From ‘Property Brothers’ to ‘Tehran’: Cineflix Media Co-Founder Glen Salzman Looks Back on 25 Years (EXCLUSIVE)
12.06.2023 - 17:57
/ variety.com
Amber Dowling In 1998, Glen Salzman and Katherine Buck launched Montreal-based Cineflix Media with one of its first series, “Dogs with Jobs.” Unable to secure Canadian financing, they pitched the series at the Banff World Media Festival to international broadcasters during a market simulation session. From there, the company produced five seasons of the factual series, which continues to sell internationally. More impressively, it was the beginning of Cineflix growing from a company with three factual shows into one of Canada’s largest independent producers, with creative, production and distribution arms in Montreal, Toronto, New York, London and Dublin.
Over the years, Cineflix has brought marquee talent and shows like “Property Brothers,” “American Pickers” and “Mayday: Air Disaster” to global audiences. Today, the group includes Cineflix Productions, Cineflix Rights, and Cineflix Studios, as well as joint venture companies Buccaneer, Connect3 Media, Husk Media and Shiny Screens Entertainment.
It boasts more than 5,500 catalog hours, employs 141 corporate employees (and an average of 150 on production in any given week), and has launched four FAST channels. “We’re preparing for more growth, we’re making some key hires and diversifying, and we see a lot of opportunities coming,” Salzman tells Variety. “We see our strength as we’ve diversified the company over the last 25 years, starting with a small team in Montreal and building that up gradually.” Ahead of the company’s 25th anniversary party at this year’s Banff World Media Festival, Variety sat down with the CEO to discuss the company’s impressive growth, finding key talent and partners, and the challenges ahead in the ever-changing film and television landscape.