Quickfire is a film sales company. We fund movies by acquiring international sales rights. Quickfire pays sales advances to acquire international sales rights for films and resells them to film distributors worldwide through a selection of sales partners.
Quickfire's sales advance, usually 10% - 20% (though occasionally much more or less) of a film's production budget, is first-out on every transaction.
Quickfire forms partnerships, on a film by film basis, with leading film sales agents to whom it sub-contracts sales and marketing responsibilities whilst retaining approval of overall strategy and all business terms.
Quickfire management's experience in the Industry, combined with the simplicity and flexibility of the Quickfire 'model' enables it to benefit from relationships with some of the most successful companies and talent operating in the business.
James qualified with KPMG before entering the Film Industry, on the financing, production and sales of independent films.
He was involved in raising funding for more than 60 films with budgets totalling more than US$750m, including two Pink Panther films, The Honorary Consul (with Michael Caine and Richard Gere), The Mission (Oscar winner with Robert de Niro) and Clash of the Titans (with Laurence Olivier).
As a principal of Surefire Films he raised equity funding and acted as executive producer on a slate of 4 films including The Proposition (with Ray Winstone, John Hurt and Guy Pearce) and The Best Man (with Seth Green and Stuart Townsend)
James devised the Quickfire model as an EIS qualifying film sales company with a focus on not only providing positive returns to investors but also applying the funds in a manner attractive to the Film Industry.
Started in film acquisition for distribution and sales in 2004. He then co-founded film financing company Quickfire Films in 2008. Across the years, he's helped finance or lend over $40m to over 50 projects worldwide. He has worked on films garnering over 350 awards and nominations, and financial breakout successes.
Jan holds frequent masterclasses and industry panels for film festivals and industry seminars, including the National Film and Television school, graduate program Inside Pictures, and at the Toronto and Berlin film festivals.
Within Quickfire Jan manages all day-to-day aspects of commercial operation, including product assessment, acquisition and terms negotiation, the management of Quickfire's sales partners, overseeing film closings and representing the company to established and potential international partners at film festivals.
Jan holds a BSc from UCL and an MA from the University of London. He speaks four languages.
