Film Financing: East West Bank Gets the Right Ingredients Together
East West Bank has always been relationship-driven, facilitating over US$10 billion in loans for quality content. Once the recipe looks right, they are ready to chat.
A peek at some projects* financially backed by East West Bank
As a film industry expert, Bennett Pozil—Executive Vice President and Head of Corporate Banking at East West Bank—has seen it all. Today, Pozil oversees a significant amount of cross‐border entertainment financing between the United States and China, securing deals that bridge cultures and empower a wide range of artistic voices. His entertainment team at East West has facilitated over $10 billion in loans to finance the creation and dissemination of content in the U.S., China, and other Asian countries.
For Bennett and East West, film financing isn’t just about following a global standard; it means collaborating to find an advantage, no matter the size of the deal or the parties negotiating.
According to Bennett, the European Union offers a point system that qualifies film financiers with awards, credits, and subsidies to help get movies made. This model is a viable case study for the ASEAN region, with Asian nations exploring similar collaborations that get quality films across the finish line.
Therein lies a golden opportunity for the eight-member Asian Film Alliance Network (AFAN), comprising film councils and agencies of Singapore, Korea, Thailand, Indonesia, Malaysia, Mongolia, Taiwan, and the Philippines. As AFAN implements various policies affecting Southeast Asia, regional collaboration has emerged as a top priority.
(Read more: Working on Making the Impossible, Possible)
“There’s so much high-quality content emanating out of Thailand and Vietnam, in addition to what we already see from Korea and Japan. Also, there is a flow of Chinese content that shoots offshore throughout Asia each year,” Bennett noted. His words are a reminder that one market alone cannot sustain returns attractive enough to make the investment worthwhile for serious financiers. By tapping into artistic voices from multiple markets, like East West builds bridges across borders, financiers are destined to see higher returns while creating more content that appeals to the masses.
How to Reach the Masses: Stick to What’s Important
iNSiGHTS asked Bennett: How do producers approach East West Bank. Directly? Or is there a procedure to form more indirect partnerships?
“We’re very relationship-driven,” Bennett told iNSiGHTS. “It’s not about the size of the deals.”
He continued, “Producers approaching us—and it depends which country you’re in—but it’s all about controlling the IP and being able to exploit that IP for an amount that will safely re-pay the loan. That’s it. That’s the model.”
Bennett Pozil
Executive Vice President
Head of Corporate Banking
East West Bank
For Bennett, a producer only needs two things:
A sales agent (the individual selling the rights, often to a streaming company)
A bond company (more important for a film than a TV series)
“Veteran producers who have been round the block, it’s very shorthand,” noted Bennett. “For folks who are just starting out, the advice is simple: Talk to as many experienced people as you can, producers, sales agents, lawyers, and so forth, so you can be in a position to get all the right ingredients together.”
Under Bennett’s leadership, East West’s entertainment team is a valuable partner to help film financing deals move forward. Headquartered in the heart of Southern California’s entertainment industry, the bank understands that cross-cultural entertainment and media initiatives are driving new potential for film and television co-production, turning visions into realities.
Two Goals: Help Economies and Promote Cultures
After over $10 billion in loans for high-quality film content, East West has established a unique and noteworthy presence in the U.S., China, and beyond. And Bennett is a major reason why, with decades of experience giving him perspective outside of the clutter.
“In the end, it’s about two ultimate things—helping the local economy, and using the content to promote culture.Isn’t this what America did many decades ago?”
Bennett wants more for content creators everywhere, “The U.S. did an amazing job of building its brand over the last 100 years through film and TV, and we can see this now with Korea and China. Korea is even taking this a step further by using food to extend their brand culture. You just have to look for alignment.”
With Bennett leading the way, East West’s entertainment team is doing exactly that: Making deals that boost economies and bridge global cultures—no matter the price point.
* Projects highlighted:
The Crossing, directed by John Wu (Galloping Horse)
The Monk Who Came Down the Mountain, directed by Cheng Kaige (New Classic Media)
Shadow, directed by Zhang Yimou (Perfect World & Village Roadshow)
The Lychee Road (Liu Bai & Tencent)
The First Half of My Life (New Classic Media & Dragon TV
The Empress of China aka Wu Zetian (Talent Film & Hunan TV). Starring Fan BingBing
Whistleblower (EDKO Films)
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Catch Bennett Pozil at the Leaders Dialogue on Dec 2, 2025—exclusively at ATF.