Alum Dan Cohen ‘05, ‘Arrival’ and ‘Stranger Things’ producer, visits April 21

Dan Cohen ’05, a producer whose latest projects include the Oscar-nominated sci-fi movie “Arrival” and the hit Netflix series “Stranger Things,” will talk with students about his career and screen one of his films along with the short film that inspired another during an April 21 visit to campus as the 2017 Arts & Sciences Career Development Center’s Munschauer Speaker.

Cohen, who majored in psychology, began his entertainment career as an assistant at The Firm in 2005 and then joined Sidney Kimmel Entertainment in 2007, where he began as an assistant and was later promoted to creative executive. Cohen joined Shawn Levy's 21 Laps in 2010, where he currently serves as executive vice president. In 2014, Cohen was a member of The Hollywood Reporter’s “35 under 35” Next Gen class.

Along with “Arrival,” which was nominated for eight Oscars including best picture and best director, and “Stranger Things,” which recently won the SAG Ensemble and Producers Guild Awards for best drama series, Cohen’s producing credits include the 2013 Sundance hit “The Spectacular Now,” “Cut Bank,“ “Fist Fight” and “Table 19.”

His upcoming films include the sci-fi thriller “Kin” and drama “Kodachrome,” which are both in post-production, while “Stranger Things 2” and best-selling young adult book series adaptation “The Darkest Minds” are both currently shooting.

The Munschauer Career Series Lecture will take place from 1:30-2:30 p.m. Friday, April 21 in the Hollis E. Cornell Auditorium of Goldwin Smith. From 3:30-5:15 p.m. that day, Cornell Cinema will offer a free screening of “The Spectacular Now” and the short film “Bag Man” (which Cohen’s upcoming film “Kin” was based on) at Cornell Cinema in Willard Straight Hall, followed by a Q&A with Cohen from 5:15-6 p.m. 

The Munschauer Career Series from the Arts & Sciences Career Development Center was endowed by the former director of the Cornell University Career Center, John Munschauer, to provide funds for graduates of the College of Arts & Sciences to return to campus to benefit current A&S students' career education. This annual program allows students to learn from alumni of note about a specific occupational field, individual career paths and the choices one makes over the course of a career.