Brilliant Pictures encompasses worldwide sales, marketing, production, finance and distribution for film and TV. With offices in London and Rome, Brilliant specialises in high end, commercially orientated, talent driven content that appeals to audience appetites globally.
Combining 50 years in sales and media content management, Brilliant is the joint-venture of film industry mogul Sean O’Kelly and veteran sales agent Marc Bikindou. Brilliant brings together some of the world’s leading visionary filmmakers, ensuring content is packaged with the most in-demand talent whilst keeping within budgets – de-risking projects for distributors and SVOD providers and returning profitable sales revenues.
Brilliant represents a library of over 100 completed feature films and TV series and an evolving slate, made by the world’s most iconic filmmaking talent.
Brilliant’s executive services include facilitating talent packaging, executive production, pre-sales, tax-credit facilities, equity, mezzanine and gap financing arrangements.
Designed to capitalise on the new COVID era, Brilliant comprises a unique new business model that harnesses the now insatiable demand for high-quality content via online streaming giants, as well as traditional distribution channels.
Since the pandemic, content consumption has fundamentally shifted with audiences turning to Netflix and other SVOD platforms like Amazon Prime and Disney+. Original content is paramount to maintaining competitive advantage for SVOD platforms, with Netflix investing 85% of its $13 billion budget on sourcing original content during 2018 and a predicted $18 billion spend for 2020/21. $1 billion will be spent in the UK alone, as Netflix’ most important production hub. Movie theatres have been forced to slash holdbacks and embrace a new limited theatrical release model that aligns with SVOD.
The, still rapidly evolving, landscape requires an agile, quick-thinking and collaborative approach. Brilliant is uniquely positioned to act as a conduit – a rights store – between content creators, rights owners, talent and SVOD platforms, enabling the seamless delivery of exclusive and original content to audiences worldwide. Brilliant sees the future of film and will be positioned at its epicenter by taking advantage and adapting ahead of its competition.
Chairman
With over twenty years of experience in film & TV sales and distribution, O’Kelly has a solid track record in delivering rapid growth within independent business propositions. O’Kelly’s credits include: award winning film and online phenomenon Iron Sky, which he sold worldwide and executive produced, and the Oscar nominated Margin Call, which he released in the UK.
As a specialist in sales and distribution, O’Kelly has acquired, distributed and sold hundreds of films worldwide including Martin Scorsese’s Casino, Steve Jobs, Garfield, The Mission, Death Race 2000, Killing Fields, Jane Eyre and Anna Karenina to name but a few. Sean was charged with worldwide distribution rights for the Kuschner Locke library which consisted of over 400 film and TV titles. Prior to that, O’Kelly founded and ran Go For It Entertainment Ltd, the successful distributor, which bought and sold TV and DVD rights to several major film libraries including Mel Gibson’s ICON, Castle Hill and Goldcrest.
CEO
Marc Bikindou, born in France, began his career in 1987 with commercials. Bikindou went on to become an assistant director, working with names like Gerry Fisher, Academy Award winner Régis Wargnier, Pascal Thomas, as well as with Ridley and Tony Scott. He collaborated on over 35 projects. With over 30 years of experience in film & TV sales and distribution, Bikindou has worked alongside some of the world’s greatest talent.
In 2001, Marc became a sales agent for the worldwide distribution department of Nu Image/ Millennium Films. At Nu Image, Marc worked with the company’s founders, Avi Lerner and Danny Dimbort. He specializes in the Western European market, and was involved with the sales of The Black Dahlia (2006), directed by Brian De Palma, starring Scarlett Johansson, Rambo (2008), directed by and starring Sylvester Stallone, and 16 Blocks (2006), directed by Richard Donner, starring Bruce Willis- star-studded action film The Expendables (2010), directed by Sylvester Stallone. Again through Millennium Films, he handled sales for the sequel, The Expendables 2 (2012), directed by Simon West and thriller The Paperboy (2012), directed by Lee Daniels, starring Nicole Kidman, Matthew McConaughey, and John Cusack.
Chief Financial Officer
Deepak was Financial Controller and then Finance Director for TV & Production at FTSE 250 media group HIT Entertainment PLC where he worked on a number of productions and acquisitions including Bob the Builder, Thomas & Friends, Barney & Friends and Guinness World Records before the business was sold to APAX Partners for £489m.
He subsequently became CFO and General Manager at Molinare where he oversaw the company’s investment in film and television projects for over 30 titles; notable successes including: Moon and The King’s Speech of which Deepak is a Co-Executive Producer.
Ian Duff – Expert IT & Technical delivery
Hayley Hamburg – Head of PR and Marketing
With 37 years’ experience in banking and finance, he has successfully managed two financial institutions and a conglomerate of 22 companies with total assets of $7 billion and who successfully raised over $10 billion in investment funds for structured products.
Glenn has international business experience in Finance, Banking, Fund Management, Real Estate and Accounting; in all major markets and also specialist expertise in film. Glenn M. Stewart has produced and executive produced over 20 films and is known for The Tournament (2009), The Messenger (2009) and New York, I love You (2008).
