The deal for a minority stake, unveiled in Berlin, marks the third one this week in which a U.S. firm is looking to make major inroads in the U.K.
Flexing its financial muscle across the Atlantic, 30West is taking a "significant minority stake" in the well-established U.K. distribution, sales and production banner Altitude Media Group.
Financial details weren't disclosed.
Altitude — led by Will Clarke and Andy Mayson and founded in 2012 — has released the likes of Amy, Moonlight and The Florida Project in the U.K., and recently produced and released Asif Kapadia’s Diego Maradona documentary, which bowed in Cannes.
On the sales front, Altitude recently handled such titles as the Michael Fassbender executive produced Calm With Horses, Daniel Radcliffe action comedy Guns Akimbo and Sarah Gavron’s Rocks, which bowed in Toronto. It recently boarded worldwide sales on the Marianne Faithfull biopic Faithfull, starring Lucy Boynton (Bohemian Rhapsody).
Launched in 2017 by entrepreneur Dan Friedkin and Micah Green, the former co-head of CAA’s Finance and Sales Group, West provides capital and strategic guidance to film projects and companies.
"We couldn’t be more delighted to cement our relationship with 30West," said Clarke. "They are an ideal partner to support our ambitious plans for Altitude Media Group, which encompass several significant new areas of business."
The deal not only marks 30West’s second major investment following its 2018 acquisition of a majority stake in Neon, but also the third move in a matter of days of U.S. firms making significant inroads into the U.K.
On Thursday it was announced that CAA was making a minority investment in Elysium Film Group Distribution, the newly launched distribution company led by former StudioCanal U.K. CEO Danny Perkins (who worked with Altitude’s Clarke at Optimum Releasing, later acquired by StudioCanal). Earlier this week, Endeavor Content took a minority stake in The Ink Factory, the U.K. banner behind The Night Manager and Fighting With My Family.
Altitude Media Group comprises Altitude Film Production, led by Clarke as chairman and joint CEO with Mayson; Altitude Film Sales with managing director Mike Runagall; and Altitude Film Distribution with managing director Hamish Moseley.
