Denver, Colorado (January 28, 2025) — Mission Partners Entertainment Group (MPEG) is pleased to announce that Derek Threinen, a 25-year documentary film veteran, has joined the company as Executive Vice President, Film Distribution and Theater Development. In this role, Threinen will lead the company’s film distribution strategies and manage the expansion of its theater network. Mission Partners is currently in the process of building its first destination theater, set to open later this year, with plans for future expansion.
“We are thrilled to have Derek on board,” said Antonietta Monteleone, CEO of Mission Partners. “With his proven expertise in marketing, distribution, project management, business development, and operations, we’re confident he’s the perfect fit to help drive the expansion of our company and deepen partnerships with our stakeholders and clients.”
Chairman of Mission Partners Chris Dorsey added, “Derek’s experience and leadership will be instrumental in helping us reach our ambitious goals.”
Threinen comes to MPEG from his SVP role at Giant Screen Films and D3D Cinema, bringing a wealth of experience in content distribution and development of immersive cinemas in museums and cultural attractions around the world. Threinen’s previous experience includes digital cinema consultancy for the Smithsonian Institution, several years with National Geographic directing immersive documentary marketing, and running a highly successful theater for IMAX Corporation at Boston’s New England Aquarium.
“I’m excited to work alongside Antonietta and MPEG’s mission-focused team, bringing compelling and inspiring films to new audiences,” said Threinen. “I’ve seen firsthand the power of film and immersive cinema to win hearts and minds, and I’m committed to our work to create a new generation of passionate conservationists.”
Mission Partners Entertainment Group combines the world’s leading companies in giant-screen and immersive cinema film production and distribution, driven by innovation and focused on creating impactful movements. At the core of MPEG’s mission is the goal to leverage all forms of communication and education, with giant screens, dome theaters and immersive cinemas as a central tool, to inspire a better world. The company is dedicated to producing and distributing the highest-quality natural history films to showcase the majesty, vitality, diversity and fragility of our planet, and the importance of conservation in preserving it for future generations. MPEG’s team of industry visionaries is united in making a positive difference, informing and inspiring global audiences to take action on behalf of our environment to build a better tomorrow.
About Mission Partners
Denver-based Mission Partners Entertainment Group released Wings Over Water narrated by Michael Keaton in 2022, a joint venture between the Max McGraw Wildlife Foundation, Ducks Unlimited, and the National Audubon Society. MPEG will soon release Secrets of Great Salt Lake, narrated by Mike Rowe. The film will be distributed worldwide and will also feature as the anchor title for the soon-to-be-completed giant screen destination theater and interpretive center at Utah’s Antelope Island State Park. Two additional natural history films are currently in production with several more in the development stage, engaging more than a dozen key partners. Mission’s pipeline into more than 10,000 schools provides an unrivaled opportunity to inspire the nation’s youth and activate the next generation of conservationists and thought leaders.