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Wanted: Indie movie moguls
Not too long ago, getting into the movie business as an actor, director, producer or even as a would-be movie mogul interested in investing in films meant relocating to Hollywood.
Now, Virginia-based Cavalier Films, Inc. has created a unique way for people who love film to take part in moviemaking in a very hands-on way without having to cross the continent.
Co-founded by Woodson High School and University of Virginia graduate Marc Lieberman and Fairfax City resident Barry R. Sisson, the company is offering an investment opportunity through its Cavalier Films Fund II.
“You have to be a little cavalier to start a film company,” said Lieberman, who hinted that the company’s name comes from the name of the athletic teams at both his alma maters – the “Cavaliers.”
For the minimum amount of $25,000, investors can not only become movie moguls in their own right, but also participate in the making of feature-length films at almost any level they choose.
During production of the company’s first film, titled “Familiar Strangers,” shot mostly in Staunton, in northwestern Virginia’s Augusta County, and financed through the inaugural Cavalier Films fund, some investors were cast in small roles in the film; others reviewed the movie script and even wrote dialogue; still others took part as crew members or loaned props and vehicles to the production.
“Our partners have the opportunity to bring these films to life,” said Sisson, sitting next to Lieberman on Oct. 4 at the Cinema Arts Theatre in Fairfax City, two days after the partners screened a segment of “Familiar Strangers” at the movie house to potential investors of their second fund.
“The biggest thing is that it’s not just a dry investment,” Sisson said. “This fund is for someone who loves films, for someone to peek behind the curtain.
“I’d say if you’re not interested in film, this is not for you,” said Sisson, who, along with Lieberman, not only manages of the fund, but is an investor as well.
Technically referred to as a registered private offering, Cavalier Films Fund II is a three-year fund capped at $2.5 million. The budget for each film the company produces is about $1 million.
“The goal of this fund is to make multiple films over a three-year time horizon,” Lieberman said. “All the money is on the screen.”
“The business approach we have is very conservative for the film industry,” said Sisson, who, after selling the electronic security business he started in 1975, began a second career as an investor in the acclaimed 2003 independent film, “The Station Agent.”
Sisson met Lieberman in California when both were involved with the 2005 film comedy “Charlie’s Party.”
“We actually had a Fairfax connection,” said Lieberman, who previously worked as a financial analyst for a Fortune 500 company. Before co-founding Cavalier Films, Lieberman was at Outlaw Productions working on films such as “Training Day,” “National Security” and “The Santa Clause II.”
“We have artistic beliefs, but we’re businessmen at heart,” Lieberman said.
In addition to making what they describe as thoughtful films with human stories about real people, the partners said they are also focused on earning money for their investors.
“I think making movies with this company is about just never giving up,” Lieberman said.
For more information about Cavalier Films and its film fund, visit www.cavalierfilms.com or contact Marc Lieberman via e-mail at marc@cavalierfilms.com .
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