Entertainment Marketers of the Year

A two-decade-old slide show narrated by a straight-laced political wonk wouldn't seem to have the makings of a sexy Hollywood blockbuster. But in the hands of a passionate advocate and skillful marketer, "An Inconvenient Truth" became one of the most talked-about films of 2006 and landed among the top three money-making documentaries of all time. John Lesher, president of specialty unit Paramount Vantage, bought the global-warming documentary after its screening at Sundance Film Festival.