John Rakich appointed new president of the LMGI

John Rakich has been elected president of the Locations Managers Guild International, succeeding Mike Fantasia, founding member and president since 2018.

Founded in 2003, LMGI is a global organization of location professionals in the motion picture, television, commercial and print production industries. It is not a union, however. Teamsters Local 399 represents location managers at the bargaining table.

“I am honored and humbled that the board has trusted me to lead the LMGI and am proud to carry on the incredible work done by our past presidents and board members, all equally responsible for bringing the Guild to where we are today,” Rakich said. “I look forward to working with this dedicated group of international location professionals to have us grow larger and stronger than before. It is exciting to show the world who and what we are, not only as indispensable creative collaborators but also as proven leaders and trailblazers, especially these days as we recover from the global pandemic.”

Rakich has worked as a location manager and scout for over 20 years, with numerous credits spanning feature film and television projects such as See, American Gods, Pixels, Hemlock Grove and Shadowhunters. He is also a longtime member of the Directors Guild of Canada in the Ontario District Council, where he serves as a board member and their locations caucus representative. He was also the first member from Toronto to join the LMGI in 2015.

“It’s somewhat bittersweet to step down from a board that I had the privilege to serve on for well over a decade,” outgoing LMGI president Fantasia said. “I do so with the knowledge that the Guild is poised for even bigger accomplishments under the able guidance of John Rakich and the newly formed board. I will still be involved in various Guild initiatives involving education, recruitment and retention, and I look forward to continue serving in any way I can.”

Also elected by the guild’s board of directors and officers of the executive committee are 1st vice president JJ Levine, 2nd vice president Alison A. Taylor, treasurer Ken Haber and secretary Jen Farris. 

Rakich was a speaker in our recent KFTV Talk about filming in Ontario. Watch below...