11/10/2007

The global film business has thrown its weight behind Film London’s and the Times BFI Film Festival’s inaugural Production Finance Market (PFM), which runs October 22-23 in London.

Amongst the major players participating are Miramax, The Weinstein Company, Nordisk, Focus Films, Pathe, Studio Canal, Paramount, Sony Pictures Classics, Warner Brothers, EuropaCorp and UGC PH.

Significant sales companies participating include Goldcrest, Bankside Films, Capitol Films, Handmade Films, HanWay Films and Intandem Films. In addition, private equity and hedge fund players like Limelight, Global Finance, Rubicon International, Aramid and Liberty Global have confirmed their participation.

The banking industry will turn up in strength with the likes of Alliance and Leicester, The Royal Bank of Scotland, Barclays Bank, Deutsche Bank and the Bank of Ireland participating.

The event has also proved to be a magnet for public funders and broadcasters with companies like BBC Films, Film4, Northern Ireland Screen and the UK Film Council expected to play a significant part.

The market will focus on new private forms of investment and film finance, and new distribution avenues. Over 100 international and UK financiers and producers will participate in more than 500 face-to-face matched meetings over the course of the dedicated market, together with a range of seminars and networking events.

Adrian Wootton, CEO of Film London said, “With London’s financial centre now taking on New York, and the capital enjoying a real economic and cultural resurgence, there is a huge appetite to explore new forms of finance in the international industry. Given that $9bn of private hedge and equity has recently been tapped by Hollywood, I see every reason why London’s new market can act as a lightning rod for new investment in the UK and European film industry.”