Former Global Screen executives Julia Weber and Alice von Einem have joined forces with the Beta Group to launch Berlin-based sales outfit Epsilon Film.
The company will be at the European Film Market later this month with its first two projects, both 3D CGI animation projects at the financing stage. Nessie Junior is about the adventures of the grandson of the legendary Loch Ness monster, and is produced by Matthias Drescher of Germany’s FFL Film- und Fernseh-Labor, with production company and animation studio Rise Pictures.
The second Epsilon acquisition is Snow White And Me, based on the stage musical of the same name by Germany’s Ronald Kruschak and US screenwriter Philip LaZebnik. Kruschak and LaZebnik have also co-written the screenplay set in the world of fairytales, to be produced by Emely Christians’ Hamburg-based Ulysses Filmproduktion.
“We want to build on our long and successful experience of working in the sector of family entertainment and on IP-based content,” said von Einem.
While Beta will hold a majority stake in the joint venture, Weber and von Einem will serve as Epsilon’s outfit’s joint managing directors and also oversee its sales and acquisition activities.
“We can offer our many years of experience and knowhow as well as an extensive international network of contacts,” Weber told Screen. “At the same time, we have a big player like Beta behind us with all of its infrastructure and the various companies working in distribution and production.”
Weber was most recently head of acquisitions, development and sales and von Einem was senior vice president international acquisitions and sales at Global Screen.
The duo has been joined at Epsilon by another former Global Screen colleague, Matthias Ziegler, who had served there as manager, acquisitions, coproductions & sales. He will focus on the nitty gritty of film financing and production for the projects Epsilon decides to board.
“The lean structure for the company means we can operate very quickly and in a flexible way,” von Einem explained. “When we speak to a producer, we can decide quickly both creatively and commercially about whether we want to get involved in a project.
Weber explained Epsilon will operate separately to sister company Beta, staying in close contact with Beta CEO Dirk Schürhoff.
“There may be a certain overlap with projects from German producers and for a producer to approach us both,” Weber suggested. “But we are in a constant exchange of information and ideas with Dirk [Schürhoff] and his team on projects, so there won’t be any conflicts.”
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