Sunray Films MD and former Focus Features International co-president to give address.

Alison Thompson, managing director of Sunray Films, is to deliver this year’s keynote address at the Film London Production Finance Market (PFM) (Oct 15-16).

Opening the eighth PFM in London on 15 October, Thompson will provide the 200 plus delegates and industry guests an insight into successfully financing, packaging, selling and positioning a diverse range of independent feature films across low and high budget ranges.

Thompson will also share her experience of spotting and nurturing talent and her move from indie sales companies to working for a studio-owned company.

As a sales agent, Thompson has represented films such as The Crying Game, The Motorcycle Diaries and Blue Jasmine. Recently formed sales-production company Sunray Films launched its first feature film production, Alone In Berlin starring Emma Thompson and Daniel Brühl, at this year’s Cannes Film Festival and is also representing Mike Leigh’s Mr Turner.

PFM projects

Taking place in association with the 58th BFI London Film Festival, this year’s PFM will see 55 producers and 55 financiers from the international marketplace conduct more than 800 meetings.

Representatives from leading private equity firms, tax-structured financiers, banks, international sale companies, broadcasters, territory and mini-major distributors will be amongst the accredited delegates.

Attracting almost 160 producer applications this year, Angus Finney, PFM project manager, highlighted projects including:

  • Hal Vogel’s (Daybreak Pictures) True History of the Kelly Gang;
  • Christopher Sheppard’s (Adventure Pictures) Molly;
  • Mariela Besuievsky’s (Tornasol Films) Give me Your Hand;
  • Marta Donzelli’s (Vivo Film) Tarda Primavera;
  • Camilla Deakin’s (Lupus Film) Ethel & Ernest;
  • Carlotta Calori’s (Indigo Film) Slam;
  • Mary Burke’s (Warp Film) Come Closer

Financiers attending the PFM include Endgame Entertainment, Protagonist Pictures, Bankside Films, Entertainment One, Silver Reel Partners and Lionsgate.

From Europe Backup Media (France), TF1 Droits Audiovisuels (France), Filmax (Spain), International Film Partners (Germany, ZDF Enterprises (Germany), Versatile (France) and Wild Bunch (France) are also among the financiers.

The PFM has supported more than 55 projects into production, which includes producers securing direct finance and sales and distribution deals, as well as delegates building relationships and partnerships on projects not presented at the PFM.

Recent successes include Yellowbird, a 3D animated feature, which receives its world premiere at this year’s BFI London Film Festival. Presented at PFM 2012, it found financial backing from French producers TeamTo enabling the completion of the project. The film’s sales agent, Simon Crowe from SF Films International, will be attending this year’s market.

Panels

In addition to Thompson’s keynote address, the PFM will host specialist panels including the role of tax incentives and co-production strategies: Best new financing combinations; a Producers’ Pitching Session with up to five PFM projects to be presented ‘live’ to a group of experts for feedback; and a case study on the BFI funded Bypass, which will examine a multi-layered European co-production’s route from development to the marketplace.

There will also be a special networking session for UK producers to meet international financiers participating in the PFM.

Micro Market

For the second year, the Film London Micro Market - a UK-wide micro-budget finance market - will run alongside the PFM.

Utilising the structure of PFM, the Micro Market will provide a day of meetings for 24 filmmaking teams with financiers looking to source projects budgeted at €1m and under, alongside training in pitching.

The PFM announced a new partnership earlier this year between the market and When East Meets West in Trieste.

Other existing international partnerships are with the Melbourne International Film Festival’s 37ºSouth Market, Ile de France Film Commission, the Rome International Film Festival’s New Cinema Network, the Toronto International Film Festival’s International Financing Forum (IFF), Nordic Co-Production Market at the Norwegian International Film Festival in Haugesund and Rio Filme.

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