John Heyman

= Family and Background =

John Heyman is Chairman of the World Group of Companies.

Married to his wife Nizza since 1982, this is his second marriage. He has five children, David (1961), Lil (1965), Gabrielle (1971), Dahlia (1983) and Daniel (1987).

Born in Leipzig in Germany in April of 1933 [http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0382274/] . His father, an economist, had been one of the last broadcasters against Hitler and left Germany in January, three months before John was born. At the age of seven months, Mr. Heyman and his mother arrived in England where his father had secured work as a journalist on the now defunct News Chronicle. His father was naturalized British in the national interest while working for the Ministry of Information during World War II and, after the War became financial correspondent for The Economist, The Financial Times and Neue Zurcher Zeitung. He died at the typewriter putting the final full stop on an article that was published two days after his death as the lead in The Times. His mother, an avid suffragette, was both a teacher of Russian studies and a permanent student, collecting her seventh degree (in Economics) from the London School of Economics at the age of 70.

Education and Early Career

Heyman was educated in Switzerland prior to the outbreak of the War, then at Norfolk House in London during the War, Wycliffe College in Gloucestershire in 1946 and finally at St. Edmund’s Hall, Oxford. Having spent two years in the Army undertaking National Service, Mr. Heyman was reading law at Oxford and, during a summer vacation, obtained free tickets to a Radio Luxembourg show sponsored by Lucozade. Having been chosen as a contestant he won £93, more money that he thought existed in the world, and he returned to Oxford as a question writer for the show "Double Your Money" which would run for thirteen years in the Top Ten on the new Independent Television Network in England, to whom he also sold a number of television concepts he had written. In 1955, Mr. Heyman started full time work in the entertainment industry and, by the age of 22 had become Head of Public Relations at Associated Television [http://www.world-productions.com/pages/people/john_heyman.htm ] , one of the two founder companies of the Independent Television Network. By then he was already working on five television programs, three of which were rated in the Top Ten.

In 1959, Mr. Heyman formed what was to become the largest independent theatrical agency outside the United States: "The International Artists Agency", which handled, among others, Elizabeth Taylor, Richard Burton, Richard Harris, Laurence Harvey, Trevor Howard, Shirley Bassey and Burt Bacharach. This agency formed a subsidiary ("World Film Sales") which was the first major foreign sales company dealing in English language films and, on the first Thursday of every month, sent out nearly 200 telexes to potential distributors to pre-buy films starring the agency’s clients. This company was eventually sold to ITC under the leadership of Lew Grade.

Career to Date

From 1963 to the present day, Mr. Heyman has produced [http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0382274/] numerous motion pictures including films starring Richard Burton, Richard Harris, Elizabeth Taylor, Robert Shaw, Julie Christie, Sarah Miles, Noel Coward, Mia Farrow, Robert Mitchum, Albert Finney, Michael Caine. In 1965, he co-produced the longest running "Hamlet" in Broadway history starring Richard Burton and directed by John Gielgud. In 1971 and 1973, Heyman produced films ("The Go-Between" and "The Hireling") won the Grand Prix at the Cannes Film Festival.

In 1973, Mr. Heyman founded "The Genesis Project" intent upon creating an audio/visual encyclopedia, atlas and dictionary. In 1976, it commenced translating the Bible onto film accompanied by a variety of educational materials. After completing the filming of "Genesis" and the "Gospel of Luke" (which, under the title "Jesus" [http://goliath.ecnext.com/coms2/gi_0199-1611996/The-Jesus-film-A-contribution.html] , became the most viewed film in history), The New Media Bible was sold to an evangelical organization, having failed commercially in the age before VHS or DVD.

During the same period, Mr. Heyman rendered extensive financial services to major film studios, and is widely credited with creating “structured financing” in the motion picture industry. As a result of his efforts, more than $3 billion has been provided to co-finance over 150 films and television programs including "Awakenings" (Columbia), "Black Rain" (Paramount), "Chinatown" (Paramount), "Edward Scissorhands" (Fox), "Grease" (Paramount), ' (Warner), "Heaven Can Wait" (Paramount), "Home Alone" (Fox), "Looking For Mr Goodbar" (Paramount), "The Man Who Would Be King" (Allied Artists), "Marathon Man" (Paramount), "The Odessa File" (Columbia), "The Rocky Horror Picture Show" (Fox), "Saturday Night Fever" (Paramount), ' (Paramount), "Trail of the Pink Panther " (MGM), "Victor/Victoria" (MGM).

In 1990, Mr. Heyman co-founded "Island World" wikicite | id= Variety_01| reference= (Variety - July 15 1993) [http://www.variety.com/article/VR108769.html?categoryid=13&cs=1] , which produced and licensed film and television programs including "The Cure" (Universal), "Eddie" (Disney), "Juice" (Paramount), "The Sandlot" (Fox), "Toy Soldiers" (Tri-Star), "The War" (Universal). The Island assets were sold to "Polygram" at the end of 1994 but Heyman retained control of the London television company (World Productions [http://www.world-productions.com] ) which, for the last fifteen years, has been a leading provider of dramatic programming in the United Kingdom.

Current Activities

Mr. Heyman continues his financing and production career [http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/entertainment/6937217.stm] and in 2008-2009 will launch "Crescent Film Partners" which seeks to raise €300,000,000 to finance films with their roots in the Arab world, including "Nefertiti" wikicite | id= Variety_02| reference= (Variety - May 24 2007) [http://www.variety.com/index.asp?layout=Cannes2007&jump=story&id=1061&articleid=VR1117965772&starting=1] , to be directed by Hugh Hudson [http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0399853/] (director of the Academy Award winning "Chariots Of Fire"), and "Access Asia Media Partners" wikicite | id= screenfinance_01| reference= (Screen Finance - Volume 12 No. 6 April 09 2008. Author: Tim Adler), which seeks to raise $300,000,000 to finance films, television programs and other digital material produced in Southeast Asia [http://www.screendaily.com/ScreenDailyArticle.aspx?intStoryID=37873&strSearch=john%20heyman&strCallingPage=ScreenDailySearchSite.aspx] . In 2009, Mr. Heyman’s company will launch the "World Movie Club", which will democratize capital and provide a model for venture capital opportunities in other industries. Initially the World Movie Club will enable any member to invest in film at a price per unit ranging from $20 per month to a maximum of $250 per year.

The films with which the World Group of Companies, which Mr. Heyman chairs, has been associated as producers, packagers, co-financiers, investors or distributors, have grossed more than $7 billion and have received 188 Academy Award nominations, 26 Oscars, and 3 Grand Prix at the Cannes Film Festival and numerous other awards.