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EVA

EVA – Entertainment Value Associates GmbH - ist ein unabhängiges Medienunternehmen, das die komplette Wertschöpfungskette der Medien-/Film-Finanzierung, Projektentwicklung, Produktion und weltweite Auswertung bedient. Hauptsitz der Gesellschaft ist München.

Zu den Schwerpunkten zählen Medienfinanzierung sowie Lizenzierung und die erlösorientierte Auswertung von Filmen, Fernsehfilmen und Musikprojekten in allen Kanälen – von Kino über TV, DVD und Internet bis hin zu mobilen Geräten.

 

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Strategic partnership with First Serve Toonz Print E-mail
Thursday, 18 October 2007 11:29

Entertainment Value Associates GmbH (EVA) announces strategic partnership with First Serve Toonz for international co-financing and distribution.    

“Wolverine and the X-Men”, the first joint project

As part of EVA’s long term strategy to increase its presence in international film and television co-financing and distribution, the company announced today a deal with First Serve Toonz for the co-financing and distribution in German-speaking Europe for the 26 part animation series “Wolverine and the X-Men”. This deal is another in a series of deals EVA has closed recently with key international partners as it continues to build its entertainment library and its newly created distribution arm that is run by Michel J. Vandewalle.  

First Serve Toonz principal shareholder TOONZ Animation is one of India’s fastest growing animation studios and is producing shows with some of the world’s largest entertainment brands, including Disney, Paramount and Marvel. “WOLVERINE and the X-Men”, which comes from the world famous family of Marvel characters which includes the iconic Spider-Man, The Fantastic Four, Silver Surfer, the Hulk and many more, has been pre-sold to the BBC in the UK. 

LIBERATION Entertainment, based in London and Los Angeles, holds the worldwide DVD distribution, excluding the United States which will be managed by Marvel. The international sales activities are being conducted by FIRST SERVE TOONZ and LIBERATION, coordinated by FIRST SERVE TOONZ principal Ed Borgerding, the former Executive Vice President of Disney International. Marvel holds all rights in the USA. 

The story of the Super Hero WOLVERINE, known from the comic series of the same name and the recent X-Men blockbusters, will be co-produced by Marvel and TOONZ; Emmy-Award winning Boyd Kirkland will direct from scripts supervised by Greg Johnson. The series is scheduled for release in spring 2008. 

”This deal builds on the strategy we have been developing over the past year. First Serve Toonz is a perfect fit for us due to their aggressive vision for growth and access to capital.   We believe this is the foundation for a successful relationship and a strong platform for other deals in the near future.” EVA managing director Kai-Roger Grüneke explains.  

P. Jayakumar, CEO First Serve Toonz: “We are impressed with the professionalism and focus of EVA and its dynamic and knowledgeable sales team headed by Michel J. Vandewalle. We believe they will soon become one of the key media players in Germany and international producers will look to them as a reliable and strong partner. We are glad to have this relationship.” 

Michel J. Vandewalle, Head of EVA Distribution: “The seniority and expertise of our new partners and their long term strategic approach on a consolidating market were inspirational to us.  Not only does First Serve Toonz have an excellent reputation and access to the fast developing media markets, especially in Asia, but they also work with highly regarded properties and companies like Marvel Entertainment. We are looking forward to working with them on many projects. A partnership with Atlas International Film was sealed last week and this makes it even more appealing for international producers to consider German players like EVA as partners for world-wide distribution.” 

With the backing of exchange-listed German Odeon Film AG, former Bertelsmann exec Kai-Roger Grüneke started EVA’s operations of international film distribution, co-financing and film funds’ management in 2006. The management of 12 German film funds such as ApolloMedia, MBP and Vif1, hosting 14.000 private investors with a total investment of € 600 million since1998 for film financing, with such well-known international co-productions as L.A. Crash and Whale Rider has since been gathered within EVA and its subsidiary of EvaApollo Media GmbH – and more funds are likely to join. It is of outstanding importance that EVA can actively give an extra push to the sales activities for the film funds with a strategic alliance like this one. In this way, we create the conditions allowing EVA to inevitably strengthen its influence while opening up new distribution channels" Kai-Roger Grüneke concludes.

MARVEL, WOLVERINE, X-MEN, and all related titles, logos, characters and the distinctive likenesses thereof are trademarks of Marvel Characters, Inc. Wolverine and the X-Men animated series and images: © 2007 Marvel Characters, Inc.  All rights reserved. Super Hero(es) is a co-owned registered trademark.