Bahman Naraghi

Bahman Naraghi is an independent producer/financier with over 25 years of senior executive positions at both major studios and independent production companies. Acting as an independent producer/financier, he has over the past 3 years successfully raised funding for numerous media ventures including 2 major motion pictures: Oliver Stone-directed Snowden and most recently the Playmobil animated film that first released theatrically in August 2019. Ever since leaving his executive position at the studios in 2002, he has spearheaded the funding of dozens of films that have generated over $3 billion at the box office worldwide.

He was until June of 2012 COO of GK Films, a highly respected production company founded by the Academy Award winning producer Graham King, and whose credits include the acclaimed box office and critical successes Argo, Tim Burton’s Dark Shadows and Martin Scorsese’s Hugo, as well as Rango, The Town and the Johnny Depp and Angelina Jolie pairing in The Tourist. In his capacity at GK Films, Naraghi was also the co-founder of Film District launched in 2010, the most successful independent distribution company start- up with such commercial successes as Insidious, Soul Surfer and Drive in its first year.

Prior to joining GK Films, Naraghi founded in 2006 and ran Red Envelope Entertainment as a wholly-owned subsidiary of Netflix, spearheading Netflix’s foray into ownership and distribution of original content.

Previously, Mr. Naraghi worked alongside Moritz Borman as COO of Intermedia Films from 2002 to 2006.

Mr. Naraghi started his career in entertainment in 1990, when he was appointed by the French bank Credit Lyonnais to be their permanent representative at Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Inc., where on behalf of the bank he supervised the rebuilding of the studio, including the hiring of a new management team, the sale of some of the company’s non-core assets and the rebuilding of the studio’s production and distribution capabilities until it was ready again for sale in late 1995. He then joined Universal Studios, where he became CFO of Universal Pictures in 1997, and was put in charge of the integration of Polygram Films into Universal’s operations in 1999, which included the build-up of wholly owned international film and video distribution operations for the first time in Universal’s history. During his tenure at the studio, Naraghi also spearheaded along with key business units strategic initiatives to exploit and reinvigorate the Universal film library that resulted in such new content business as The Mummy franchise. In 2000, Mr. Naraghi joined Miramax Films as EVP Finance & Operations, where after building the first 5-year business plan for the company, he also acted as chief liaison with the company’s parent, The Walt Disney Company, and put key emphasis on better leveraging the Miramax film library across the various Disney distribution channels.