Stampfer and Vogelbacher launch International Film Partners

Former Deutsche Bank executive Bernie Stampfer and outgoing Bavaria Film Partners (BFP) managing director Markus Vogelbacher [pictured] have joined forces to launch the film financing broker and consultancy International Film Partners (IFP) Entertainment.

According to Stampfer and Vogelbacher, IFP will advise international film and TV productions “in the areas of film financing and the provision of technical services with a special focus on Germany”.

The new company will have a presence in Munich, Berlin, London, Los Angeles, Moscow and Hong Kong thanks to the partners’ wide network of contacts.

With the establishment of IFP, Munich-based Bavaria Film closed down operations of its 100% subsidiary BFP at the end of last month.

BFP had been managed by Vogelbacher since being set up in February 2011 specifically to attract international service-driven co-productions to Germany and to make use of Bavaria Film Studios’ extensive infrastructure of sound stages and post-production facilities outside of Munich.

Productions handled by BFP had included the $ 5.17m (€4m) family entertainment film Schatzritter, which was structured as a Luxembourg-German co-production between Bernard Michaux’s Lucil Film, Munich-based NEOS Film and Screenvest.

In a communiqué, Bavaria Film’s CEO Achim Rohnke pointed out that Vogelbacher’s activities at BFP had contributed to the strengthening of the German studio’s network of activities, particularly in LA, Moscow and London, in the last three years. He said that he is intending to develop these links further with the new company.

Stampfer had left Deutsche Bank in March 2011 to set up BS Media Finance Advisory. During his time at the German bank from 2000, he had served as vice president and head of the expert team TMT/Telecommunication, Media and Technologies, the Bank’s internal advisory service in the Corporate and Investment Banking division, and was also part of the Asset Finance and Leasing (AFL) team in Frankfurt.

Stampfer also serves as an EAVE expert and is director of studies for the Erich Pommer Institut’s European Co-Production – Legal and Financial Aspects training programme in Berlin from Oct 15-19.

This year’s edition will include case studies of A Most Wanted Man and Le Meraviglie and workshops on marketing and distribution, tax incentives, revenue sharing and waterfall scenarios.