Announced today is the new joint venture from three of the top European film production /financing companies, Paris based production and sales outfit Celluloid Dreams, Berlin/Potsdam based Studio Babelsberg and Munich based Clou Partners. The three long standing industry stalwarts will join forces to create TheManipulators an international Production/Co-production powerhouse which will be based at the Babelsberg HQ in Potsdam.
Each company will bring their own particular strengths and expertise to the table complementing each other to create a dynamic production house focussing on medium to larger budgeted European and International co-productions. Bridging over two major European countries and accessing the international marketplace as well as the soft and private equity, Studio Babelsberg will provide the production skills and the studio facilities, Clou Partners will act as the financing engineers and Celluloid will be bringing their production strength, their market evaluation and their sourcing of the hottest talents and projects. Helming the company as managing directors will be Torsten Poeck of Clou Partners and Christoph Fisser, Charlie Woebcken and Henning Molfenter all of Studio Babelsberg.
TheManipulators, those who offer a skilful and delicate handling, marks an exciting new step for European and international co-productions, as a one stop shop. Our combined and complementary strengths will allow us to bring some very exciting projects to the world. Hengameh Panahi, President of Celluloid Dreams and theAuteursEurope
Hengameh Panahi, President of Celluloid Dreams and theAuteursEurope said: “TheManipulators, those who offer a skilful and delicate handling, marks an exciting new step for European and International co-productions, as a one stop shop. Our combined and complementary strengths will allow us to bring some very exciting projects to the world and I’m delighted to be a part of that.”
Torsten Poeck said: “All of the partners in TheManipulators are old friends with long working ties so the new venture feels like family already. What is perfect about this union is that each of us have been in the international co-production game for a long time now. Our combined expertise makes us perfectly poised to take full advantage of the funding breaks, tax and treaties opportunities that exist in Europe and worldwide. We’ll be taking things project by project.”
First on the production slate is Waiting for Azrael the hotly anticipated first live action feature from the Oscar nominated directors of hit animation Persepolis, Marjane Satrapi and Vincent Paronnaud. Azrael is slated to start shooting this year at Studio Babelsberg.
