Alabama’s Jay Barker and John Brooks Klingenbeck Initiate Movie Financing Partnership
A newly formed media and entertainment group led by former University of Alabama football star Jay Barker and Alabama natives Christopher E. Norris and John Brooks Klingenbeck has formed a strategic alliance with Hollywood Studios International (HSI). After co-founding several successful business and entertainment start-ups, actor/producer Klingenbeck was the driving force behind the creation of Redhill Entertainment, which is a collaboration of business partners in Hollywood and Alabama.
Through its partnership with HSI, Redhill intends to finance and produce major motion pictures, and also participate in financing the growth of HSI’s talent management division, Artist International. Redhill is making the move in order to invest in a partnership with one of Hollywood’s most prominent, rising media companies in HSI, which recently co-produced the Golden Globe-winning and Academy Award-nominated feature, The Kids are All Right, and is currently producing a new feature starring Dexter’s Michael C. Hall and Vera Farmiga called Love, Scotch and Death, among other major projects.
Barker states that the partnership will enable Redhill “to build our brand as a major entertainment company with international appeal focused on financing major motion pictures, management of writers, directors, actors, and professional athletes, and Hollywood and college sports related radio programming. Our objectives are a perfect match with HSI, a company poised to build upon the success of its recent film success, and we believe our access to capital can assist HSI’s management division through acquisitions, strategic hires, and organic growth.”
Steven Saxton, HSI’s chairman/CEO, adds that the relationship will allow the partners to “build a company focused on intelligently deploying capital in the entertainment industry. Having a partner based in the Southeast also provides certain advantages as our company has plans to produce films in Southern states that will produce jobs that stimulate local economies and take advantage of the region’s tax incentive programs.”
About Redhill Entertainment:
Redhill Entertainment was recently founded to bring a major entertainment media presence to the Southeastern United States in the form of a company capable of financing and producing motion pictures and other media projects, as well as managing the careers of actors, directors, athletes, and other prominent entertainers. Redhill currently has three films in production, including Girlfriend, which played at the Toronto Film Festival last year, and is slated for theatrical release in the fall of 2011. The expertise of partners Jay Barker and John Brooks Klingenbeck is driving the initiative.
Barker is best known as the starting quarterback for the University of Alabama in the early 1990’s, during which time he led the school to a 35-2-1 (.934 winning percentage) record, three 10-win seasons, three SEC West titles, and the 1992 National Championship. He also won the Johnny Unitas Golden Arm Award and was fifth in that year’s Heisman Trophy balloting. During that same period, he was a leader of the University’s Fellowship of Christian Athlete’s chapter before launching a pro football career, which culminated by returning home to Alabama to play for the XFL’s Birmingham Thunderbolts. Since then, he has served as a radio personality at first WYDE and then WJOX in Birmingham, and now co-hosts WJOX’s morning show, called The Opening Drive. Barker currently resides in Alabama with his wife, country singer Sara Evans, who recently spent time at No. 1 on Billboard’s Country Albums chart with the song A Little Bit Stronger, and who has made a total of five No.1 hits since her breakout in the late 1990s.
His partner, John Brooks Klingenbeck, also attended the University of Alabama and was the co-founder and CEO of Insight Medical Inc. with Early Ady, Co-Founder of HotJobs.com. Insight was acquired by a private venture company in May 2009, and since that time, Klingenbeck has been concentrating on investments in the entertainment sector, as well as acting and producing feature films in Hollywood.
About Hollywood Studios International:
Hollywood Studios International is a media holding company focused on the intelligent deployment of capital in the entertainment industry. The Company has developed a portfolio of fee-based businesses ranging from talent representation to international distribution.
FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENTS
This press release may contain certain forward-looking statements within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended. Investors are cautioned that all forward-looking statements contained herein are reasonable, any assumption could be inaccurate, and therefore, there can be no assurance that the forward-looking statements included in this press release will prove to be accurate. In light of the significant uncertainties inherent in the forward-looking statements included herein, the inclusion should not be regarded as a representation by the Company or any other person that the objective and plans of the Company will be achieved.
Find out more at:
Hollywood Studios International
www.hollywoodstudios.co
Artist International
www.artistint.com
Models International
www.mi-agency.com
Media Contact:
Insignia, Inc.
Eddie Michaels-Susie Carnes
Scarnes@insigniapr.com
(310) 777-1150
