23/11/2006

ContentFilm plc, the London-based film and television sales company, has announced positive interim results with a turnover up 114% (from £5m to £10.7m) and gross profit before operating expenses up 96% (from £2.7m in 2005 to £5.3m).

According to the company’s Non-executive Chairman Alton Irby, these record results reflect the success of his company’s strategy, which is “to build a core rights management business that creates steady earnings and cash flow, while adding strategic acquisitions that grow the library and bring in complementary businesses”.

Aside from a very strong TV library – including over 6,000 hours of programming, plus TV movies and specialist digital content from US brands Fireworks and Allumination FilmWorks – the publicly owned UK company is doing brisk business with its international film sales division Content Film International (CFI), headed by Jamie Carmichael.

During the first half of the year, which ended on September 30, CFI delivered Thank You For Smoking to many international territories, as well as Book of Revelation (starring Greta Schacchi), Paul Verhoeven’s acclaimed Black Book [+see also:
trailer
film profile] (the Dutch entry for the Oscars 2007 nominations) and the UK comedy Driving Lessons [+see also:
trailer
film profile].

The company had a successful AFM with record sales, including pre-sales on Richard Attenborough’s Closing the Ring (bought by TeleMunchen for Germany, A-Film for the Netherlands, Lusumundo for Portugal, Monolith for Poland, and PCV for Greece).

Contents’ new horror film Outpost, set to start shooting early 2007 with Steve Barker behind the camera, also attracted a lot of interest, and Douglas Mackinnon’s The Flying Scotsman was bought by MGM for worldwide distribution (apart from selected territories). The true story of Scottish cyclist Graeme Obree, who battled mental illness and broke world records after designing his own bicycle had its world premiere at Edinburgh last August. MGM plans to release it in the US on Dec 29.