Alain Levy, EMI, joins Film Business Academy

Chairman and CEO of EMI Music to chair Cass advisory board

Tuesday, 8 August, 2006

Alain Levy, Chairman and CEO of EMI Music, has been appointed Chairman of the Film Business Academy’s Advisory Board at Cass Business School, London.

Mr Levy was formerly worldwide President and CEO of PolyGram, then the world’s largest music company, where he led  its expansion into the global movie business with the establishment of PolyGram Filmed Entertainment. This subsidiary produced and distributed films such as Four Weddings and a Funeral, Trainspotting, Mr Bean, Fargo, Dead Man Walking, Wild At Heart, The Game, Priscilla - Queen of the Desert, The Usual Suspects, Sleepers, Elizabeth, Portrait of a Lady, The Big Lebowski and The Borrowers.

The Film Business Academy at Cass is the world’s first international centre dedicated to the business of film.  It has been selected by Skillset and the UK Film Council as the national ‘Centre of Excellence’ for film business education, and is also supported with National Lottery funding as part of ‘A Bigger Future’ - the UK Films Skills Strategy.  In Autumn 2006, the Cass MSc in Film Business and the Executive MBA in Film Business will be launched.  The Masters course will give students a foundation in management and business skills, plus specialised education in all aspects of the film industry value chain.  The MBA aims to provide advanced business education for those already in the film industry.

Mr Levy will chair an Advisory Board comprising major film industry business leaders including Stewart Till from UIP, John Woodward of the UK Film Council, Tim Richards of Vue Cinemas, Xavier Marchand of Momentum Pictures, Carol Potter, Global Business Director JWT, Dawn Airey of Sky Networks, Andy Duncan of Channel Four, Patrick McKenna of Ingenious Media, talent agent Jenny Casarotto, and producer Duncan Kenworthy.  The Advisory Board provides strategic advice and guidance to the Film Business Academy.

Alain Levy comments: “The Film Business Academy will be running Britain’s first and only MBA in the business of film.  I hope that it will help foster even more successful movie making, funding and distribution in future generations, through training in the actual business of film.  Film - like music - has a great deal to contribute to the UK’s economy, creativity and culture but to be most impactful, it needs a truly global perspective and I am pleased that the Cass Business School is forging links with film schools in other countries such as the US.”

The Film Business Academy also announced today that it will be delivering an optional premium elective in New York Film Business with Stern School of Business (NYU Stern).  This will be part of the first year of Cass’ ground-breaking Executive MBA in Film Business. 

Stewart Till, Deputy Chairman and CEO, United International Pictures and Chairman, UK Film Council and Skillset comments: "Having worked for Alain Levy, I know there are very few executives anywhere in the world who understand the entertainment business as well as he does. The Advisory Board are extremely fortunate to have him as our Chair."

As a result of this partnership, students studying on the Executive MBA in Film Business will also have the opportunity to attend an intensive course in Global Film Distribution and American Independent Film Finance (title to be confirmed), delivered at NYU Stern’s Greenwich Village campus.  The course will be delivered as a premium elective, and will take place at the end of April 2007 to coincide with the Tribeca Film Festival. A similar elective will also be offered to students on the MSc in Film Business programme.

NYU Stern is one of America's premier management education institutions and research centres. The course will be delivered by senior faculty members of the School’s Entertainment, Media and Technology programme. Classes will blend theoretical and practical applications, and students will analyze east coast independent production and distribution companies as well as leading global companies such as Time Warner, News Corporation, Sony, Viacom, and NBC/Universal, all headquartered in New York City, and Disney.

Professor Chris Brady, CEO, Film Business Academy and Associate Dean, Cass Business School says: "This visit is an important part of the Executive MBA in Film Business’s intention to provide a truly global film business educational experience."

Professor Al Lieberman, Executive Director of the Entertainment, Media and Technology programme at NYU Stern says: "We are extremely pleased that the Film Business Academy is tapping the Stern School to offer their students an Executive MBA elective in media and entertainment as a New York complement to its West Coast visit.  We will expose the Executive MBA participants to the leading professors and practitioners teaching in the US and global film industry.  Our Entertainment, Media & Technology programme offers more than 30 courses in every aspect of training current and future executives in film, television, cable and related media sectors."

For more information on the courses on offer at the Film Business Academy please contact Eeron Bovell, Programme Administrator at filmbusinessacademy@city.ac.uk, +44 (0)20 7040 5230

The Film Business Academy

The Executive MBA in Film Business will cover every dimension of the film value chain, from script development and film finance to international sales, distribution, marketing, and cinema exhibition. The first intake of students will start in October 2006.

The MSc in Film Business is aimed at university leavers with an undergraduate degree who are interested in a film and TV business career.  The Film Business Academy is currently running a series of short course programmes lasting 2-3 days each.

The UK Film Council

The UK Film Council is the lead agency for film in the UK ensuring that the economic, cultural and educational aspects of film are effectively represented at home and abroad. Investing Government grant-in-aid and Lottery money in film development and production; training; international development, export promotion; distribution and exhibition; and education, with the aim of delivering lasting benefits to the industry and the public alike.

Skillset

Skillset is the Sector Skills Council for the audio-visual industries covering broadcast, film, video, interactive media and photo imaging. Sector Skills Councils (SSCs) are licensed by the Secretary of State for Education and Skills and by Ministers in the devolved administrations to tackle the skills and productivity challenge by sector. SSCs are independent, UK wide organisations developed by groups of influential employers in industry or business sectors of economic or strategic significance. SSCs are industry-led and actively involve trade unions, professional bodies and other stakeholders in the sector.

A Bigger Future is a joint strategy developed by Skillset and the UK Film Council with the support of the Northern Ireland Film and Television Commission, Scottish Screen and Sgrin Cymru Wales.

Alain Levy, Chairman and CEO, EMI Music has joined the advisory board of the Film Business Academy at Cass