# FilmBankers International

FilmBankers International is an Asset Manager based in Beverly Hills, United States.

## Overview

- **Organization type:** Asset Manager
- **Headquarters:** Beverly Hills, United States
- **Region:** North America
- **Address:** Beverly Hills, CA, United States
- **Assets under management:** Undisclosed
- **Website:** www.filmbankers.com
- **LinkedIn:** https://www.linkedin.com/company/filmbankers-international

## Regulatory record

- **Reports private funds:** No

## About

FilmBankers International is a US-based investment company headquartered in Beverly Hills. It focuses on investments in North America.

## Sectors

- Media & Entertainment

## People

- Harold Lewis — Co-founder and CEO
- Brenda Doby-Flewellyn — Principal and Co-founder

## Questions

### How does FilmBankers International source its deals?

Deal flow arrives through entertainment-law firms, talent agencies, completion-bond companies, and producer relationships built over Lewis's and Doby-Flewellyn's combined decades in entertainment banking. Lewis's UCLA alumni network provides an additional referral channel into the Los Angeles production community. The firm does not market publicly or raise commingled funds, so sourcing depends almost entirely on reputation-driven inbound inquiry.

### What is the difference between gap financing and a standard production loan?

A standard production loan is secured against contracted pre-sales, tax credits, and a completion bond — all of which cover the budget before principal photography begins. Gap financing fills the shortfall between those contracted sources and the total budget. It is higher-risk because it sits junior to the senior lender and relies on unsold territories' estimated value. FilmBankers specializes in structuring that mezzanine layer.

### Which jurisdictions does FilmBankers International operate in?

The firm structures deals across the US, Canada, the UK, and Australia — markets with established tax-incentive regimes. Each jurisdiction's tax-credit program creates a government receivable that can be monetized upfront, forming the collateral base for the firm's credit facilities.

### Does FilmBankers International invest equity in the films it finances?

No. The firm's posture is strictly credit: it underwrites debt facilities against contracted receivables and tax-credit streams. By not taking equity upside, FilmBankers avoids the producer's risk of recoupment waterfalls and maintains an arm's-length credit relationship with its borrowers.

### Is FilmBankers International related to a larger financial institution?

No. It is an independent boutique founded by former Union Bank of California executives. There is no publicly disclosed parent, sponsor, or captive relationship with a bank holding company. The firm operates as a standalone credit arranger and administrator.

## Related profiles

- [Fillip](https://altss.com/profile/fillip)
- [Fil Rouge Capital](https://altss.com/profile/fil-rouge-capital)

---

Last updated: 2026-06-03T20:00:00.000Z

Canonical page: https://altss.com/profile/filmbankers-international

Maintained by Altss — https://altss.com — methodology: https://altss.com/methodology