Following founder and former MD Philippa Kowarsky’s appointment as Commissioning Editor of BBC Storyville, Cinephil “is shoring up its heft as one of the pre-eminent international sales outfits through a new joint venture with the UK’s WestEnd Films and changes in its top positions,” the company stated in a release dated August 16.
WestEnd and Cinephil will collaborate on the development, finance and sales of upcoming projects and films. Maya Amsellem, co-founder and Managing Director of WestEnd films, comments: “Westend has always represented carefully selected documentaries alongside its feature films slate. Together with the knowledge and expertise of Cinephil we can bring the best of documentary films and series to the screen. Philippa has built an impressive brand which we are honoured to preserve and strengthen even further.”
Olivier Tournaud, Cinephil’s former Head of Sales and new Managing Director comments: “I am thrilled and honoured to step up into Philippa’s (very) big shoes. Philippa has built a remarkable catalogue of important and significant documentaries which the Cinephil team is excited to continue representing worldwide. Joining top-notch industry leaders, we couldn’t be more delighted about Cinephil’s joint venture with West End and with Harry Vaughn getting on board.”
Harry Vaughn joins Cinephil from the Sundance Film Festival where he worked as a senior programmer specializing in US and World documentary features. At the festival, he was also a program lead on Sundance’s Talent Forum, connecting the industry to documentary filmmakers.
He said: “It’s a true honor to join Cinephil’s team. Having had the pleasure of working with them as a programmer for many years, I’ve witnessed first-hand the enormous respect and trust they’ve fostered within the documentary community. Their taste and track record are impeccable, and I can’t wait to jump into this new endeavor with them.”
Shoshi Korman will add Marketing to her current portfolio as Head of Festivals; Noa Levy remains in charge of Business Affairs.
About Cinephil:
Cinephil is an international sales and advisory firm, with a strong reputation for securing international distribution, broadcasting and financing deals for documentaries from around the world on behalf of producers and directors. With a history of selling unique and award-winning films, Cinephil also acts as a strategic advisor and co-producer.
The company has facilitated the sale and financing of well over a hundred films. It represented (and produced) the 2013 Academy Award nominee The Gatekeepers; the 2014 Academy Award nominee The Act of Killing, executive produced by Werner Herzog and Errol Morris; Cathedrals of Culture, a 3D project executive produced by Wim Wenders and including films by Wim Wenders and Robert Redford; and Martin Scorsese’s documentary The 50 Year Argument.
Cinephil has also co-produced many films, including 2014 Academy Award nominee The Gatekeepers by Dror Moreh and Sweet Mud (also Dror Moreh), which won the Grand Jury Prize at Sundance and the Crystal Bear at the Berlin Film Festival. Recent titles include Sundance winners FLEE by Jonas Poher Rasmussen and President by Camilla Nielsson, two-time Academy Award nominee Collective by Alexander Nanau and Gunda by Victor Kossakovsky.
About WestEnd Films:
WestEnd Films is a dynamic London-based production, financing and international sales company for feature films and TV, offering filmmakers finance, production and sales expertise as well as an extensive network of contacts across all sectors of the industry. Its documentary titles include Dancer (2016) on ballet wunderkind Sergej Polunin (and a follow-up, Dancer II by Anton Corbijn, currently in production), Grace Jones: Bloodlight and Bami (2017), or This Changes Everything (2017).
