Film financing veteran Premila Hoon launches boutique consultancy

Led by film financing veteran Premila Hoon, ECA is aiming to raise between $500m and $1bn over the next three years. It is looking to work with companies that are growing, planning to divest interests or make acquisitions across the entertainment and media industries.

Hoon, the former head of film financing at French bank Société Générale, has launched the consultancy with Mark Brook, co-founder of Aramid Capital Partners, a $300m media and entertainment fund that has financed over 50 films.

ECA has already started working on a number of projects including a $200m private placement for a family-run Middle East fund, which will invest in major international film projects. It is also advising a major UK-based international film sales, distribution and marketing company on strategy and a capital raising, and working with a Japanese film production company that is seeking to develop international projects.

Hoon, managing director of ECA, said: “The film industry has been remarkably resilient through the recession. However, recent macroeconomic events have led to a fundamental shift in the way entertainment projects are going to be financed. ECA will adapt to this environment by using the extensive experience of its executives to create innovative, bespoke financing solutions for companies across the entertainment sector.”

Hoon, who spent a decade as global head of media and entertainment structured finance Société Générale, she ran teams in New York and London, and has worked with high profile clients including Luc Besson’s EuropaCorp, Montecito Pictures, head by Tom Pollock and Ivan Reitman, Castle Rock Entertainment and Marvel.

She also led several major film financing deals, including a $570m co-financing deal between 20^th Century Fox and Dune Entertainment. Prior to that, she worked at Guinness Mahon for ten years, providing financing to high profile independent film company including Working Title, Merchant Ivory and Capitol films.

The ECA board also includes Nicole Finnan, former commercial and finance director of Ecosse Films, Julian Paul, the former managing director of Guinness Mahon, Sean Flanagan, also a co-founder of Aramid Capital Partners, and Francois Thos, a former chief operating officer and board members at United Artists Films.

ECA is owned by its management team and Aramid Asset Management, a UK-based asset manager working in the media sector. Its principal investors are Stonehenge Capital Company and Future Capital Partners.