Graham Taylor has been upped to head of Endeavor Independent after helping to establish the indie film and finance group as a separate division within the tenpercentery.
Endeavor Independent was previously part of the agency’s motion picture lit department.
New Endeavor agent Mark Ankner will aid Taylor in expanding and branding the unit.
Ankner came from Traction Media, where he packaged and sold films including “Half Nelson” and “Hard Candy.” He also consulted for Paul Allen.
In announcing Taylor’s appointment, Endeavor partners said the producer-turned-agent has “excelled in building the profile of the department and has a progressive vision for where we want to be.”
Recently announced Endeavor Independent projects include James Cameron’s high-def 3-D film “Sanctum,” which he is co-writing and producing; writer-director Zak Penn’s ensemble comedy “The Grand”; and Stuart Townsend’s “The Battle in Seattle,” an ensemble political drama starring Charlize Theron and Ray Liotta.
Taylor also has secured financing for films including Richard Gere starrer “The Flock,” from Bauer Martinez Studios; Jake Paltrow’s Penelope Cruz starrer “The Good Night,” from Inferno Entertainment; and the Kevin Bacon-Andy Garcia starrer “The Air That I Breathe,” from Nala Films.
In recent months, Taylor has helped package deals for the Raw Feed horror label at Warner Bros. and the Weinstein Co.’s Unstable Fables animation label.
Taylor and Ankner consult for film financiers including Capitol Films, Senator Film and IMG, as well as dozens of equity investors in the U.S. and abroad.
