Charles S. Cohen

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Charles S. Cohen
Charles S. Cohen at MIFF.jpg
Cohen at the 2013 Miami International Film Festival
Born (1952-02-08) February 8, 1952 (age 69)
NationalityAmerican
EducationTufts University (B.A.)
Brooklyn Law School (J.D.)
Occupationreal estate developer
film producer
Known forPresident and CEO of Cohen Brothers Realty Corporation
Spouse(s)Clo Jacobs
Children4
Parent(s)Gloria Cohen
Sherman Cohen

Charles S. Cohen (born February 8, 1952)[2] is an American real estate developer and film producer.

Early life and education[]

Cohen was raised in a Jewish family[3] in Harrison, New York.[2] He is the son of Gloria and Sherman Cohen.[4] His father was founder of Cohen Brothers Realty & Construction Corporation[4] which he founded with his two brothers in the 1950s. At the age of 16, he made his first short film winning an honorable mention at the Kodak Teenage Movie Awards competition.[3] Cohen attended New York University for a year and a half before transferring to Tufts University where he majored in English.[3] In 1974, Cohen graduated from Tufts. In 1997 he graduated from Brooklyn Law School.[5]

Career[]

Real estate[]

Cohen Brothers Realty Corporation is a private commercial real estate development and management firm with a portfolio of 12 million square feet of wholly owned and passively managed Class A office buildings and showrooms of over 300 companies across the United States. Signature projects include the revitalization of Manhattan’s renowned Decoration & Design (D&D) Building, the Southern California’s Pacific Design Center and the Design Center of the Americas (DCOTA) in South Florida, the largest design center in the United States.

Cohen’s New York City properties include 623 Fifth Avenue, 622 Third Avenue, 135 East 57th Street, 750 Lexington Avenue, 3 East 54th Street, 805 Third Avenue, 3 Park Avenue, 475 Park Avenue South and the D&D Building at 979 Third Avenue.[6]

Cohen Design Centers include the revitalization of Manhattan’s renowned Decoration & Design (D&D) Building, Southern California’s Pacific Design Center, Decorative Center Houston (DCH) and the Design Center of the Americas (DCOTA) in South Florida.

Hotels[]

Representing his first venture into the hospitality arena, Mr. Cohen has redeveloped and opened the Le Méridien Dania Beach at Fort Lauderdale Airport, a design-centric hotel located on the 40-acre DCOTA (Design Center of the Americas) campus. Following a spectacular and meticulous renovation, the luxury hotel features 245 contemporary guest rooms and suites, 20,000 square feet of state-of-the-art flexible meeting space, and a completely reimagined build of all public spaces. The hotel also features five culinary outlets, including two signature concepts from Chef Richard Sandoval—Toro Latin Kitchen, the destination restaurant, and La Biblioteca de Tequila, an exclusive tequila bar & lounge. A natural extension of the DCOTA campus, the hotel’s mid-century aesthetic balances a chic French flair with the maritime spirit of the tropical South Florida locale to offer travelers an all-encompassing sanctuary for discovery.

Film[]

Production and distribution[]

Charles S. Cohen formed Cohen Media Group in 2008 to produce and distribute independent and arthouse films throughout North America. Cohen Media Group is today the largest American distributor of French films in the United States, while its specialty home entertainment label, the Cohen Film Collection, releases restored and re-mastered editions of classic American and foreign films on Digital platforms, Blu-ray and DVD. Cohen Media Group has distributed over 120 feature films and shorts. Following its success at the 2017 Academy Awards® with Best Foreign Language Film winner The Salesman, Cohen Media Group scored two nominations at the 2018 ceremony, marking CMG’s 8th Oscar nomination since the company was formed in 2008. Cohen Media Group’s Lebanese drama The Insult was nominated for Best Foreign Language Film, while Faces Places, from iconic French director Agnès Varda and artist JR, was nominated for Best Documentary Feature.

The Company has also acquired the rights to over 800 films, including cinematic landmarks from Douglas Fairbanks, Buster Keaton and Merchant Ivory Productions, best known for Howards End and Maurice. Additionally, Cohen Media Group has several feature film and television productions in active development. Charles S. Cohen is a member of the Academy of Motion Pictures Arts and Sciences (AMPAS) and is a member of the PGA (Producer’s Guild of America).

In 2017, Charles S. Cohen spectacularly renovated and reopened one of New York City’s most revered movie houses, the historic Quad Cinema in the heart of Greenwich Village, New York City. He also in the process of redeveloping the historic Larchmont Playhouse in Westchester County, New York into an arthouse/independent film multiplex and is in the planning stage of redeveloping an arthouse/independent film multiplex in West Palm Beach, Florida. In 2017, Cohen’s acquisition of the iconic Paris cinema La Pagode, an integral part of French cultural history, which dates back to 1896, adds to his growing catalogue of arthouse cinemas. Mr. Cohen is currently working with the French government on the plans of the restoration of this Parisian landmark.

Charles S. Cohen purchased Landmark Theatres in 2018, the nation's largest specialized theatre chain dedicated to independent cinema with 252 screens in 27 markets.

In 2019, Cohen purchased Curzon Cinemas, the United Kingdom’s preeminent specialized theater operator, an Academy Award-winning independent theatrical distribution and production company. The deal included the purchase of Curzon’s Artificial Eye distribution arm as well as the Curzon Home Cinema streaming operations thus creating a new powerhouse in international distribution, particularly in independent and specialty film.

Exhibition[]

In 2016, Charles S. Cohen spectacularly renovated and reopened one of New York City’s movie houses, the historic Quad Cinema in the heart of Greenwich Village, New York City.[7] He also in the process of redeveloping the historic Larchmont Playhouse in Westchester County into an arthouse/independent film multiplex and is in the planning stage of redeveloping an arthouse/independent film multiplex in West Palm Beach, Florida. In 2017, Cohen’s acquisition of the Paris cinema La Pagode, which dates back to 1896, adds to his growing catalogue of arthouse cinemas. Mr. Cohen is currently working with the French government on the plans of the restoration of this Parisian landmark.[8][9] In 2018, Charles S. Cohen purchased Landmark Theatres, the nation's largest specialized theater chain dedicated to independent cinema with 252 screens in 27 markets.[10] On 23 December 2019, he acquired British art-house cinema chain Curzon Cinemas, including the distribution arm Curzon Artificial Eye.[11]

Other ventures[]

From 1991 to 1993 Cohen was a chairman at the Federal Law Enforcement Foundation. Cohen has served on the Board of Trustees of the Museum of Contemporary Art, the Cooper Union for the Advancement of Science and Art, the Lighthouse International Theater, the Public Theater, Real Estate Board of New York, the Stella Adler Studio of Acting and the Film Society of Lincoln Center.[5]

Fashion[]

Two top UK fashion labels, Savile Row tailor Richard James and luxury shoe manufacturer and retailer Harrys of London, were acquired in 2016 and 2017. Cohen has a majority stake and serves as Chairman at Richard James, which recently celebrated its 25th Anniversary. Cohen, who serves as Chairman, will facilitate the brands’ international growth strategies, beginning with the recent Manhattan store openings on Park Avenue and East 57th Street. In 2018, Cohen acquired T Anthony, a 73-year-old luxury leather goods & luggage company renowned for servicing the globetrotting lifestyles in a luxurious but practical way. The stylish and durable line of luggage is the choice travel companion for members of the British Royal Family, the elite of Hollywood, American Presidents and VIPs from around the Globe.

Leather goods and luggage[]

In 2018, Cohen acquired T Anthony, a 73-year-old luxury leather goods & luggage company.[12]

Personal life[]

Cohen has been married twice. He has four children from his two marriages.[2] He is divorced from his first wife; they have two children, a daughter and a son who works at Cohen Brothers Realty Corp.[3] In 2004, he married his second wife, Clodagh "Clo" Margaret Jacobs,[4] a former marketing and publicity executive for fashion designer Jimmy Choo,[3] in a Jewish ceremony at the St. Regis Hotel in Manhattan;[4] they also have two children.[3] The couple divides their time between homes in Manhattan and in suburban Connecticut.[2]

References[]

  1. ^ "Charles Cohen". Forbes.
  2. ^ a b c d The Real Deal: "Charles Cohen" By Candace Taylor] retrieved February 8, 2014
  3. ^ a b c d e f Jewish Journal: "New York real estate magnate Charles Cohen builds a movie studio" by Danielle Berrin February 20, 2015
  4. ^ a b c d New York Times: "Clo Jacobs, Charles Cohen October 31, 2004
  5. ^ a b "The Film-Makers'/ New American Cinema Group Honors Charles S. Cohen". Retrieved September 28, 2013.
  6. ^ Keates, Nancy (2015-09-24). "Charles S. Cohen's Perfectionist Real-Estate Portfolio". Wall Street Journal. ISSN 0099-9660. Retrieved 2019-04-12.
  7. ^ Lynch, Scott. "Opening Night At The New Quad Cinema: An In-Depth Report". Gothamist. Archived from the original on 2019-04-12. Retrieved 2019-04-12.
  8. ^ "Jewish Journal". Jewish Journal. Retrieved 2021-06-02.
  9. ^ Clough, Alexandra. "Silver screens and blueprints: A profile of Carefree Theatre developer". The Palm Beach Post. Retrieved 2019-04-12.
  10. ^ Fang, Alex. "A Trade Between Billionaires: Mark Cuban Sells Landmark Theatres Chain To Film Buff Charles Cohen". Forbes. Retrieved 2019-04-12.
  11. ^ Andreas Wiseman (23 December 2019). "Curzon Cinemas & Artificial Eye, UK's Flagship Arthouse Film Group, Acquired By Cohen Media Group". Deadline. Retrieved 21 April 2020.
  12. ^ Palmieri, Jean E. (2018-06-06). "EXCLUSIVE: Charles Cohen Acquires T. Anthony Leather Brand". WWD. Retrieved 2021-06-02.
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