Steve Stabler is the current Chairman and CEO of Commotion Pictures, an independent film production and distribution company. With over 40 years of experience in the entertainment industry, he has been directly involved in the development, finance, production, acquisition, marketing, and distribution of more than 100 motion picture and television projects.
Throughout his career, Stabler has established a reputation for delivering high-quality content to the screen. Some of his notable projects include full-length motion pictures such as "Dumb & Dumber", "Kingpin", "Beverly Hills Ninja", and "Threesome", which together have grossed over one billion dollars in worldwide receipts.
Prior to establishing Commotion Pictures, Stabler co-founded and was Chairman and CEO of Destination Film Distribution Company, Inc., a domestic film distribution company with one hundred employees in production, marketing, and distribution. During his tenure at Destination, he produced and/or distributed a range of films, including "Bats", "Eye of the Beholder", "Drowning Mona", "Buying the Cow", "Slackers", "Thomas and The Magic Railroad", and "Beautiful".
From 1985 to 1996, Stabler was Co-Chairman and CEO of Motion Picture Corporation of America (MPCA),an entertainment company focused on the production and worldwide marketing and distribution of independent films and television properties. During his time at MPCA, he negotiated groundbreaking agreements with the International Alliance of Theatrical & Stage Employees (IATSE),the Director's Guild of America (DGA),and the Teamsters Union, ensuring that his projects remained competitive with companies making non-union films at the same budget levels. Under his leadership, the company grew from a start-up to fifty employees.
In 1996, MPCA was sold to Metromedia International Group, where Stabler served as Senior Executive Vice President in charge of marketing, distribution, and production for Orion Pictures, responsible for over four hundred employees. During his time at Orion, he produced, marketed, and distributed ten films before the company was purchased by MGM/UA in July 1997.
Stabler has recently completed feature films for the R.L. Stein book series "Mostly Ghostly" for Universal Pictures and the best-selling game "Dungeons and Dragons: Dragonlands" for Paramount Pictures.
Stabler holds a B.A. in Motion Picture/Television Production from U.C.L.A. (1976),an M.F.A. in Motion Picture/Television Production from U.C.L.A. (1996),and a JD from Loyola Law School (1981).
