Investors fund Toast & Jam

The new venture will control as subsidiaries the five-year-old full-service animation company Cosmic Toast Studios, as well as film finance, acquisitions, production and distribution outfit Cinipix and rental production company Cinirents.

Effective immediately, former evp at Philip Anschutz’s film company Todd Slater and Deb Pierson, the former vp of sales and marketing at children’s entertainment channel Kabillion, have been hired to serve as CEOs of Cinipix and Cosmic Toast Studios, respectively. Mitchell Silverman will also join the group in an operational and financial capacity.

Silverman and Grossman will invest capital to grow development, production and distribution operations and enable Cinipix and Cosmic Toast Studios to expand. The financiers are also on the hunt for strategic acquisitions including digital distribution entities.

Under the stewardship of Slater, Cinipix will produce and fund multiple films a year and acquire and partner with third-party producers offering post production, equity and sales partnerships.

Current Cinipix projects include the recently finished action title Raze with Rachel Nichols and Zoe Bell, upcoming action films The Devil’s Ink and McCanick, true-life story It’s Dark Here and comedy Gangbusters. 

Cinipix will act as the distribution and sales arm for content from Cosmic Toast Studios.

“We are excited to invest in Toast & Jam and provide the resources necessary for Cosmic Toast and Cinipix to create, develop and produce outstanding creative product and content” said Silverman and Grossman in a joint statement.

“We have been good friends for a long time and are thrilled to take on this exciting new endeavour together,” said Slater and Pierson.

“With the financial recourses of Neil and Howard, we have the ability to expand into of the most multifaceted studios and production companies in Hollywood. The partners at Toast & Jam offer us an incredible opportunity to work creatively and collaboratively to build something very special.”

Grossman is the CEO of TKNG Capital and among other achievements previously ran a proprietary trading group at JPMorgan’s chief investment office, served as senior portfolio manager at the Central Bank Of Norway and ran a fixed income derivatives book at Deutsche Bank.

Silverman built up the New York-based investment bank Gruntal & Co where he serves as chairman and CEO. He has served at public corporations such as Getty Oil, Carteret Savings Bank and Work Wear Corp.

Slater’s career credits include Paramount Pictures and the investment banking division of Meridian Capital and he co-founded the diverse entertainment company and consultancy Slater Brothers Entertainment.