Posts Tagged ‘Film Funding’

Film funding is a relatively new approach to film financing that enables a wide array of investors to participate, ranging from private equity and venture capital firms to hedge & APO funds as well as bank loans.  Film funders often have a broader revenue stream than other investors in the film financing industry.   As such, these investors have access to the revenue stream from the distribution network and other monetization mechanisms which reduces the risk associated with funding the revenue stream of big box office films generated at the theater or Indie films with limited venue showings and limited secondary distribution markets. Given the hit-or-miss financial success of U.S. and international films, film funding and not slate film financing has become a popular method to spread the risk among a syndicate of investors.  Until recently, a widespread method of slate film financing included a single entity investing assets into a portfolio of movies.  The investor block finances a percentage of the underlying slate portfolio, or in some cases, the entire portfolio.  Investors that foot the bill for an entire portfolio do so for Indie films with a 3% growth (2010-11) and with a successful 28th edition Sundance Film Festival in 2012, as such the Indie venue appears appealing to the single alternative risk-averse investor.  The typical RoR on Indie films range from 10% to 25%. The alternative slate film financing approach is investing into a portfolio of, for example,  mainstream box office films (U.S.).  Many investors will invest into the portfolio and ...

Many Hedge Funds, including New York’s Elliott Associates, are seeing premium returns from investing in film and media. While historically, film financing has been met with skepticism from portfolio managers, private equity groups, high net worth investors, family offices, and pension funds, the returns that Elliott Associates is generating as well as Honeywell Pensions, which reportedly parked more than $600 million to finance a slate of Warner Brothers’ films is opening the door to a Chicago company’s structure for being the next in a wave of attracting both institutional and retail capital. "As a non correlated asset class, films and film finance has outperformed every non correlated asset class in the world", states Yuri Rutman, head of media finance and consulting firm Noci Pictures ( www.noci.com ). "If you look at the more than $6 billion dollars poured into motion picture finance deals in the last 3 years, the IRR across the spectrum for both studios and independents are resilient to global economic declines in other industries." The Company is looking to bring on board an experienced hedge fund, private equity, or alternative investment capital raiser to identify U.S. and international private equity partners in both institutional and retail sectors in closing a $300 million dollar structured media & entertainment fund that would not only finance 20-30 films, but have the infrastructure in place for U.S. Theatrical Distribution either with one of a few major film studios the company is ...

MoviePartners.com brings together producers, entrepreneurs, film investors, and screenwriters to develop higher-quality, more influential, and more profitable film and commercial projects. Over the last 15 years it has been its goal to become the filmmaker's information services hub. They are in the process of revitalizing themselves and, by extension, the filmmaking community at large. MoviePartners was founded in 1996 and created an award-winning filmmaker's entertainment services community. They now provide location scouting, film crew lists, talent directories, etc., to that community. Its aim is to solidify a resource pool for those in pre-production to final cut. The phrase “it's not what you know but who you know” is being rewritten here. MoviePartners is now spreading its influence in the commercial development arena with innovative, less expensive approaches to quality filmmaking. Through the cooperation of its supporters, vendors, and founding members alike, they are setting new industry standards for high-quality production and low production cost. From the earliest days of the Internet, MoviePartners assembled the contacts, experiences, and resources necessary to help its members succeed. Today will be nothing short of relentless towards completion of your specific project needs, start to finish. In 2008, they redesigned and rebuilt the entire technology infrastructure of MoviePartners to better accommodate filmmakers and investors alike. They now offer services for the 21st Century, making it even easier to access and use the information they provide. They have a comprehensive refresh plan for all of their sites in the upcoming ...

Some hedge fund managers watch Oscar ceremonies with great interest to see their funded films among the winners. Several Oscar nominees, including hits such as “The Pursuit of Happyness”, “Blood Diamond” and “Borat,” were partially financed by hedge funds, loosely regulated pools of capital that are restricted to institutional investors and wealthy individuals. Wall Street’s fascination with film financing has grown in recent years, with several private investment firms making agreements with major studios to co-finance slates of movies over a period of years. With names like Relativity Media and Virtual Studios, these firms do not have the cachet or name recognition of the big studios. They certainly will not be sauntering up to the podium and thanking their agent should their films get an award. Even so, a win at the Oscars could be rewarding. Relativity Media helped finance “Happyness,” whose lead actor, Will Smith, is up for Best Actor. An affiliate of Dune Capital Management, a hedge-fund firm once controlled by financier George Soros, kicked in money for “Borat,” the guerilla comedy starring Sacha Baron Cohen that is a nominee for Best Adapted Screenplay. And Virtual Studios, which is backed by the hedge fund Stark Investments, has invested in “Blood Diamond,” which is up for five awards, as well as the disaster-film flop “Poseidon,” which garnered a nomination for best visual effects. This list reflects the growing ties between Hollywood and hedge funds and private equity firms, which have invested billions in movies ...

Green Light Film Funding take pride on honesty and their ability to structure unique funding solutions that are not available in the traditional lending arena. The Funding Options, like those of any other industry, have changed drastically within the last 12 months. However, with GLFF’s combined 34 years of experience they know how to structure these difficult deals in today’s always changing environment. Whether your film has most or none of the funding required this fund can provide solutions that exist outside the traditional sources. Fund’s investors realize the potential of funding films and that your film may be the next "Juno","Garden State" or "Passion Of The Christ". At Green Light Film Funding they eat, sleep and drink film financing. Whether you are a film maker or potential investor we look forward to sharing your vision and working together with you and your team in the near future.      You can submit film projects for funding consideration. GLFF offers some incentives for film producers and various opportunities for investors to finance films  Source-  http://www.greenlightfilmfunding.com/

The UK Film Council is the Government-backed lead agency for film in the UK ensuring that the economic, cultural and educational aspects of film are effectively represented at home and abroad. Who they are and what they do The UK Film Council was created in 2000 and is the Government-backed lead agency for film delivery in the UK; Since its creation the UK Film Council has been the cornerstone of the British film industry and the funder of most of the big cultural film initiatives –  backed more than 900 films, shorts and features, entertained more than 200 million people and helped to generate approximately £700 million at the box-office worldwide.  For every £1 of Lottery money it has invested, £5 has been generated at the box office, allowing them to reinvest that recoupment straight back into new British films; Tim Bevan, co-founder and co-chairman of Working Title Films, is its Chairman, Tim Cagney is Managing Director; The UK Film Council currently employs 73 people across film development and production, inward investment, certification, co-production, film exports, statistics, distribution and exhibition, MEDIA Desk UK, industry relations, film partnerships across the UK, etc; Film Council funds and works with a number of different partners across the UK – including the regional and national screen agencies, the BFI, Skillset, First Light and FILMCLUB; Their goal is to help make the UK a global centre for ...

  Film Finances was founded in 1950 for the purpose of giving guarantees of completion to financiers of motion pictures. At the time, producers of motion pictures were finding it increasingly difficult to borrow money from banks because the producers could not show how budget overages, if any, could be met. The original founders of the company were film producers who had learned that mortgaging all they owned against potential budget overages was not a sound proposition. Film Finances was therefore formed to provide financiers with a service that gave them the assurance that the film would be delivered on time and that the over budget costs would not be the financier's responsibility. FFI has given completion guarantees to all the leading banks involved in the entertainment industry, as well as all the major studios and distributors of motion pictures. FFI has now guaranteed the completion and delivery of approximately 6,000 Feature Films, Television Series, Movies of the Week, Films on Tape, Documentaries and CD-ROM Productions shot in all parts of the world.   Production Evaluation As soon as an inquiry is made for them to issue a guarantee, they request the script, the shooting schedule and the budget.They prefer that all three documents have already been approved by the financiers and distributors of the picture. Documents are carefully examined to be sure on feasibility. When a positive decision is made, a "letter of intent" is issued by them confirming that they are prepared ...

  FBT Film & Entertainment is owned by FBT Advisors, Inc., an affiliate of First Bank and Trust and a subsidiary of First Trust Corporation since 2001.  As a bank affiliate it offers a complete choice of banking relationship products.  In addition it offers a range of broker services including investments, insurance, business advisory, and venture capital.   The unique ability to integrate these services for its film industry clients gives it an unmatched edge over any competitor. FBT Film started with the goal of increasing local community involvement with the film industry and the development of our industryhas been nothing short of remarkable.  They are actively working to further expand the local film industry while assisting the state of Louisiana in recruiting new film projects.   It has also been instrumental in cultivating partnerships between out of state media production companies and local firms to make the best use of available resources.  They take special pride in seeing Louisiana businesses grow and prosper as a result. It works with the Louisiana Film Commissioner's office, statewide local municipalities, film liaisons and the UNO Foundation's Nims Studio to fully utilize the production capacity and studio facilities. Its Los Angeles staff has extensive experience in the entertainment industry and fully understands the process of organizing, financing, and working within the Louisiana production process. FBT Film also proudly supports A Child's Wish of Louisiana, a local organization which grants wishes to children with life-threatening illnesses. Source-  http://www.fbtfilm.com

  If you want to benefit from the opportunity of taking your story idea to the big screen. Singapore's Media Development Authority (MDA) has opened its third call-for-proposals under its International Film Fund (IFF) and is looking to co-invest in globally marketable films involving at least one Singapore partner. What's more, completed films could premiere globally at ScreenSingapore, the week-long international cinema event comprising a trade show, conferences, master classes, a film awards section as well as red carpet gala premieres. ScreenSingapore, hosted by MDA and organised by Singapore Airshow & Events Pte Ltd (SAe), is a platform for Asian content to be marketed to the world and for international films to be released in Asia. Mr Kenneth Tan, Director of Film, Animation and Publishing, MDA, said: "The IFF complements our co-production strategy aimed at growing Singapore-made content targeting global audiences. It facilitates collaboration among international creative talents, and the participation of Singapore's production and post-production facilities in international film productions. "Singapore currently has four official film co-production partner countries - namely Australia, Canada, China and New Zealand. We welcome filmmakers to work with us and our network of official co-production partnering countries through the IFF to realise their aspirations, and tell their stories to movie-goers around the world." Projects selected under the current round of IFF will be announced at the inaugural edition of ScreenSingapore from 5 to 12 June 2011. About the International Film Fund (IFF) The IFF was launched in 2009 to encourage ...

The Institute for International Film Financing ("IIFF") is an innovative, independent social-impact organization dedicated to bridging the gap between the worlds of filmmaking and finance. IIFF's one-of-a-kind mission is to prudently expand the scope and appeal of film financing in an economically sustainable manner, for the benefit of all stakeholders including the public at large. Established in 2003 by former investment banker Thomas Trenker, IIFF is incorporated in California as a not-for-profit, public-benefit corporation headquartered in San Francisco. IIFF remedies stifling inefficiencies in film financing and cultivates success in independent film by instituting a trusted platform for research, education, networking and collaboration at the nexus of film and finance. IIFF represents the interests —and addresses the challenges— of film entrepreneurs and investors alike, and serves the public benefit by reinvigorating independent film. Democratizing Film Financing Obtaining proper financing is the single most pervasive, yet most persistently overlooked, barrier to success in independent film. Even seasoned financiers and producers are often at a loss when it comes to effectively and successfully financing film. IIFF aims to create economic sustainability in film financing by enabling both filmmakers and financiers to consistently benefit from their interactions. IIFF brings film financing knowledge, skills and opportunities to a broad and diverse audience. This opens new financing channels for filmmakers, exposes investors to an expanded menu of choices, invigorates local filmmaking communities and grows regional economies in which they are embedded. The Best of Two Worlds IIFF fuses the best ...

Prescience is a unique, integrated media company focusing on film production, financing and international sales. Prescience aims to provide the most appropriate financing options to producers. These range from development funding and equity finance through to debt and P&A. Prescience has a specialist management team that spans media banking, corporate finance and the production, marketing, sales and distribution of quality commercial filmed entertainment. Prescience owns Metropolis International Sales Ltd and managed funds including the Aegis Film Fund. Prescience also has close links with the National Film and Television School and provides student sponsorship each year. http://www.presciencefilmfinance.co.uk/

How to Fund Your Film, the Film Finance Handbook, is the definitive source book for anyone looking to fund a film project - be it script, short, feature or documentary. It puts in one place for the first time details of over 1,000 funds and tax schemes in some 50 countries, alongside exhaustive and easy to understand explanations of all aspects of indie film financing, from microbudget shorts and docs to multi-million international co-productions. Over 40 experts from six continents have contributed to this exhaustive 480 page how-to and reference guide for filmmakers, producers, funders and advisers. The new edition features: • All forms of film finance explained in-depth, including new methods like crowdsourcing and web based micro-finance. • In depth international incentives (tax breaks and public money) covered for 50 countries (and dozens of states and regions), including the new UK, US federal and German tax incentives, written in collaboration with the legal experts in each country in language accessible for non lawyers. • Details of 1000 funding awards from over 300 bodies. • The internet as film studio; how to use the web for fund-raising, marketing and distribution. • Cutting budgets, a guide to microbudget and digital techniques. • Dozens of new case studies and interviews, including Oscar-winning producer Jeremy Thomas (The Last Emperor), Jim Gilliam (Brave New Films) - who raised $300,000 via the web, Susan Buice and Arin Crumley, whose produced YouTube's first feature stream, Roy Disney, Gus van Sant, Nik Powell ...

Film financing is one of the most difficult and least understood challenges facing a producer and it is fraught with perils for the unwary. Many independent film producers find themselves caught in the problems. Given that most film producers do not want to use their personal assets to fund their films, the most important issue for many producers is how to finance their film project with other people’s money. The methods of financing film projects are as diverse as the film projects themselves, the most common ways being; “debt” (such as borrowing money); “equity” (such as selling membership interests); or a combination of both (such as a production support agreement). If the producer has a track record of successful film production, then additional sources such as “pre-sale” of film distribution rights or studio financing are available. And there are producers who merely package a project and assign the rights to another, better financed, production company. However, for most independent producers film financing is limited to debt and equity. The problem with financing a project with debt is that such agreements require the payment of a sum-certain, with interest, on or before a specific date. There is repayment difficulties. The other major source of funds, equity financing, is problematic because a securities offering memorandum and full disclosure is required under the securities laws and notice filings are required by the federal Securities and Exchange Commission (the “SEC”) Violations of the SEC requirements and the ...

Templeheart provide funding for film producers and is a film production company engaged in movie production and film investment. They work with film producers, film production companies and film makers to find the best projects that will give significant returns on any film investment. Templeheart is also an independent research company and angel financier with a member community of high-net-worth individuals and angel investors who work together to help produce and finance feature films and West End musicals. They source, research and provide information to help match capital to impressive and dynamic film and theatre projects that attract industry renowned artists. Investments are possible in commercially viable film projects.   Source- http://www.filmproductioninvestments.com

Cavalier Films, Inc. (the “Production Company”) is engaged in the development, production, and financing of motion picture films intended for theatrical release. The Production Company’s goal is to produce story-driven and thought-provoking feature films with mainstream appeal on a low-budget. The Company intends to produce and finance feature films with limited and controlled budgets, and considers investment in films principally produced by others. Emphasize is on the predictable, business-like return on investments, while positioning for the real possibility of windfall results Management Team Relevant (Film) History Mr. Sisson co-financed and worked with the production of a 2003 Sundance award-winning and widely loved feature film, “The Station Agent” (TSA). TSA was produced for under $1,000,000 and sold to Miramax for theatrical release As part of the process of developing and testing the Cavalier Films business plan, the Managers worked together to produce a low-budget digital feature film, “Charlie’s Party” (CP). CP is a comedy driven by its appealing subject matter and character development, and the comedic tension it creates. The film was completed on time and on budget for approximately $200k and is now in digital release, (download and DVD). The first film to be produced under the Cavalier Films Banner, “Familiar Strangers”, was filmed  in the fall of 2006. This film stars Shawn Hatosy, DJ Qualls, Cameron Richardson and Tom Bower among others. Because of their experience with these films and their previous successes in the entertainment and business worlds, the Managers are confident in their ability to create moving, intelligent films using good business practices, which fill the niche ...

When it comes to financing your feature film, Certainly you think about opportunities to make appealing movie to the audiences all over the world. Would you like to receive money to go towards your production budget, and have a guarantee that it will be shown to an audience? If so, then welcome to the world of film distributor advances and pre-sales. Presales are based on the script and cast selling the right to distribute a film in different territories before the film is produced. This is a primary means of film financing, especially when it comes to making bigger budget movies. Once the deal is made, the distributor will insist the producers of the film project deliver on certain elements of content and cast. You can receive a worldwide presale, domestic presale or foreign presale deal, but usually independent producers are most successful at attempting the presale of foreign rights. independent producers are most successful at attempting the presale of foreign rights. The amount given to filmmakers in the form of distribution advances varies depending on the selected actors, director and the specific film genre. As a general rule, producers can expect to raise 60% to 70% of their budget from foreign presales and 30% to 40% from domestic advances. If you live in America it can be a challenging task to secure domestic rights for a film project that is in development. Independent filmmakers usually have better success financing their films with a combination of equity ...

Footprint Films and The Route Groups combined forces to launch a vehicle that provides budgeting for production companies making films, targeting yearly return of 21% for investors. Film investments have traditionally been used for the tax relief but after legislations were abolished, interest decreased. Lisa Lambert, founder, business development and executive producer of Footprint Films said the idea  the for the fund came as a result of wanting to make film an asset class in its own right fund came as a result of wanting to make film an asset class in its own right. Thus a one-stop shop was created where top-end producers could get the majority of their budget. The Footprint Film fund is a five-year closed ended vehicle that sought to raise $22m before the offer period ends $21m during its first year. This would allow Footprint to invest up to $150m in global film projects. Lisa Lambert said: "I was working in the US looking for UK investors to help finance films. It seemed like an arduous way of doing it and I realized a lot of the time films were getting interest because of the tax relief and not because of the good films. With The Route Group, we decided we wanted to use film as an investment class itself and modernize a fund so investors get a good rate of return." Minimum investment was £50,000 and can be made in Sterling or US Dollar. Commission to intermediaries is ...

Filmproposals.com is very good spot for those serious about raising financing for their movie. It offers a wealth of tools, templates, information and resources, for both experienced and new and experienced movie producers. There are tools like film proposals and financial manuals, film financing excel template and business plan template. Film producers can find many investors through web site and learn how to communicate to maximize the film funding they raise. They also can showcase their film and get their own on the site. The site also provides tips for starting and making films.  The sit also provides free business plan opportunity. Producers also can get technical advises and assistance Source-  http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=newsarchive&sid=aDMXKb0oqb34

  After the crisis Lehman Brothers Holdings Inc Tokyo office’s some former employees went into film making.  A few of the 346,000 workers they fired invested their leaving pay in pursuing dreams. Especially Ivy League graduates are competing for backers among former colleagues, clients and a network that spans Asia’s investment, Ivy League alumni and independent film communities.  Nyari, 28, and co- producer Engin Yenidunya, a Yale graduate, hold a weekly fund raiser party called Havana café. Nyari and Yenidunya gathered more than $1 million for their first film “Wakiyaku Monogatari,” and have raised the same amount for their second, “Cut,” about a Japanese filmmaker who tangles with the Yakuza while trying to find money for a movie. Their production company, Tokyo Story, aims to give filmmakers outside Japan’s movie establishment a chance to make a feature. Orlebar’s first picture, “Lost in Love,” a semi- autobiographical love story that cost HK$1 million ($128,662), is set in Hong Kong, where Orlebar was living at the time. It was shot over the course of a week in August 2007 and screened at the New York International Independent Film and Video Festival and Toronto’s Indie Can Film Festival in 2008. Orlebar attented Hollywood film course whose former students include Tarantino and Ritchie.  Lost in Love” won a Gold Kahuna Award for excellence in film-making at the 2009 Honolulu International Film Festival, before going straight to ...

The global audio visual sector was expected by analysts to be worth $1.3 trillion by 2008 and hedge fund managers have wasted no time in attaching themselves to the high return sector of film financing. Hedge funds investing in film, so far, include Mark Cuban, entrepreneur and owner of the Dallas Mavericks, and eBay founder Jeff Skoll, each have a fledgling film company. Billionaire Phillip Anschutz is financing big budget films, David Sacks, a founder of PayPal, financed "Thank You for Smoking," for $7.5 million, and it has worldwide gross of over $27 million. Real estate millionaire Bob Yari, is backing the production of numerous films. Bill Pohlad, a multi-millionaire  made "Brokeback Mountain" for $14 million and it has grossed $184 million worldwide. A recent $220 million deal with an individual producer included investors such as J.P. Morgan, D.E. Shaw, and GE Capital. George Soros also bought the DreamWorks library in a deal that valued the 59 film library portfolio at $900 million, later releasing all of them. Then there's the Tom Cruise/Wagner team, as a great deal with "two top hedge funds." The deal will reportedly provide $100 million in revolving funds, which will be renewed annually, with an option to up the funding to as much as $200 to $300 million per year. Now, 20th Century Fox is set to announce a hedge fund-backed film financing deal worth more than $520m thanks to the box office success of Borat and The Devil ...