Sydney-based sales agent Arclight Films has confirmed that the UK-based production company Spice Factory has taken an equity stake in the six-month-old company which, until now, has been owned by Gary Hamilton and Victor Syrmis. This expands on the first-look deal Arclight already had for all Spice Factory's output.

"I am very excited to be in partnership with one of the world's most ambitious upcoming film companies run by Michael Cowan and Jason Piette," said Hamilton, who held a dinner on Friday (Dec 6) to introduce several dozen Australian filmmakers to Cowan.

Arclight also has Australian distribution and production divisions. Films in development with all four executives attached as producers include the martial arts/adventure Kung Fu Master, produced by Carl Chang and Bey Logan of Hong Kong's EMG, to be co-directed by and to star Donnie Yen, the comedy Pasta Wars, writer/director Glen Goei's follow-up film to Forever Fever, and commercials director Jeff Darling's The Drowner, adapted from a novel by Robert Drewe.

Arclight's biggest success to date has been Bollywood Queen, which sold well at Cannes and will be included in the World Cinema section of the Sundance Film Festival.

Arclight has over $73.2m (A$130m) worth of films in production.

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