Angus Finney

Angus Finney is an experienced international film industry executive, consultant and author. He was appointed joint Managing Director of Renaissance Films, a UK-based development, production, financing and sales company in July 1999, taking over sole MD responsibilities in 2002 before the company ceased trading in July 2005. Over the last year he has consulted for the Copenhagen Film Fund; Nordisk Film and TV; and has been appointed a Visiting Lecturer at the Film Business Academy, CASS, City University, London.

Finney has been involved in the raising of more than $120m towards independent film production over the past decade. His executive producing credits include Neil Armfield’s CANDY (Official Selection, Berlin 2006); Peter Cattaneo’s OPAL DREAM (Berlin, 2006); Roger Michell’s THE MOTHER (Directors Fortnight, Cannes 2004); Shona Auerbach’s DEAR FRANKIE (Venice Selection, 2003); Kirsten Sheridan’s DISCO PIGS (Berlin Panorama, 2001); Paul McGuigan’s THE RECKONING (Tribeca, 2003); Rose Troche’s THE SAFETY OF OBJECTS (Toronto, 2001); and Marleen Gorris’s THE LUZHIN DEFENCE (Toronto, 2002).

His work at Renaissance included developing projects with a range of talent, including Terry Gilliam, Neil LaBute, Nicholas Hytner, Hanif Kureishi and Gregg Araki. He has also worked with first and second time directors (eg Sheridan, Armfield, Auerbach), notably in packaging, co-financing and selling their films internationally. His work has involved close contact with specialist distributors across the world; including in the US: IFC, Miramax, Focus Features, Paramount Classics, Sony Pictures Classics and Magnolia.

Prior to joining Renaissance, Finney worked as a consultant, author and training manager in the film industry. In 1996 he wrote the business plan for the successful DNA Lottery franchise application. He has published three books, including A Dose of Reality: The State of European Cinema (Cassell, 1996); The Egos Have Landed: The Rise and Fall of Palace Pictures (Heinemann, 1996). He was a senior editor at Screen International (1990-1993), and has been published in The Economist, The Guardian, The Independent, Observer, The Sunday Times and Sight and Sound.

His consulting and training work in the film industry has included work for the London Film Commission; the Media Business School; the European Film Academy; the Irish Film Board; the British Film Institute, PACT; Pandora Film; the Danish Film School, the Media Xchange and the European Film College.

He is a member of BAFTA, the European Film Academy and is on the board of the European Film Export Association. He has a Masters Degree (1988) in Film and Journalism from New York University (specialism: documentary); a Post Graduate Diploma in Newspaper Journalism, City University (1986); and a BA (Class 2:1) from Sussex University in International Relations (1985).