UK financier Prescience has launched Metropolis International Sales and has announced a joint venture with Timeless Films, led by former Odyssey chief Ralph Kamp.

Metropolis will handle all genres except family and children, which will be Timeless’ speciality. Kamp and Prescience managing director Tim Smith will lead Metropolis and Prescience will underwrite the business.

The companies will be based in West London and Kamp’s former colleagues at Odyssey, James Scott, has been appointed head of sales for Metropolis and will also handle sales for Timeless. He reports to Smith and Kamp.

Sarah Arnott arrives at Timeless as senior vice-president of production and acquisitions. Jemma Sands is head of marketing.

Metropolis titles include Sex & Drugs & Rock & Roll, the Ian Dury biopic starring Andy Serkis, Olivia Williams and Ray Winstone that has been set up at Odyssey and is in post-production. The roster includes action comedy The Guard that is scheduled to begin shooting this autumn.

The Timeless slate includes Wickie The Mighty Viking, 3D animated title Animals United, and Space Chimps 2: Zartog Strikes Back.

“The knowledge, experience and commitment that Ralph brings to the Metropolis set-up, coupled with product flow from his Timeless Films label, allows us to enter the marketplace in a very significant way,” Smith said. “Developing a sales arm that can access significant finance to create quality and marketable projects is the logical progression for Prescience.”

“Partnering with Tim and the Prescience team arms us with the necessary tools to develop the Timeless brand,” Kamp said. “We are able to bring a wide range of new, commercially viable products to the marketplace as a result of our merger with Metropolis, which will begin this November at AFM.

“We want to differentiate the family product from other genres and create brand recognition for distributors and ultimately, audiences. Timeless Films will become synonymous with quality family entertainment, whilst Metropolis will have the freedom and scope to handle all other genres.”

Kamp helped finance and distribute 34 films at Odyssey such as The Phantom Of The Opera,The Libertine, and Lassie. As CEO at Icon International before that, he handled titles like What Women Want and An Ideal Husband.

Smith co-founded Prescience with Paul Brett in 2005 and since then the company has financed titles like Julian Fellowes’ From Time To Time, and recent Toronto premieres Dorian Gray and Harry Brown.

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