Nigel Sinclair

Nigel Sinclair began his path in England, where his time at Monkton Combe sparked a deep interest in history and the arts, encouraged by teachers like Richard Blake. After studying law and economics at Cambridge and graduating in 1969, he spent time at the Institute of Criminology before joining Denton, Hall & Burgin. In 1979, during a period of soaring oil prices, he opened offices for the firm in Dubai and Sharjah, gaining experience in handling complex legal and business challenges. This exposure shaped his approach to problem-solving and laid the groundwork for his future in film. He later pursued an LLM at Columbia University in New York, passed the California Bar exam, and established a Los Angeles branch for the firm. This move would guide both his professional and personal life. By the early 1980s, he was well known in Los Angeles, gradually moving into entertainment law. He built a strong client list of actors and directors, and in 1989, he co-founded Sinclair Tenenbaum & Co.. This firm transformed the way independent feature films were financed and distributed internationally. Projects such as Hamlet, Braveheart, 1492, and Green Card showed how large-scale films could succeed beyond the traditional studio system. In 1996, he transitioned from law to producing, co-founding Intermedia Films and producing works like Sliding Doors, Hilary and Jackie, The Wedding Planner, The Quiet American, Terminator 3: Rise of the Machines, and Iris. After taking the company public in 2000, he co-founded Spitfire Pictures in 2003, which created music documentaries including Masked and Anonymous, Amazing Journey: The Story of The Who, and No Direction Home: Bob Dylan. He later founded Exclusive Media, producing films like Rush, End of Watch, Snitch, and Parkland. In 2014, he co-founded White Horse Pictures, producing acclaimed documentaries such as The Beatles: Eight Days a Week – The Touring Years and Pavarotti.