James Atherton, Managing Director

James Atherton initially qualified as a Chartered Accountant with KPMG before entering the film industry in the late 1970s working on a number of independent films including “The Tempest” (Derek Jarman), “Scum” (Alan Clarke) and “Sweet William” (Claude Whatham). Following this, he became director of a highly successful UK film finance company which specialised in the tax based equity financing of films. In the 1980s he was involved in raising funding for more than 25 feature films with budgets totalling in excess of US$500m. Titles included two “Pink Panther” films, “The Honorary Consul”, “Yentl”, “The Mission”, “The Far Pavilions” and “Evil under the Sun”. Following the phasing out of capital allowances for films and the introduction of Section 42 and Section 48 reliefs, he has advised several international banks involved in the film and television business and has specialised in the valuation and sale of film catalogues including the “Salkind” catalogue (“Superman”, “Santa Claus” etc), EMI, Paravision, DEG, Hammer, Viking, Virgin and Amaya. He has advised on a number of UK tax based investment structures with particular reference to their commercial application to the international film industry. As a principal of Surefire Films he raised tax motivated equity funding for a slate of 4 films with budgets totalling £25m. James is also a non-executive director of The Works Media Group.