Tom Brueggemann

Tom Brueggemann has been Box Office Editor at IndieWire since 2016, a position he previously held at Gold Derby and Thompson on Hollywood. Unusual among entertainment journalists, he came to this after a more than three-decade career as an exhibitor, working as a film buyer in Chicago, New York, and Los Angeles for companies including M&R Theaters, Loews Theaters, and Sundance Cinemas. His film programming career began at Northwestern University, where he majored in political science before studying film in graduate school. He has also worked with multiple film festivals, including Sundance, as well as served as a juror. He also oversaw acquisition, marketing, and distribution for M&R Films which partnered with Cinecom Pictures. He has been a regular attendee at the Cannes, Toronto, and Sundance Film Festivals among others. As a writer, Tom brings to IndieWire what Gene Siskel earlier said about his earlier career: "His power as a most creative member of the Chicago film community derives from a variety of sources, first and foremost his film knowledge, and also his professional and personal friendships."

He’s written about more than box office at IndieWire as well, including an acclaimed piece about how Fox News had the most important election desk leading into the 2020 election, and how the release of “The Fabelmans” may change distribution as much as “Jaws” did nearly 50 years earlier. Tom now lives in Palm Springs, CA.