|
W. Wilder Knight II specializes in media, entertainment and related intellectual property areas. He has extensive experience in film and television finance and production as well as publishing, internet and computer technologies as they relate to film, television, file sharing, distance learning and competency testing. Clients of Mr. Knight include many New York and European-based independent film producers (including producers of animation), a major German advertising agency as well as film distribution companies in New York and Germany.
Mr. Knight has negotiated deals with Muhammad Ali (in the branding area) and Brazilian soccer star Pele (in connection with a documentary film). He is also involved in negotiations for financing of several internet companies. Most recently, Mr. Knight served as associate producer of Mad Hot Ballroom (# 7 documentary of all time, based on US box office) a film produced by Amy Sewell and directed by Marilyn Agrelo. He was Co-dependent producer of The A-Z of Soccer, written and hosted by John Cleese. He is executive producer of Love Comes Lately, a film based on three short stories by Isaac Singer. Mr. Knight works closely with several German law firms and several years ago assisted a German team performing a due diligence review of assets available for purchase as a consequence of the multi-billion dollar bankruptcy of the Kirch Group in Germany. He has also served as counsel to several major German publishing houses (including Bauer, Springer and Burda) at various times during the past two decades. Mr. Knight's recent experience includes:
Represented the borrower in a $20,000,000 P&A financing of US distribution of $50,000,000 European film
Represented a lender in a $15,000,000 financing for a slate of films produced by a New York independent film production company
Involved in various litigations brought by German investors against Los Angeles-based feature film producers
Negotiation of joint venture agreement between LA-based animation production company and Malaysian partners in the creation of an off-shore production facility
Counsel, Private Placement: raising $10,000,000 for LA-based animation production company
Representation of several internet entrepreneurs in the establishment, operation and sale of their companies
Representation of a major German advertising agency
Counsel on independent feature films as well as documentaries
Counsel to producers on financing of reality and drama television productions
Film Experience
Mr. Knight has served as counsel on well over 200 film projects to date. A partial list of the films on which he has worked includes:
Producer, Get Hillary (documentary) about those who want to get Hillary and those who want to figure out who Hillary is
Producer, The Chain (feature thriller/murder mystery) to be directed by Stuart Culpepper
Co-Dependent Producer, The A-Z of Soccer, hosted and written by John Cleese
Associate Producer of Stolen (directed by Rebecca Dreyfuss and produced by Susanne Ludwig)
Executive producer of Polynesian Power: Islanders in Pro Football (Produced by Jeremy Spear and Robert Pennington)
He has served as legal counsel to the producers of the following films
I’m Not Rappaport (starring Walter Matthau and Ossie Davis, written by Herb Gardner and produced by John Penotti)
Wedding Banquet and Eat Drink Man Woman (directed by Ang Lee, each film nominated for the "Best Foreign Film" academy award)
Amateur, Flirt and Simple Men (directed by Hal Hartley)
High Art (directed by Lisa Cholodenko - Winner of the Writer’s award at Sundance 1998)
First Love, Last Rites (directed by Jesse Peretz and produced by Scott Macaulay and Robin O’Hara)
Joe the King (directed by Frank Whalley and produced by Scott Macaulay and Robin O’Hara, winner of the Writer''s award at Sundance 1999 and starring Val Kilmer)
Trees Lounge (directed by Steve Buscemi and produced by Kelley Forsythe and Sarah Vogel)
Documentaries on Paul Robeson and Gordon Parks (directed by Emmy-nominated director St. Clair Bourne).
Mr. Knight has worked on numerous international co-productions, including:
Flirt (financing from Japan, Germany and U.S.)
Bye Bye Amerika (German-American)
On the Run (Portuguese-U.S., produced by Tino Navarro of Portugal)
Love the Hard Way (German-American, starring Adrian Brody and directed by Peter Sehr and produced by Vif/Time/Wolfram Tichy and Open City/Jason Kliot and Joanna Vicente)
The Chateau (filmed in France) produced by Scott Macaulay and directed by Jesse Peretz
Missing Allen (German financing and filmed by director Christian Bauer in the United States)
Freeze Frame (IrelandUK, directed by John Simpson and produced by Michael Casey)
Projects presently in development on which Mr. Knight serves as counsel include various features to be shot in New York, Laos, Germany, Brazil and Lithuania as well as several documentaries.
Previous Positions
Walter, Conston, Alexander & Green, Associate (1988-92)
Ehlerman & Jeschonnek (Hamburg, Germany), Associate (1987-88)
Max-Planck-Institut für ausländisches und internationales Privatrecht, (legal research institute in Hamburg Germany), DAAD Grant Recipient for one year of study at Max-Planck-Institut (1985-86)
Publications
Filmmaker Magazine, various articles on independent filmmaking and financing
Speaking Engagements
Berlinale Film Festival
Toronto Film Festival
Cannes Film Festival
Santa Cruz Film Festival (Bolivia)
Rio Film Festival (Brazil)
Film School of Cuba
Hamburg Film Festival (Germany)
Edit99 Post Production Congress (Germany)
Avignon Film Festival (France)
New York University (Tisch).
Teaching Positions
Adjunct Professor, Tisch School of the Arts at New York University, Film Finance and Fundraising
Professional Affiliations
American Bar Association
Other Activities
Chairman of the Board, Reel Works Teen Filmmaking, a not-for-profit that teaches filmmaking to New York high school students; the program has helped NYC students produce approximately 60 films, 5 of which have been nominated for Emmy Awards
Board Member, International Institute for Mediation and Historical Conciliation (IIMHC) (Soon to be renamed: International Center for Conciliation (ICC), which proactively works in regions of the world where hostilities exist that have arisen from historical events or the stories told about such events; organization creates forums where such disputes between cultures and nations can be reconciled through an open examination and discussion of the historical record by leaders and future leaders of the opposing factions
Board Member, The Terma Foundation, a U.S. not-for-profit led by Dr. Nancy Harris, delivers medical services, supplies and medical training for the benefit of the children of Tibet
Long Distance Runner (5K and 10K races) |
