Cloudlight Entertainment is a next-generation entertainment finance company. Led by Will French and Peter Schlessel, who between them have financed/distributed hundreds of titles, and backed by leading digital media holding company Boulder Heavy Industries (BHI), Cloudlight harnesses the innovative consumer acquisition marketing and audience analytics of sister firm IMM to hand-pick diamond-in-the-rough projects for funding.
Problem Solving
Have a unique financing problem that traditional lenders and investors can’t seem to figure out? Cloudlight can help. We combine our rich film and television experience with substantial financial capability and understanding across a range of industries. Don’t try to bang a square peg through a round hole. Cloudlight will customize a financial product just for you.
Currency?
Cloudlight can lend in virtually any currency, so there’s no foreign exchange risk!
The Cloudlight Team has significant experience providing marketing, financing, and production services to global film and television production houses.
Will french
PRESIDENT, film financing
Will is a pioneer in the domestic film tax incentive industry. In 2003, he co-founded Film Production Capital, which quickly became the national leader in providing tax incentive-based financing and financial services to the motion picture industry. FPC has provided more than $300,000,000 in tax credit-related financing to over 100 motion picture productions with aggregate production budgets far exceeding $1 billion.
A graduate of Purdue University, Will received his J.D. degree from Tulane University School of Law in 1998. Prior to co-founding Film Production Capital, he practiced corporate law, commercial banking law, and mergers and acquisitions for the law firm of Fishman Haygood Phelps Walmsley Willis & Swanson, LLP. Will serves on the Board of Directors of the Fenner-French Foundation, a family charitable foundation started by his grandfather, Darwin S. Fenner of Merrill Lynch Pierce Fenner & Smith, Inc., whose primary focus is to improve the quality of life and work for residents of New Orleans. He also helped start the Louisiana Film & Entertainment Association, and served as the Association’s President for four years (2011-2015).
Will has financed over 100 films including: Ray, The Expendables, Runaway Jury, Premonition, Dallas Buyers Club, Mr. Brooks, Killing Them Softly, Bullet to the Head, The Host, The Courier, Killer Joe, Olympus Has Fallen, The Starving Games, Intruders, Reclaim, Homefront, Bad Country and Old Boy.
ADAM EDELMAN, CHAIRMAN
Adam is the Executive Chairman of Boulder Heavy Industries and co-leads the boards at IMM, Fact & Fiction, Visiqua and SocialCentiv. Past and present portfolio clients include Southwest Airlines, Amazon.com, T-Mobile, General Motors and Papa John's. Adam also represents Boulder Heavy Industries on the board of Alex Bogusky’s Brandzooka, an online video advertising platform. Prior to Boulder Heavy Industries, Adam co-founded and led IMM for over a decade. During his 25 year career in digital media and marketing, Adam also served as Managing Director at GE’s media distribution business unit, Regional Director for a unit of the DIRECTV Group, and co-founded a venture-backed e-commerce business. Adam is an active early-stage investor/advisor, and has provided capital to numerous startup ventures. He received his BA/BS in Philosophy & Mathematics from St. John’s College.
Strategic Advisers
Peter Schlessel
As CEO of Focus Features, Petersupervised the releases of such award-winning, box office hits as The Danish Girl,London Has Fallen and The Theory of Everything, which was nominated for five Academy Awards® with Eddie Redmayne winning Best Actor.
Before joining Focus, he served as CEO of Film District which he co-founded in 2010, releasing such successful films as Looper,Olympus Has Fallen, Insidious, Soul Surfer, Drive, Safety Not Guaranteed, Red Dawn and Evil Dead.
Prior to Film District, Peter served as President of Columbia Pictures and President of Worldwide Affairs of Sony Pictures Entertainment.
An active member of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, Peteris a graduate of Union College and University of Pennsylvania Law School.
Seth Spector
Seth has been working steadily across the entertainment industry since 2008. After getting his start at CAA, he has served as a development, acquisitions, and production executive across Annapurna Pictures, The Weinstein Company, and, most recently, Global Road Entertainment. He has helped to oversee such productions as the Academy Award-nominated LION and MARY MAGDALENE as well as acquisitions titles including WIND RIVER. Seth received his BA in Film Studies from UC San Diego and is also a Black List screenwriter.