Focus
Sean and Bryan Furst
Independent movie producers, TV producers, IP hunters, storytelling junkies... and brothers. Those are, in a nutshell, the adjectives describing Sean and Bryan Furst. The Fursts started in the Nineties with such pictures as Miramax's hitman drama "The Matador", which earned Pierce Brosnan a Golden Globe nomination, and Lionsgate's Vegas love story "The Cooler," which earned Alec Baldwin an Oscar nomination. Then, with the market shifting emphasis towards TV, they added another facet to their business and soon produced shows like [...]
In Conversation with Niccolo Messina, Founder of V Channels
Niccolò Messina doesn't love movies, "They put my brain on pause." He doesn't appreciate Hollywood, "It is always behind." Still, Italian entrepreneur Niccolò Messina may hold the key to preserving independent cinema in the streaming age. With his groundbreaking platform, VChannels, he has established a thriving network of 15 YouTube AVOD-specialized media, boasting an impressive 300 million monthly views and a dedicated audience of 120 million. Messina's impact on the industry cannot be ignored. Mario Niccolò Messina came to Hollywood [...]
In Conversation with Erik Barmack
To understand contemporary Hollywood's international growth, you must consult Erik Barmack. He has worked in television and new media production and distribution for over 25 years. He founded Wild Sheep Content, a production, strategic growth, and packaging company that has sold twenty projects to ten global partners over its first year of operation. Previously, as Netflix VP and head of the original international series, Barmack shaped today's fiction TV business. He brought Netflix hits such as Spanish Money Heist and [...]
Focus on Lionsgate with Sandra Stern
Our periodic meeting with Hollywood's executives takes us to Sandra Stern, recently appointed Vice Chairman of the Lionsgate Television Group. Stern has been a vital member of the Company's senior management team for the past two decades. She has helped guide Lionsgate's television business to record-breaking revenue growth every year of her tenure. She has been instrumental in tripling the size of its television slate, which encompasses dozens of series on a wide array of U.S. networks and platforms. "I've [...]
