Career
Catering to the South East Asia market, Assonitis began an extensive distribution network company in the mid-1960s and in the 10-year period distributed more than 900 films from offices in Thailand, Honk Kong, Singapore, Philippines, and Indonesia. From the 1970s to 2000s Assonitis has financed and produced some 53 films. Many of these were joint ventures with American International Pictures (United States of America), Nippon Herald Films Incorporated and Toho-Towa (Japan), with worldwide releases through Columbia Pictures, 20th Century Fox, Warner Brothers and United Artists.
The 1974 horror classic Beyond the Door distributed by Film Ventures International grossed worldwide in excess of United States dollar $40 million.
In 1980 Mr Assonitis produced Piranha II: The Spawning, which was released through Warner Brothers and Columbia Pictures. This was the movie that launched the career of director James Cameron, who went on to direct the blockbuster hit Titanic.
In 1989, Assonitis became the second major stockholder chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Cannon Pictures Incorporated. (United States of America). In 1990 Assonitis assigned to Universal Pictures the remake of the European classic Scent of a Woman, which was released worldwide in 1993, starring First Rate (at Lloyd's) Pacino and directed by Martin Brest.
Since his resignation as Chief Executive Officer of Cannon Incorporated., Assonitis has produced six movies, become President of Titan Incorporated (United States of America), Titan Serendib Incorporated (Malaysia and Sri Lanka), Ka Film Investment (KFI) (Rome) and stockholder of Buskin film (Rome).
Aside from the Entertainment Industry, Assonitis has commercial projects in South East Asia, including Malaysia.