02/11/2006

The historical brand Handmade Films makes a new start at the American Film Market under the aegis of veteran sales agents Guy Collins and Michael Ryan.

Collins and Ryan have agreed to take on the task of re-launching the 20 year-old brand as part of a wider deal sealed with Handmade’s chairman Patrick Meehan who has just bought the sales duo’s own company Sequence/IAC for £4.4m. At Handmade Films International, Collins and Ryan will handle worldwide sales, distribution and marketing on Handmade’s titles as well as their own Sequence/IAC films. Carl Clifton (formerly at Polygram and Film4) has joined them as head of international sales, as well as Amanda Kenyon, head of marketing. All will report to Handmade’s chairman Meehan, managing director David Ravden and Antony Rufus Isaacs who runs Handmade Film Productions.

“Handmade represents a great name, a great company with a great history”, said Meehan. “We will take that reputation and tradition to build an even greater, integrated UK based entertainment company”. Collins and Ryan added: “At Sequence, over the last two and a half years, working with some key industry partners, we have financed and sold an unprecedented number of movies, many co-productions, using all manner of financing tools. Coming together with Patrick, David and Antony at Handmade gives all of us an incredible opportunity to build this wonderful brand into a company that was the vision at its inception”.

Create in 1978 by George Harrison, Handmade has a library including the classics Time Bandits and Monthy Python, Life of Brian. Sold in the early 90s, the company went through various owners until Meehan took over. Among the Handmade rights to be made into feature films is the Eloise franchise based on the children’s books by Kay Thompson. The first will be Eloise in Paris set to shoot next spring. Also planned is the remake of Mona Lisa to be directed by Larry Clark. The Sequence/IAC titles include the Spanish film Manolete by Menno Meyjes starring Penelope Cruz and Adrien Brody, produced by Lola Films.