Amazon Studios PR executive Vicky Eguia died Saturday in Los Angeles after a long battle with cancer. She was 48.
Eguia spent years as head of publicity for Amazon’s original movies before moving into a new role as the director of PR for Diversity, Equity & Inclusion and Community Relations.
Amazon Studios head Jen Salke and PR boss Cory Shields said of Eguia in a staff memo, “As many of you know so well, Vicky was a consummate team player – always ready to pitch in with complete commitment and dedication. We will all miss her charm and sense of humor.”
The widely admired and affable PR executive arrived at Amazon Studios in 2015 when indie film veteran Bob Berney — with whom she had a long professional relationship — was tasked with helping to get the company’s original movie operation off the ground. One of Amazon’s early successes in this space was Manchester by the Sea, which earned multiple Oscar nominations — including best picture — and a win for best actor for Casey Affleck. With these accolades, Amazon made history as the first streaming service to earn a best picture Oscar nomination. Eguia also oversaw publicity campaigns for Amazon Studios titles like The Big Sick, The Sound of Metal, Borat Subsequent Movie Film, One Night in Miami, Coming 2 America and more.
Eguia was deft at running awards and publicity campaigns. Prior to Amazon, she held various publicity positions at Millennium Entertainment, Apparition, Picturehouse, and Newmarket Films and worked on a slew of high-profile titles with Berney, including Mel Gibson’s smash hit The Passion of the Christ and, later, Guillermo Del Toro’s Oscar-winning Pan’s Labyrinth and Marion Cotillard’s breakout movie La Vie en Rose.
“RIP Vicky Eguia. You brought tremendous spirit to all & always made it better; your love of movies & all us oddballs who make & support them was always evident. You will always be profoundly missed,” tweeted indie film vet Ted Hope, who worked with Berney at Amazon Studios.
Eguia began her career in 2000 as an account executive at Rogers & Cowan in the film department, where clients included IFC Films and Lionsgate. She worked on campaigns for films like Y Tu Mamá También, My Big Fat Greek Wedding and Whale Rider.
“Vicky was a very talented, smart and passionate publicity executive who truly loved entertainment and every facet of the craft of making films,” Amazon said of the late executive, who was also a member of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences and “had an incredible sense of humor and a magical way of telling stories that entertained all who knew her.”
“Vicky was admired and respected by filmmakers, industry tastemakers, her colleagues and her friends,” Amazon said. “She will be sadly missed.”
