Intermedia (production company)
Intermedia was a film production company, wholly owned by IM Internationalmedia AG.
The company mostly acted as a co-producer, funding films through the IMF (Internationale Medien und Film, German for "International Media and Film") funds.
History
The company was founded in 1995 as Intermedia Film Equities in London. Two years later, Intermedia began operations in Los Angeles, as did Pacifica Film Distribution, which would later merge with Intermedia.
Its first success of note was Sliding Doors, starring Gwyneth Paltrow, opened the Sundance Film Festival.
In 2000, parent company IM Internationalmedia AG held an initial public offering of its stock on the New Market. That year, it won a Golden Globe for the film Nurse Betty. In 2001, the company acquired the library of Lawrence Gordon's studio, Largo Entertainment, with Warner Home Video acting as distributor, and also produced films such as K-PAX and The Wedding Planner.
Tax status
The company used to fund Intermedia productions, IMF, was a tax shelter under German law. The taxation laws of Germany allow investors to claim an instant tax deduction on film productions, even if they are non-German productions or even if the film has not gone into production. This allows the producers to make instant profit, for example, by selling the copyright for around $160 million, and then buying them back for $149 million, the producers have made a profit of $11 million. However, it is important to note that this tax shelter is no longer applicable under German tax law.
Company structure
Note: All subsidiaries were 100% wholly owned of the parent.
- IM Internationalmedia AG
- IM Filmproduktions-und Vertriebs GmbH & Co. KG
- Pacifica Film Distribution LLC
- Pacifica Film Development Inc
- Intermedia Film Equities Ltd
- Intermedia Film Distribution Ltd
- Intermedia Music Ltd
- Intermedia.com Ltd
- MEI Filme Ltd.
- Intermedia Film Equities USA Inc
- Intermedia Distribution Inc.
- Intermedia Music Inc.
Selected films
- Terminator 3: Rise of the Machines (with Warner Bros. and C2 Pictures in the U.S. and Columbia Pictures elsewhere)
- Terminator Salvation (with Warner Bros. in the U.S. and Columbia Pictures elsewhere)
- The Wedding Planner (with Columbia Pictures)
- Nurse Betty (with USA Films in the U.S. and Universal/UIP in Italy)
- Basic Instinct 2 (with Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer and C2 Pictures in the U.S. and C2 Pictures elsewhere)
- The Aviator (with Warner Bros. and Miramax Films in the U.S. and 01 Distribution in Italy)
- K-19: The Widowmaker (with Paramount Pictures)
- Alexander (with Warner Bros.)
- Welcome to Mooseport (with 20th Century Fox)
- Adaptation (with Columbia Pictures)
- The Quiet American (with Miramax Films in the U.S. and Medusa Film in Italy)
- K-PAX (with Universal Pictures in the U.S., Pathe and FilmFour in UK, Buena Vista International in Australia and 01 Distribution in Italy)
- Iris (with Miramax Films)
- Enigma (with Miramax Films and Broadway Video)
- Sliding Doors (with Paramount Pictures and Miramax Films)
- National Security (film) (with Columbia Pictures)