EXCLUSIVE: A new outfit aiming to bridge the gap between brand-funded production and art-house filmmaking will be announced as MIPCOM and BrandStorytelling move the focus to brand-funded content on the first day of the market. Lief Entertainment Company is the brainchild of Margo Mars, who runs the Leif creative agency, and veteran film producer Raymond van der Kaaij (The Occupant).
Mars said the aim is to evolve the ad-funded content model and to use marketing budgets as cultural investments. She added that Lief’s roster for commercial representation includes Misan Harriman (Oscar-nominated short The After), Haifaa Al Mansour (Unidentified) and Bertrand Bonello (The Beast).
“Today’s brands must forge genuine partnerships with their audiences,” says Mars, who brings over 20 years of industry experience to her role as CEO. “Consumers demand authentic commitment; whether societal, artistic, or environmental. We’re here to help brands deliver on that promise through world-class storytelling.” Van der Kaaij, meanwhile, said that any brand can become an auteur brand “but only if it dares to act like one”.
The new company will work with filmmakers and brands and across development, financing and distribution. Mars will serve as CEO across both Lief and Lief Entertainment Company, with van der Kaaij working at the latter of those two entities. Sam Fontaine will work across operations for both ventures from Paris.
The news lands ahead of the MIPCOM-Brandstorytelling summit kicking off in Cannes. MIPCOM boss Lucy Smith told Deadline about how she wants there to be a long-term focus on brands and branded content at the market at it broadens its scope beyond program distribution. This year there is a concerted lean into branded content and the creator economy.
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