Stuart Ford is a British-born film and television producer based in Los Angeles. In February 2018 Ford launched AGC Studios, an international film and television production and global licensing company that develops, produces, finances and globally licenses a diverse portfolio of feature films, scripted, unscripted and factual television, digital, and musical content from its dual headquarters in Los Angeles and London. The studio’s Hollywood output has a wide-ranging multicultural focus, designed for exploitation across an array of global platforms including major studio partnerships, streaming platforms, traditional broadcast and cable television networks, and independent distributors, both in the US and internationally. In addition to having produced or executive produced over 60 feature films and TV shows Ford is one of the film industry’s leading experts on international film distribution and has launched and overseen content companies in the US, the UK, France, China, Hong Kong, India and Mexico. Ford is a member of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences as well as the British Academy of Film and Television Arts.

Professional career

Ford is a former entertainment attorney and studio executive who in 2018 founded AGC Studios, which has already established itself as one of the most high profile independent film and television production, financing, and global sales platforms in the industry. With significant backing from Silicon Valley, Latin America, and the Middle East. AGC has offices in Los Angeles and London and so far has been involved with 27 major film and television productions with combined production budgets in excess of $1 billion, including all four of the $100m+ budgeted feature films financed outside of the major studio and streamer system in the past five years. In 2007 Ford founded IM Global, which over the next ten years he built into one of the industry’s leading independent film and television production, financing and sales platforms. As Founder and CEO of the company, Ford produced or distributed films that involved directors and actors including Martin Scorsese, Barbara Broccoli, Julia Roberts, Liam Neeson, Keanu Reeves, Johnny Depp, Mel Gibson, Lima Neeson, Will Ferrell, Nicole Kidman, Tom Hanks, Tom Ford and Madonna from his network of offices in Los Angeles, New York, London, Mexico City, Munich, Mumbai and Beijing. Ford and IM Global also became prominent players in the Bollywood, Chinese and Latin American film sectors. The company produced and financed over 30 feature films of its own as well as handling international sales on more than one hundred first run feature films and handling a library of over 600 titles. The company also owned Mundial, a leading Latino sales and financing company; operated one of the premier international sales platforms for Chinese cinema; and operated Valor Entertainment, a multicultural talent management group. In addition, as a joint venture with Chinese internet giant Tencent, the company operated IM Global Television, a full service scripted and unscripted television production, financing and distribution studio. Before IM Global, Ford was a long serving executive at Miramax Films in New York where, in various executive capacities he was involved in the acquisition and/or production of numerous Academy Award recognized films including '' Shakespeare in Love'', ''

Chicago (2002 film) ''Chicago'' is a 2002 American musical black comedy crime film based on the 1975 stage musical of the same name which in turn originated in the 1926 play of the same name. It explores the themes of celebrity, scandal, and corruption in Chicag ...

'', '' The Cider House Rules (film)'', ''

Chocolat (2000 film) ''Chocolat'' () is a 2000 film, based on the 1999 novel '' Chocolat'' by the English author, Joanne Harris, directed by Lasse Hallström. Adapted by screenwriter Robert Nelson Jacobs, ''Chocolat'' tells the story of Vianne Rocher, played by Juli ...

'', '' Gangs Of New York'', and '' Amélie''. During this period ''The Hollywood Reporter'' listed Ford as one of the top executives in Hollywood under the age of 35. He began his career in the early nineties as an entertainment industry lawyer at UK law firm Olswang. Ford has been a recipient of Variety’s Achievement in International Film Award, has been listed by the UK’s Guardian newspaper as one of the 50 Most Influential People in Global Cinema and is a member of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, BAFTA, and the Paley Center for Media. In 2021 Ford was listed amongst the Variety500, “an index of the 500 most influential business leaders shaping the global media industry.”

Personal life

Ford was educated at the Liverpool Blue Coat School, and later obtained both a BA and an MA in Law from St. Edmund Hall,

Oxford University Oxford () is a city in England. It is the county town and only city of Oxfordshire. In 2020, its population was estimated at 151,584. It is north-west of London, south-east of Birmingham and north-east of Bristol. The city is home to the ...

. Ford lives in Los Angeles with his wife and two sons.

Awards

* 50 most influential individuals in global cinema: Stuart Ford - The Guardian 2010 * Variety Award for Achievement in International Film: Stuart Ford, IM Global - Variety 2015 *Academy of Motion Pictures Arts and Sciences, Executive Member: Stuart Ford - 2017 *Variety 500, 500 Most Important People in Global Media: Stuart Ford - 2021

Filmography

* '' Demonic'' - producer * ''

Geechee The Gullah () are an African American ethnic group who predominantly live in the Lowcountry region of the U.S. states of Georgia, Florida, South Carolina, and North Carolina, within the coastal plain and the Sea Islands. Their language and cultu ...

'' - producer * '' Voyagers (film)'' - executive producer * ''

The Secrets We Keep ''The Secrets We Keep'' is a 2020 American thriller drama film directed by Yuval Adler, from a screenplay by Adler and Ryan Covington. The film stars Noomi Rapace, Joel Kinnaman, and Chris Messina. ''The Secrets We Keep'' was released in the Uni ...

'' (2020) - producer * '' The Rhythm Section'' (2020) - executive producer * ''

War of the Worlds (2019 TV series) ''War of the Worlds'' is a television series produced by Fox Networks Group and StudioCanal–backed Urban Myth Films. The series is created and written by Howard Overman and directed by Gilles Coulier and Richard Clark. The series is an adapt ...

'' - executive producer * '' Midway (2019 film)'' - executive producer * ''

Serenity (2019 film) ''Serenity'' is a 2019 American mystery thriller film written, produced and directed by Steven Knight. The film stars Matthew McConaughey, Anne Hathaway, Diane Lane, Jason Clarke, Djimon Hounsou, and Jeremy Strong, and follows a fishing boat ...

'' - executive producer * '' The Professor (2018 film)'' (2018) - executive producer * ''

Boarding School (2018 film) ''Boarding School'' is a 2018 American horror film written and directed by Boaz Yakin and starring Luke Prael, Sterling Jerins, and Will Patton. The plot is about a boy who is sent to a remote boarding school and discovers something sinister o ...

'' - executive producer * ''

Zoe (film) ''Zoe'' is a 2018 American romantic science fiction film directed by Drake Doremus and starring Ewan McGregor, Léa Seydoux, Christina Aguilera, Rashida Jones, and Miranda Otto The film had its world premiere at the Tribeca Film Festival on Ap ...

'' (2018) - executive producer * '' Hacksaw Ridge'' (2016) - executive producer * '' Free State of Jones (film)'' (2016) - executive producer * '' Silence (2016 film)'' (2016) - executive producer * ''

Incarnate (film) ''Incarnate'' is a 2016 American supernatural horror film directed by Brad Peyton and written by Ronnie Christensen. It stars Aaron Eckhart, Carice van Houten, Catalina Sandino Moreno, David Mazouz, Keir O'Donnell, Matt Nable, and John Pirruccell ...

'' (2016) - executive producer * '' The Autopsy of Jane Doe'' (2016) - executive producer * '' Viral (film)'' (2016) - executive producer * '' Collide (film)'' (2016) - executive producer * '' Fifty Shades of Black'' (2016) - executive producer * ''

Southside With You ''Southside with You'' is a 2016 American biographical romantic drama film written, produced, and directed by Richard Tanne, in his feature film directorial debut. The film stars Parker Sawyers and Tika Sumpter as a young Barack Obama (the futur ...

'' (2016) - executive producer * '' Secret in Their Eyes'' (2015) - executive producer * ''

Area 51 (film) ''Area 51'' is a 2015 American found footage science fiction horror film directed and shot by Oren Peli and co-written by Peli and Christopher Denham. The film stars Reid Warner, Darrin Bragg, Ben Rovner, and Jelena Nik. The film was produced by ...

'' (2015) - executive producer * ''Grace: The Possession'' (2014) - executive producer * ''

Revenge of the Green Dragons ''Revenge of the Green Dragons'' is a 2014 crime drama film directed by Andrew Lau and Andrew Loo, written by Michael Di Jiacomo and Andrew Loo, with Martin Scorsese as an executive producer. The film stars Justin Chon, Kevin Wu, Harry Shum Jr., ...

'' (2014) - producer * ''Enchanted Kingdom 3D'' (2014) (Documentary) - executive producer * ''

A Haunted House 2 ''A Haunted House 2'' is a 2014 American horror satire film directed by Michael Tiddes and starring Marlon Wayans. The film is the sequel to the 2013 film ''A Haunted House'' and the final installment. Produced by IM Global Octane and distribut ...

'' (2014) - executive producer * ''

13 Sins ''13 Sins'' is a 2014 American horror-thriller film directed by Daniel Stamm. The film is a remake of the 2006 Thai comedy horror film '' 13 Beloved''. Mark Webber stars as Elliot, a meek salesman who accepts a series of increasingly disturbing ...

'' (2014) - executive producer * '' Vampire Academy (film)'' (2014) - executive producer * ''

Justin Bieber's Believe ''Justin Bieber's Believe'' is a 2013 American concert film A concert film, or concert movie, is a film that showcases a live performance from the perspective of a concert goer, the subject of which is an extended live performance or concert ...

'' (2013) (Documentary) - producer * ''

Walking with Dinosaurs 3D ''Walking with Dinosaurs'' is a 2013 family film about dinosaurs set in the Late Cretaceous period, years ago. The production features computer-animated dinosaurs in live-action settings with actors Justin Long, John Leguizamo, Tiya Sircar, and S ...