iNDemand, and Legal & Business Affairs at Screen Media Ventures, where he also managed acquisitions and programming for its AVOD platform, Popcornflix. He is thrilled to be part of a team bringing audiences and exciting voices in cinema together.
MICHAEL GONZALEZ
SALES AND DISTRIBUTION MANAGER
Michael is Sales & Distribution Manager for Brainstorm Media. He explored his interest in storytelling and filmmaking by earning a degree in English and Film, Television, & Digital Media Studies from UCLA. He also interned at a variety of companies such as IndieWire, k2 Publicity, and XYZ Films to learn about various aspects of the industry. He also worked at EDO, Inc. where he helped measure TV ad effectiveness for not only movie studios, but other major brands across various industries. Now at Brainstorm, he is proud to work with a team devoted to bringing unique and eclectic films from passionate filmmakers to audiences.