Over the past 25 years, Constantin Film has positioned itself in both the German media community and the international film industry as the most successful independent German producer and distributor.
Constantin Film has always succeeded in attracting millions of enthusiastic film fans with major German productions: DER BEWEGTE MANN, WERNER – BEINHART, BALLERMANN 6 or THE SUPERWIFE are just a few of the early theatrical hits. However, Constantin Film made a name for itself on the international film production market too as long as more than 20 years ago with such international in-house productions as THE NEVERENDING STORY or THE NAME OF THE ROSE. They were followed by further global hits such as THE HOUSE OF THE SPIRITS, the action horror thriller RESIDENT EVIL and its sequel RESIDENT EVIL: APOCALYPSE (which have generated total worldwide sales of more than US-Dollar 700 million so far in the various stages of exploitation), DOWNFALL or THE BAADER MEINHOF COMPLEX.
6 of the top 10 German blockbusters of the last 20 years were produced by Constantin Film; 23 of the top 50 German theatrical films since 1988 were released to theatres by the company. 14 of the 30 most successful German theatrical films of the past 10 years were distributed by Constantin Film. (source: Top 50 List since 1988, SPIO statistics).
Constantin Film AG with its subsidiaries and associated companies has established itself as by far the most successful independent German production and distribution company since it was founded in 1977 by Bernd Eichinger, who is still one of Constantin Film's most important producers, and went public in 1999. We have improved the company's strategic alignment, continued to broaden our business base purposefully and developed into an integrated media group in recent years by the systematic addition of licence trading, in-house home entertainment exploitation and intensified TV service production, with a particular focus on TV entertainment to the two classic areas of operation.
Eyeworks Sweden is one of the largest production companies in the country. In 2009 the company expanded to become a total provider of TV and entertainment. Our new drama department strongly complements the firmly established departments of entertainment, game shows, reality and features. We possess one of Sweden’s strongest in-house studio complexes, including two large studios, which gives us full control of the production chain. This new breadth enables Eyeworks to be an even stronger partner to both Public Service and commercial channels.
Our emphasis on creativity has seen a wide range of productions vastly different in nature as well as in-house developments. Highlights 2009 is: Den stora resan-SVT (Ticket to the tribes) , Jag vet vad du gjorde förra fredan –TV3 (I know what you did…) Lotta på Liseberg–TV4 (Sing along summer show) På liv & död – SVT (A fight aginst death) Maria Wern-TV4 (TV drama Maria Wern) AP TV Zilla & Totte-TV4 (Children show) Teknikens Värld-K8 (Motormagazin) Drömmen om Italien-TV4 (The Italian Dream).
We also have the unique ability to work in large three-party collaborations which is a vital, visionary and complex part of the commercial TV industry today. At present this suits large popular productions such as The Postcode Millionaire (Postkodmiljonären)* and Bingolotto, Sweden’s two top lottery shows.
In 1984, Jean Cazès created his first company, Initial Groupe, which produced feature films and television series particularly in animation. It took over France-Animation, which became the European leader in the sector within a few years. With the support of the Caisse des Dépôts, another company, IDA (Investissements en Droits Audiovisuelles) was created in 1987 and built up a large film catalogue. In 1992, after purchasing the Thorn-EMI-Weintraub library, representing about 35% of all the British films produced since the silent era, Initial and IDA merged to form Lumière, chaired by Jean Cazès.
Lumière expanded in the USA, Brazil, Spain, the UK, Australia and Japan. Investing in ten to fifteen films per year, it became one of the leading financiers/distributors in the European cinema sector. Lumière was sold in March 1996 to UGC-DA and this group was immediately sold to Canal Plus to form the heart of what is now Studio Canal.
Since 2001, Jean Cazès has revitalized his film production activities and advises companies in the European entertainment sector with regards to financing and in the areas of mergers and acquisitions.
During his career, Jean Cazès has produced or co-produced nearly forty films, mostly French or American, some of which have been very successful both critically and in the marketplace.
Founded by Riccardo Tozzi in 1997, Cattleya has quickly become Italy's leading independent theatrical producer. In 1999 Giovanni Stabilini and Marco Chimenz joined the company, which expanded its domestic and international film production slate and began television production activities. In 2000 the publishing and media group De Agostini and the financial group of SanPaolo IMI Private Equity joined Cattleya as minority partners. Cattleya has established strong ties with the most prestigious Italian writers and directors and selected those with the strongest commercial potential. The company’s Production plan for 2006-2008 relies on projects involving many of Italy’s most important directors.
Zephyr Films is an independent London based Production Company which specializes in the financing and production of films for the international marketplace. In the last decade we have produced, executive produced and co-produced over twenty films with combined budgets of over $250,000,000. Our recent releases include Hannibal Rising, The Last Legion, Penelope and Death Defying Acts, with The Last Station due for release later this year. We started principal photography on Black Death this spring, and recently helped finance Gurinder Chadha's It's a Wonderful Afterlife.
Chris Curling is a member of the European Producer’s Club, ACE and the European Film Academy. He also serves on PACT’s film committee and BSAC’s co-production working group.
Prokino is one of the most important and top-selling distributors of cross-over and arthouse Films. Prokino’s film library contains more than 70 films – between 6 and 8 films being added every year. Our latest acquisitions include Gomorrha, Slumdog Millionaire and Hachiko.
The Production department of the distribution company has a long tradition in German as well as European feature films. Picking projects we take particular interest in well known auteurs and riveting plots. We are discerning and meticulous in our selection process. Therefore we are able to produce commercially successful films of artistic value.
In 1982 the two Frankfurt based cinema operators Karl Baumgartner and Reinhard Brundig established Pandora Film Distribution. The name was inspired by G.W Pabst's film "Pandora's Box". With the first films that came out under this label, the thematic focus was clear: Films such as YOL by Yilmaz Günay, NOSTALGHIA by Andrej Tarkovsky or FAREWELL MY CONCUBINE by Chen Kaige all stood for highly ambitious International Art house Cinema. Before long, close working relationships were formed between Pandora and directors such as Aki Kaurismäki and Jim Jarmusch. But it was with Jane Campion's THE PIANO, that Pandora made its first big commercial breakthrough. The concept of presenting excellent cinematographic masterpieces by internationally renowned filmmakers to a German audience paid off, and Pandora Film became one of the most distinguished Distributors within this segment of the market.
Alongside the distribution, Pandora Film soon undertook an increasing amount of the actual production work. Gradually many projects were acquired early in the development phase. Soon co-productions began to emerge out of what had originally been a licence and distribution company. With Emir Kusturica's film UNDERGROUND, the transition to production was fulfilled. In 1996 the production company was moved to Cologne. In 1998 the distribution department in Frankfurt was closed and the extensive library of distribution rights were sold to KINOWELT. The change in market conditions, especially the changed purchase policy of the television stations, and the massive structural changes that came about through the so called "New Market", were just two of many factors involved in this decision.
2007 Managing Director for Pathé Production – Managing Director for Pathé Entertainment Ltd
2006 Executive Vice President for Pathé – Managing Director for Pathé Distribution
1997 Development Director for Pathé
Future Films is a unique, integrated motion picture organisation that takes productions from pre-financing to post-production and beyond. Future Films focuses on delivering reduced cost funds and acting as a portal to the investment community. Our goal is to provide the most appropriate production and financing options to producers through innovative integration of new financing methods, co-production, distribution and development activity, post-production facilities and equity funding. Our financial strategies make the most of the incentives available worldwide.
Future Films USA seeks to help cashflow US productions by maximising the potential of available Cash Rebates or Tax Credits.
www.futurefilmgroup.com
UGC operates a European network of around 600 cinemas in France, Belgium, Spain and Italy and has performed more than 40 million admissions in 2009.
UGC is also present in the production and distribution French and European films in cinemas worldwide through the sales of its audiovisual rights.
Marc Missonnier and Olivier Delbosc met in filmschool in 1992 and have been partners since then. They have produced more than 40 features films, with audience and critic successes like Little Nicholas by Laurent Tirard, or the films by François Ozon (8 Women or Swimming Pool).
These last years, they have decided to expand their scope of activity. They now produce TV series for prime time on French Television. But most of all, they are definitively turned towards internationals projects. They have produced Emir Kusturica’s films (Promise Me and Maradonna by Kusturica), Gaspar Noé’s Enter The Void, Gilles Bourdos’s Afterwards starring Evangeline Lilly and John Malkovitch.
In 2009, they have produced Neds, by Peter Mullan in Scotland and The Next Three Days (with Paul Haggis and Michael Nozik), by Paul Haggis and starring Russel Crowe, the remake of their film Pour Elle.
Over the past 25 years, Constantin Film has positioned itself in both the German media community and the international film industry as the most successful independent German producer and distributor.
Constantin Film has always succeeded in attracting millions of enthusiastic film fans with major German productions: DER BEWEGTE MANN, WERNER – BEINHART, BALLERMANN 6 or THE SUPERWIFE are just a few of the early theatrical hits. However, Constantin Film made a name for itself on the international film production market too as long as more than 20 years ago with such international in-house productions as THE NEVERENDING STORY or THE NAME OF THE ROSE. They were followed by further global hits such as THE HOUSE OF THE SPIRITS, the action horror thriller RESIDENT EVIL and its sequel RESIDENT EVIL: APOCALYPSE (which have generated total worldwide sales of more than US-Dollar 700 million so far in the various stages of exploitation), DOWNFALL or THE BAADER MEINHOF COMPLEX.
6 of the top 10 German blockbusters of the last 20 years were produced by Constantin Film; 23 of the top 50 German theatrical films since 1988 were released to theatres by the company. 14 of the 30 most successful German theatrical films of the past 10 years were distributed by Constantin Film. (source: Top 50 List since 1988, SPIO statistics).
Constantin Film AG with its subsidiaries and associated companies has established itself as by far the most successful independent German production and distribution company since it was founded in 1977 by Bernd Eichinger, who is still one of Constantin Film's most important producers, and went public in 1999. We have improved the company's strategic alignment, continued to broaden our business base purposefully and developed into an integrated media group in recent years by the systematic addition of licence trading, in-house home entertainment exploitation and intensified TV service production, with a particular focus on TV entertainment to the two classic areas of operation.
Since its inception in 2001, Eyeworks has rapidly become a major independent production company in the Netherlands. We have proven ourselves to be highly successful all-round producers, producing scripted and non-scripted television programs, feature films and sports for all major networks in the Netherlands.
As the origin of the Eyeworks group, Eyeworks the Netherlands is an important driving force for the international growth of Eyeworks as a group on a creative level. From the start, we have produced more new home-grown formats on air in the Netherlands than any other producer. In the Netherlands, Eyeworks consists of three units:
* Eyeworks Entertainment
* Eyeworks Film & TV Drama
* Eyeworks Sport