LOS ANGELES, CA -- (Marketwire) -- 06/01/10 -- Winston|Baker today announced that the first annual Film Finance Forum Zurich will be offered on September 25, 2010 as part of the 6th Annual Zurich Film Festival this fall. The inaugural forum will be co-chaired by Karl Spoerri, Co-founder and Artistic Director of the Zurich Film Festival and Managing Director of Millbrook Pictures, an international film financing and production company based in Zurich, along with Jeanette Buerling, President of Magnet Media Group, a film financing and production company based in Beverly Hills.
Winston|Baker most recently organized the sold out International Film Finance Forum held during the Cannes Film Festival last month. "The financial community has a renewed sense of interest in the film business as an alternative investment asset class," said Katherine Winston, Managing Partner, Winston|Baker. "However, this time, investors and lenders who are considering this sector are being very cautious about the type of deals they enter. So at each Film Finance Forum, the programs' speaking faculty addresses emerging opportunities, deal structuring trends, and risk mitigation strategies -- among many other relevant topics to help new financiers make more informed decisions when making their investments," added Ms. Winston.
The focus of Film Finance Forum Zurich will be on investment opportunities and financing strategies for equity and debt providers who are interested in both the European and US film markets.
"Now more than ever, it is important to be able to address the impact of the recession on the industry and capital raising challenges for both producers and investors looking for co-financiers, in addition to many other factors affecting film financing in Europe today," said forum co-chair, Mr. Spoerri. Millbrook Pictures financed and co-produced "W" starring Josh Brolin, directed by Oliver Stone and "Lila, Lila" starring Daniel Brühl, directed by Alain Gsponder. It recently closed a first look deal with Marc Forster's company Apparatus.
"Having run various film finance equity funds and dealing with film production and financing in Hollywood on a daily basis, I can say that investors' questions circle mainly around the risk associated and the expected returns. And producers need to know how feasible and solid finance plans can be structured so that the investors' risk can be mitigated. Those are the questions to be answered at this forum," said co-chair Ms. Buerling. Magnet Media Group financed and produced "13," starring Jason Statham and Mickey Rourke (Paramount Vantage); "The Experiment," starring Oscar winners Adrien Brody and Forest Whitaker (Sony); and currently in pre-production on "Dark Tide" starring Halle Berry and directed by Clark Johnson.
Co-chairs Spoerri and Buerling agree that rarely is there a conference which has shown to gather a high caliber of participants from all areas of investments in film, such as equity financiers, lenders, investment banks, law firms and tax credit film commissioners from various states. At the recent International Film Finance Forum held in Cannes, participants included executives from around the world, including the Abu Dhabi Film Commission; Accolade Films; Aeris Capital; American Film Company; AON/Albert G. Ruben; Bank Leumi USA; Bank of America; Bankside Films; Bousie Advocaten; Caparo Group; Comerica Bank; Corsan; Cutting Edge; Davenport Lyons; Ernst & Young; Fintage House; FOX Searchlight Pictures; Gravitas Partners Ltd; Hyde Park Entertainment Group; ICM; Informant Media; Kalangwan Pictures; KaplaniKid Productions; Lightning Entertainment; Lions Gate UK Ltd; Lumiq SRL; Magnet Media Group; Maxim Group; Millbrook Pictures; Motion Picture Association; Music Box Films; Omnilab Media; Paradigm; Protocol UK; Québec Film and Television Council; Rothstein Kass; Screen Capital International; Silver Reel Partners AG; Sonenshine Partners; South Australian Film Corporation; Spice; Tax Credit Finance; Thomson Reuters; TroyGould; Ultimatum Studios; and many others.
For additional program and registration details, visit http://www.FilmFinanceForumZurich.com.
About Winston|Baker
The Winston|Baker team specializes in educational forums for the financial community, offering timely programs which address emerging investment trends and finance strategies. For more information: www.WinstonBaker.com.
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Amy Baker
WINSTON|BAKER
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