Show Me The Money

Money to make movies - everybody wants it, but few know how to get it. Producers Chris Curling and Phil Robertson of Zephyr Films show Making Movies how to finance British films.

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Based in London, Zephyr Films was set up in 1990 by former documentary director Chris Curling. Since then, he and producer Phil Robertson have raised funds for more than 14 films including Wah-Wah, written and directed by Richard E Grant, and Udayan Prasad's My Son The Fanatic.

What is the difference between a producer and an executive producer?
As executive producers we concentrate on looking for finance. On all films there is usually a single producer who is driving the creative process. For example we are working with Dino De Laurentiis on the latest part of the Hannibal Lecter franchise, Young Hannibal. Dino hired the director and has developed the script, but he is shooting the film in Europe so he came to us to help raise the finance.

When do you become involved?
A typical approach would come from a producer in LA, or an agent, or someone who manages an actor or producer. They send us the script and elements they have like stars or interested finance and if we like them and the incoming producer, we come on board. We don't develop material ourselves.

How do you hear about new sources of finance?
We read the financial press and talk to regular collaborators. We've usually got three or four films going at once. At the moment we are making a film called Penelope with Christina Ricci. We have some German finance on that, which we discovered 12 months ago when we were financing another film. You have to stay vigilant because new sources of finance, such as new tax schemes, turn up every year and the current schemes are subject to amendment. Things are changing quite a bit under the new German government, for example.

Next page • "In France, many films go into production with just verbal agreements"