24/10/2003

Gary Smith, the main shareholder of UK based Winchester Entertainment is leaving the company he founded in 1993, to pursue other interests.

Winchester, which acquired Cobalt Media Capitallast June from its owners, John Muse and Alton Irby, will now be run by Cobalt’s Chief operating and Financial Officer Shawn Taylor, on an interim basis.
Winchester Films, the feature film division of the company, had increased its Hollywood connections in 1998 with the opening of a Los Angeles office run by Hadeel Reda. It specialises in co-financing commercially oriented films like Heartbreakers starring Sigourney Weaver and Gene Hackman, but is also involved in UK films, like Fred Schepisi’s successful Last Orders with Michael Caine.

(The article continues below - Commercial information)

Recent titles on Winchester’s line-up include Paul Goldman’s drama A Night We Called It a Day with Dennis Hopper and Melanie Griffith, and the comedy Hollywood North starring Alan Bates and Mathew Modine.