The renowned UK film financing company Goldfinch Entertainment has been bought out by its MD Kirsty Bell ahead of its 3rd year anniversary.

Goldfinch, backed by accountancy firm Nyman Libson Paul (NLP), has achieved enviable success within its first 3 years in both the entertainment and investment industries.

Goldfinch was launched in January 2014 as a single EIS company looking to raise £5m over 3 years to invest in 8 projects. This quickly gathered pace and to date the business has raised and deployed over £60m into over 105 projects.

Projects and clients of Goldfinch have littered the UK festival and awards scene of late with titles such as Burn Burn Burn, Tiger Raid, My Feral Heart, Hector, Broken, The Carer and Comedian’s Guide to Survival. Many more have achieved strong sales and international exposure such as The Eichmann Show, Le Mans, Combatabots, and Asterix to name but a few.

Their projects have attracted increasingly impressive talent with attachments from Orlando Bloom, Bill Nighy, Sir John Hurt, Charles Dance, David Tennant, James Buckley, Brian Cox, Helen Baxendale, Martin Freeman, Anthony LaPaglia, and Hayley Squires to highlight some.

‘I am incredibly proud and humbled by what we have achieved at Goldfinch in such a short space of time. Without doubt this wouldn’t be possible without the support of NLP and their 80+ years of expertise and connections within the entertainment industry which gave us such a strong foundation to build upon. We have worked tirelessly to establish ourselves in this ever changing industry and to convert not just our loyal and ever growing group of investors but the wider finance industry, culminating in being shortlisted at the Growth Investor Awards two years running now.’ MD Bell said.

Joel Newman, Managing Partner of NLP follows, ‘When we launched Goldfinch we didn’t quite know what to expect. We launched at a time when Film was an investment class avoided at all costs. What we have seen is the remarkable growth of the company and also the fantastic energy and attention it has brought to NLP which highlights not just our glittering past but our progressive approach to moving forwards.’

The team are using this energy to branch out into TV, Kids TV, Animation, Music, Apps and Video Games acknowledging the industry wide move to a more transmedia approach. They now have over 105 projects spanning these sectors at various stages of development, production or release – an enviable slate in such a short period of time.

The buyout is the result of the stellar growth experienced by Goldfinch and its increased distinction from NLP’s core business. A strong relationship will continue going forward, but the opportunity for Goldfinch to spread its wings is one all have agreed is welcome.

Nyman Libson Paul, the accountants of choice for Goldfinch and its clients, will continue to provide over 80 years of experience and industry based knowledge to the formidable Goldfinch offering. Established in 1933 it is seen as one of the leading tax and accountancy advisors to the UK Entertainment & Media industry. Over the years they have looked after some of the biggest and brightest stars and projects in the Film, TV, Music and Theatre sectors which continues to this day. Their knowledge and expertise have developed, as with Goldfinch, into the Animation, Video Games and Digital sectors as they continue to evolve with the market and their clients’ needs. NLP have not just provided a rarefied environment for Goldfinch to flourish to date but are more than qualified to support Goldfinch and its rapid rise going forward.

Bell emphasises this, saying, ‘Without a doubt we will maintain a strong bond and working relationship with NLP. They are second to none within the sector and have provided us with a brilliant platform to do what we have done. We have likened it to the time of life when a parent has to drop their kids off at the school gates, or at university; although difficult, you know it is the only way they will grow and develop and to go on to achieve their true potential.’

Newman is equally as positive about their ongoing relationship, ‘the last (almost) 3 years have been a whirlwind for us all and it is clear that there is a symbiotic and special connection between the two parties that has managed to create the success we see today. We will stay involved with Goldfinch and their ongoing future success and likewise Goldfinch will be attached to our future and success here at NLP.’

Bell is aggressively positive and forward facing on what is to come for the newly independent company; ‘It’s an exciting time for our Goldfinch Family and we are looking forward to the next 3 years and how we develop Goldfinch further. When I embarked on this journey we wanted to prove an individual could invest in UK Independent Film as an asset class and make money. Now we’ve ticked that box and invested over £60m in more than 105 projects, we want to keep this momentum up selecting the best, independent and commercially focused projects to reward our investors with great returns and investment opportunities.’

‘Our big aim is to increase these numbers in the next 3 years investing £150m into somewhere between 100-150 projects. Our involvement will become more holistic offering production, editing and sales & distribution expertise and services along with financing and EP.’

‘We also want to continue our push into the other entertainment sectors, particularly TV and Video Games where we are gathering considerable momentum; this will mean adding people to our team and also increasing our presence and deal activity within these areas.’

‘Lastly we will build on our presence and network in North America, China and India through our partners there, to ensure we have coverage and involvement in the largest and most exciting markets.’

Goldfinch

For more information on Goldfinch projects and their successes please visit their website www.goldfinchentertainment.com.

Twitter: @goldfinchent
Linkedin: Goldfinch Entertainment

For more information or for further questions to be answered please contact Phil McKenzie on phil@goldfinchentertainment.com or +447535436122.

Nyman Libson Paul

For more information on Nyman Libson Paul please visit their website www.nlpca.co.uk.

Twitter: @nlpca
Linkedin: Nyman Libson Paul

For more information or for further questions to be answered please contact Steve Grange on steve.grange@nlpca.co.uk or 02074332400