The Film Financier and Investor Awarded as “Gentlemen of the Year”

Cannes, France—July 13th, 2021

Photo: Beachside Gala hosted by Better World Fund at 74th Annual Cannes Film Festival

Jon Gosier was a guest of honor at a private beachside gala organized by the Better World Fund at the 74th Annual Cannes Film Festival. The invite-only event was one of this year’s most anticipated.

At the event’s culmination, Jon presented a lifetime achievement award to longtime collaborator of Spike Lee, Mr. Barry Alexander Brown.

Brown, was an Editor on TV series “Altered Carbon” and the films “Queen of Katwe” and “Oldboy (2013)”. He worked with Spike Lee on “Do the Right Thing”, “Black KKKlansman”, and his new film “Son of the South”. Spike Lee was himself serving as Jury President for this year’s festival.

Photo: Jon presents Mr. Barry Alexander Brown the Better World Fund’s Lifetime Achievement Award

Daizy Gedeon (winner of the Movie that Matters Award at The BWF Gala) posing as the lucky owner of Pab's art Jon Gosier!

At an event hosted by AFI the following morning, Jon was the honoree alongside Mr. Brown. The trophy was dubbed “New Generation in Action: Gentleman of the Year” and was presented by Artisan Festival International's World Peace Initiative.

AFI World Peace Initiative celebrated its 8th year at Cannes. The organization's overall goal is to promote compelling “films of purpose." The award itself was a custom ceramic, a collaboration between AFI and Italian designers Ceramiche Noi.

Photo: Jon Gosier and Barry Alexander Brown at the 2021 AFI World Peace and Tolerance Awards

AFI acknowledged Jon for his working as a financial supporter of global filmmakers through various philanthropic initiatives. For example, in 2019 Jon financially contributed to the organization in order in its efforts to sponsor young filmmakers, mostly from Africa, to attend the Cannes Film Festival and to access exclusive events.

Jon’s own company Southbox Entertainment is committed to producing films of purpose, inspired by his work living in Africa. He is also the founder of FilmHedge, a fin-tech solution providing capital up to $5M for films globally.

At the event Jon announced he had recently closed a new fund designed to co-produce a forthcoming slate of films aligned with AFI’s purpose.

“The Africa I experienced was exciting in ways that have rarely been portrayed. What I experienced was neither a war-torn and impoverished Africa, nor was it an over-the-top luxurious Africa,” Gosier said on a Zoom panel prior to his arrival in Cannes. The panel, organized by Pavillion Afriques, featured executives from BondIt Media, Media Finance Capital and Alliance Cinema. Pavilion Afriques is another philanthropic organization focused on creating access to young filmmakers that Jon has backed.

Photo: Jon Gosier accepts his award an announces forthcoming film projects

Jon’s company, Southbox Entertainment, is an independent motion picture and television production company specializing in co-finance and development has announced the first close of its co-Production fund aimed at bringing more diverse, international, and Africa-centric stories to mainstream audiences.

Gosier founded Southbox Entertainment’s content arm to tell International stories that rarely make it to the big screen. The firm’s first TV and film slate features stories inspired by two memoirs of his that were optioned by Harper Collins. The various projects draw from his experiences living and working in Africa in the mid 2000s.

“Southbox is interested in the stories that are purpose-driven and in-between the extremes.”

“Hollywood is an exclusive club. Whether by design or unintentional, the system often keeps aspiring filmmakers out. Working with groups like AFI, Pavillion Afriques and Better World Fund, we try to create a bigger tent for creators of all types,” Jon said.

He expressed his personal commitment taking stories from the African continent into mainstream cinema, “The Africa I experienced was as rich and full of contemporary history just waiting to be explored. Where are the rom coms? Where’s the sci-fi? Where’re the political thrillers that don’t take place 40-50 years ago? Africa countries are as rich in stories waiting to be mined for TV and film as they are oil and diamonds.”

In 2019, Southbox co-financed three projects by Producer Eric B. Fleischman, “Rise” (who’s lead Jimmy Jean-Louis attended this year’s Cannes) “Phobias” and “Witch Hunt.” The company also provided debt financing for the epic Sci-Fi film “Skylines” by producer Matthew Chausse which debuted at #5 on Netflix in US and #3 in the UK and Canada. 

Photo: Jimmy Jean-Louis and Jon Gosier at the BWF Gala

“At our core, we’re a fund that co-finances with more experienced Film/TV Producers. Even the projects we might acquire or develop in-house we partner with others for Production.”

Jon explained further, “One thing I learned while working in venture capital was that investing in others to help them get their stuff done ultimately helps me. I get to learn through their experience. There’s a saying I often heard in Africa, ‘If you want to go quickly, go alone. If you want to go far, go together.’ Co-Financing other people’s film projects taught me how to go far quickly in this industry.”

“This is why I began sponsoring events at Cannes, it was in the spirit of going far together. It’s one of the world’s most important film festivals and the people there have helped me learn quite a bit. And it’s also in that spirit that I humbly accept this award.”

Photo: Jon with the Gentleman of the Year Award

Photo: The AFI Award, Designed by Ceramiche Noi

About Southbox Entertainment:

Southbox Entertainment is an independent motion picture and television production company and fund specializing in co-finance and development. Learn more at https://southbox.io/. Southbox Entertainment, was originally founded in Philadelphia. The company relocated to Atlanta, GA in 2018.