Lord of the Rings Deal
Lord of the Rings Deal
LOTR

CREDIT: THE SAUL ZAENTZ COMPANY

EXCELLENCE
"One Deal to rule them all"
Thomas Dey

INTEGRITY

EXCELLENCE

INSIGHT

Syco
EXCELLENCE
"ACF's certainly got talent"
Ian Rosenblatt OBE

CREDIT: SYCO ENTERTAINMENT

INTEGRITY

EXCELLENCE

INSIGHT

Bear Grylls
INTEGRITY
“You only get one chance
at life and you have to
grab it boldly”
Bear Grylls

CREDIT: BEAR GRYLLS VENTURES

INTEGRITY

EXCELLENCE

INSIGHT

Paddington
INSIGHT
“Success doesn't come
to you, you go to it.”
Marva Collins

CREDIT: PADDINGTON AND COMPANY

INTEGRITY

EXCELLENCE

INSIGHT

Shamrock Capital - Boardwalk Pictures credit
INSIGHT
“Stay true to yourself, never let
what somebody says distract
you from your goals.”
Michelle Obama

CREDIT: BOARDWALK PICTURES

INTEGRITY

EXCELLENCE

INSIGHT

72 Films

CREDIT: 72 FILMS

INSIGHT
“Your positive action
combined with
positive thinking
results in success.”
Shiv Khera

INTEGRITY

EXCELLENCE

INSIGHT

Pilgrim

CREDIT: PILGRIM STUDIOS

INSIGHT
“Success comes to
those who act!”
Henry David Thoreau

INTEGRITY

EXCELLENCE

INSIGHT

Leftfield
INSIGHT
“The key to success is to
focus on goals not obstacles”
Unknown

CREDIT: LEFTFIELD ENTERTAINMENT

INTEGRITY

EXCELLENCE

INSIGHT

Plimsoll Productions

CREDIT: PLIMSOLL PRODUCTIONS

INSIGHT
“Success is not final,
failure is not fatal:
it is the courage to
continue that counts.”
Winston Churchill

INTEGRITY

EXCELLENCE

INSIGHT

Love Productions

CREDIT: LOVE PRODUCTIONS

INTEGRITY
“ When something
is important enough,
you do it even if the odds
are not in your favour”
Elon Musk

INTEGRITY

EXCELLENCE

INSIGHT

Top Gear
EXCELLENCE
“Success comes to
those who act”
Henry David Thoreau

CREDIT: TOP GEAR

INTEGRITY

EXCELLENCE

INSIGHT

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ACF sell magical Elves to The Tinopolis Group

Katy Perry: Part of Me

ACF Investment Bank is pleased to announce the sale of Magical Elves to the Tinopolis Group.

ACF is a leading international specialist investment bank with offices in Los Angeles, London and New York.  We assist individuals and businesses wishing to maximise the value of people and intellectual property-based businesses.

Our global track record in TV production and distribution is unrivalled.  We have advised on more than 57 deals in the sector, including 20 TV production deals in the last 3 years with a total value of over $1.7 billion.

If you are considering selling your company, buying a company or raising finance, we have the expertise and track record to help you find the right solution.

For further information or to arrange a meeting please contact: Melissa Castelyn on + 44 (0) 207 467 9600 or Katherine Robbins on + 1 424 332 0450.

Multi-Emmy Award-winning, Magical Elves is one of America’s pre-eminent independent production companies and a pioneer of modern reality programming.

Founded in 2001 by acclaimed producers Dan Cutforth and Jane Lipsitz, Magical Elves has been propelled to the very top of the industry, boasting three Emmy Awards, 40 Emmy nominations and three of the top ten Best Reality Shows Ever produced: Project Runway, Top Chef and Project Greenlight.

They were Executive Producers for the record-breaking concert movies: Justin Bieber: Never Say Never, the third highest grossing documentary film of all time, and Katy Perry: A Part of Me.

Many recognize Dan and Jane as two of the most talented producers in reality television – the pair have consistently ranked in the Hollywood Reporter’s Reality TV Power List.

As a reality powerhouse, Magical Elves has worked with a broad range of A-list Hollywood talent, including Ben Affleck, Matt Damon, Dick Wolf, Toni Braxton, Heidi Klum, Jessica Simpson, Nicole Ritchie, Justin Bieber and Katy Perry to name just a few.

Dan and Jane will continue to lead the business and become shareholders in the Tinopolis Group.

The Tinopolis Group is one of the largest independent Pan-American media producers and distributors. This transaction further strengthens the group’s market leading position in the US, bringing together three of the most respectable names in the US reality TV industry: Magical Elves, A.Smith & Co. Productions and Base Productions.

In addition to its US business, the Tinopolis Group is one of the largest independent suppliers of media content in the UK. The group’s UK businesses includes Mentorn Media, Sunset + Vine, Daybreak, Pioneer Productions, Firecracker Films and Tinopolis Wales/Cymru.

Magical Elves Emmy Award-winning TV Shows

Justin Bieber: Never Say Never
Justin Bieber: Never Say Never
Katy Perry: Part of Me
Katy Perry: Part of Me

“Magical Elves have long been regarded as one of the pre-eminent producers in the US and it has been a pleasure finding such a good home for them in one of the leading global consolidators, Tinopolis. The combined strength of the two groups with strong distribution, international reach and exciting market leading content will make the enlarged Tinopolis group one of the leading players in TV.”

Thomas Dey, Chief Executive Officer, ACF Investment Bank

★★★★★ 5/5

What People Are Saying

"ACF’s certainly got talent. Their team, led by the ever-tenacious Thomas Dey, delivered on their promises and introduced the perfect partners to achieve our goals."

Ian Rosenblatt OBE, Director
Syco Entertainment

"Given the complexities and importance of the rights at stake in our transaction, we interviewed several investment bank candidates at length before retaining ACF to guide our process.  We could not have chosen better!  ACF personnel were dedicated, creative, practical, responsive and deeply knowledgeable about the intricacies of the sales process. Over the months involved, Thomas, Richard, Tatiana and the rest of the ACF staff met with and worked skillfully and credibly with scores of potential buyers and with our own employees leading ultimately to a high value and very fair outcome benefitting both our company and the buyer. They have our deep respect and gratitude for a job so well accomplished"

Marty Glick, COO
The Saul Zaentz Company

“At this stage of 72’s development, there are great advantages and opportunities of joining forces with Fremantle. Their extensive international infrastructure and expertise will provide 72 Films with the platform to have our work seen across the world. We know and like their excellent team. And they offer us not only fantastic support but complete creative freedom so we can continue to work in the same way.

It’s been a real pleasure working with Thomas Dey and the whole team at ACF. They are brilliant at what they do. And alongside Matisse it’s been an incredible team behind this deal.”

Mark Raphael, David Glover, Founders and Chief Executive Officers
72 Films

“This exciting new deal between Broke and Bones and Netflix marks an exciting period of content creation, demonstrating the strong relationship between market leading creatives and the streaming platforms. ACF brokered the deal using our strong track record, experience and access in the UK and USA scripted markets. Premium content continues to lead the market with strong deals that ACF have closed including advising Mammoth Screen on sale to ITV, Neal Street to All3Media, Left Bank Pictures to Sony, Thinkfactory to ITV, Paddington Bear to Studio Canal, New Pictures to All3Media, and Carnival Pictures to NBC Universal.”

Thomas Dey, CEO
ACF Investment Bank

"It has been an incredible journey for Delbert and I to get to the stage where we can build out our adventure shows under our own Studio. We stand on the shoulders of many giants, the ACF team have been incredible guides through the process - at its heart this is about building the ultimate home of adventure programming worldwide."

Bear Grylls & Delbert Shoopman
The Natural Studios

"Critical Content has been a leading player in the unscripted space for the last decade, led by a first class team. Media continues to dominate the deal landscape, with content leading the pack. What a great start to 2022! Congratulations to the whole team."

Thomas Dey, CEO
ACF Investment Bank

"Boardwalk Pictures are one of the preeminent producers of premium content and this partnership with Shamrock secures Boardwalks positioning as a leading player in this market. Shamrock’s deep understanding and experience in the content space makes them great partners for Andrew and the team at Boardwalk. I look forward to seeing the growth and future success of this partnership."

RIchard Gray, Managing Director
ACF Investment Bank