BLACK BEAR PICTURES: SANTA MONICA,CA

Black Bear is a full-scale independent studio with a bespoke management arm, focused on producing, financing, and distributing premium content for a global audience. Black Bear has offices in Santa Monica, CA and London, UK. Their sister company, Elevation Pictures, is based in Toronto, ON.

BERKELEY MEDIA GROUP: LONDON, UK

Yu-Fai Suen heads up the Berkeley Media Group and has over 25 years of experience in film, television and stage show development, financing, production and distribution across the UK, US and Europe. His career includes senior roles at Pinewood Pictures as Managing Director, Chief Executive Officer at an international media fund, Chief Operating Officer at Elton John’s Rocket Pictures and Senior Vice President at Momentum Pictures (now part of eOne Entertainment) as well as stints at MGM Studios and EMI Records.

During his career, Yu-Fai has financed and produced over 45 UK and US films and has handled the distribution of over 400 titles including Lost In Translation, Amelie, Secrets & Lies. He has also financed US Studio slates including those for Paramount (Transformers, Mission Impossible), Lionsgate (Twilight franchise) and Sony (Jump Street).

POTEMKINO: BRUSSELS, BELGIUM

Potemkino is headed up by founder Peter De Maegd and has earned an international reputation for its expertise in combining high quality fiction, innovative formats and international financing. From its collaboration with legendary filmmakers such as Peter Greenaway (Eisenstein in Guanajuato), Terence Davies (A Quiet Passion) and Bille August (55 Steps), to producing the Scandic-Crime series Cold Courage (for Nent and Lionsgate), the prestigious sci-fi movie Iron Sky 2, the renowned horror feature Cub and the Emmy nominated TV series The Spiral, Potemkino has become one of Europe's cutting edge production companies.

INTERNATIONAL FILM PARTNERS: MUNICH, GERMANY

International Film Partners is based in Munich and is headed up by Markus Vogelbacher and Bernie Stampfer (Snowden). This long established company works closely with leading European producers and is co-producing Le Mans ‘55 with Pebble Beach Screen Partners and the Berkeley Media Group.

ENDEAVOUR VENTURES: AUCKLAND, NEW ZEALAND

It is hard to imagine a credit roll for the New Zealand screen industry without the name John Barnett being high on the titles. The former CEO and Chairman of South Pacific Pictures has produced, or executive produced, four of New Zealand's seven top grossing films; Whale Rider, Sione's Wedding, Footrot Flats and What Becomes Of The Broken Hearted? Having sold his interests in South Pacific Pictures, John has set up Endeavour Ventures Ltd and has a small slate of film and TV projects he is shepherding into production.

He has been a frequent commentator on developments in New Zealand film and television, including a number of critiques of NZ Film Commission policies, on whose board he has twice been a member. Barnett has also been involved in film, television and video distribution, and in the development of local multiplex cinemas, plus cable channel Sundance (now the Rialto Channel).

In 2002 Barnett received the SPADA/Onfilm Industry Champion award. The following year he was made an Officer of the New Zealand Order of Merit. He also been awarded an honorary Doctorate of Commerce at Victoria University, for his contribution to New Zealand film and television.