A direct, personal relationship
You work directly with the person leading your project at Kursaal. That means open conversations, clear answers and decisions without unnecessary layers.
Film funding & partnerships agency
Funding partnerships for independent production companies.
We shortlist private funding partners with a clear reason to back your film and tailor a proposal to each one. We contact them, follow up and negotiate terms on your behalf, so your team can focus on the most promising opportunities. You decide which agreements to accept.
Where can you find the right funding partner for your film, and why might they back it?
Even with good contacts, it takes time to work out who to approach about your film. At Kursaal, we draw on our professional network and database to identify potential private funding partners across Europe, the United States and Latin America.
We research each prospective partner’s current priorities and, where relevant, the initiatives they’ve backed. This helps us assess why they might choose your film over other proposals, what kind of contribution to discuss and who to approach first. Our aim is to shorten the search for funding partners so your film can reach the screen sooner.
I’m José Luis Gómez, founder of Kursaal Partners, documentary producer and entrepreneur. I bring experience in business strategy and corporate negotiation, informed by the practical demands of developing and seeking funding for my own documentary.
Independent cinemaNature & explorationScience & innovationCulture & societySport & adventure
Why Kursaal Partners?
Partner research, tailored proposals and negotiation support, organised around your production needs.
Your film, our commitment
We take the time to understand what you are making, why it matters and what you need. We shape our work around your project and give it the care and attention we would give our own.
An entrepreneurial perspective
Our experience in business strategy and corporate negotiation helps us understand what potential partners value, build a credible proposal and work towards terms that serve your project.
Research with a clear purpose
We combine our film industry contacts with a database of brands, foundations, philanthropists and private investors across Europe, the United States and Latin America. We look closely at their interests, previous activity and priorities to identify who may be relevant to your film—and why.
More room for your creative work
Partner research, tailored proposals, outreach and follow-up take time and persistence. We manage the work agreed with you, keep you informed and help you give more of your attention to the film.
For selected films, we can also invest our own capital.
Alongside our work finding funding partners, Kursaal can consider a direct investment in selected independent films and documentaries.
When we invest our own capital, that commitment is ours to make. It does not depend on securing an outside investor to fund Kursaal’s contribution.
Each investment is assessed individually and agreed separately. Working with Kursaal does not automatically include an investment, and our contribution may form part of a wider funding plan.
Submit a projectWho we work with
Independent production companies with a distinctive creative focus.
We consider both established and emerging companies with completed work. Our assessment starts with the quality of those productions, the company’s creative specialisation and the proposed project. We then review its stage, funding needs and potential relevance to private partners.
You retain control over creative decisions and final commitments.
- Positioning and funding partnership materials
- Research and tailored partner outreach
- Negotiation support and progress reporting
For brands & organisations
Become part of a story that connects with your world.
We look for connections between your brand’s goals and film projects with relevant audiences. Each partnership respects the film’s identity.
- Projects aligned with your themes and values
- Clear visibility and activation opportunities
- Rights and commitments agreed in advance
Services & Deliverables
What we do. What you receive.
A defined funding partnership assignment for selected independent films and documentaries, from project evaluation to partner conversations.
Funding partners
The right route depends on the project. Funding partners can include private investors, foundations, patrons, philanthropists and brands. Their objectives and terms differ. Sponsorship may involve agreed recognition, visibility or activation rights. Each agreement defines contributions, responsibilities, rights and any financial participation.
Project assessment
A review of the story, team, rights, audience and funding needs to decide whether a funding partnership mandate is a realistic fit.
Funding partnership strategy
A written proposition defining the film’s funding needs, suitable partner profiles and the rationale for approaching them.
Partner research
A prioritised shortlist of prospective funding partners, with the rationale for each match and relevant contact roles where identified.
Tailored proposals
Proposals built from your approved project materials and adapted to each prospective partner, with contributions, terms and rights clearly distinguished.
Outreach & follow-up
Targeted approaches to agreed prospects, follow-up and a record of responses, open conversations and next actions.
Reporting & negotiation support
Progress updates and support in clarifying prospective partners’ interests, contributions and proposed terms. Final commitments remain subject to your approval.
Agreed before we begin
Evaluation comes first. For accepted projects, the proposal and contract define the deliverables, outreach scope, reporting schedule and responsibilities before representation starts. The engagement period is agreed in the contract; partnership and sponsorship decisions may take longer, and funding is not guaranteed.
Submit a project ↗Our process
Four steps to working together.
Careful selection. Tailored proposals. Consistent follow-through.
Evaluation
Submit your project for an initial review.
Strategy & proposal
Agree the scope and sign before work begins.
Partner outreach
Receive updates as partner conversations develop.
Negotiation & follow-through
Review and approve any proposed commitments.
Fees agreed in advance
Preparation when needed. Fees tied to results.
We agree the scope, fees and terms in writing before work begins.
Submit a projectFixed fee
Only when preparatory work is needed
A fixed fee applies only when agreed preparatory work is needed, such as preparing or adapting a pitch deck for partners and sponsors, developing materials or preparing specific proposals. Scope, deliverables, price and payment terms are approved in writing before that work begins. This fee pays for the agreed preparation and does not guarantee funding.Success fee
Percentage agreed for each engagement
We agree a percentage on monetary contributions from partners and sponsors attributable to our work and actually received by the project. The percentage, attribution, exclusions and payment terms are defined in writing before the engagement begins. It is not calculated on the film’s total budget. In-kind contributions and other collaborations require separately agreed terms.Engagement does not guarantee funding. The contract also defines duration, reporting, termination, treatment of completed work and applicable taxes. Any offset between the fixed fee and success fee must be expressly agreed.
Client interests
Clear representation. Defined boundaries.
Conflicts reviewed before acceptance
Before accepting an assignment, we check for potential conflicts with other films we work on, including overlapping prospective partners, sectors, territories and existing commitments. We agree any necessary boundaries and disclose relevant conflicts before work begins.
Clear boundaries for each mandate
A shared subject does not automatically make projects incompatible. Where interests compete, we agree boundaries in writing before approaching the affected prospective partners. If a conflict cannot be managed, we decline the incompatible work. New conflicts during an engagement trigger a review and a pause in the affected outreach. Client materials are not reused for other projects without permission.
Who we represent
In a film funding partnership mandate, we act for the filmmaker or production company identified in the contract. Any separate brand-side assignment requires its own written scope. We disclose any proposed remuneration from another party in the same transaction and require the affected parties’ written agreement before proceeding; incompatible representation is declined.
Who We Are
A producer’s perspective on finding partners.
José Luis GómezProject lead · Producer & writer
Kursaal Partners is led by José Luis Gómez, a Spaniard born in Manresa (Barcelona), whose career spans business management and international work, supported by studies in law and business administration (MBA).
Kursaal Partners is a young firm, built on his experience as an entrepreneur and the first-hand challenges of developing and seeking funding for his own documentary.
The experience behind the idea
A passion for exploration, adventure sports and skiing informs his documentary work, including HELIOS, a documentary feature in development.
Kursaal grew out of his first-hand experience seeking funding and partners for HELIOS: identifying suitable brands, reaching decision-makers and developing proposals that connect a film’s vision with a partner’s interests. That experience shapes Kursaal’s approach to supporting independent filmmakers and producers.
HELIOS
- Status
- In development
- Production budget
- USD 7M
Formats: IMAX and streaming.
Explore HELIOS · Project website ↗
Professional profile · The Talent Manager ↗
A focused, personal approach
Our experience comes from documentary development. We apply that perspective to selected independent films and documentaries, with a particular interest in connections across Europe, the United States, Canada and the United Kingdom. Each assignment starts with the film: its story, audience, production needs and creative boundaries.
Submit a project ↗No. We commit to the agreed work, not a funding outcome. Each prospective partner makes its own decision and funding can take longer than the initial engagement.
We consider independent films and documentaries from small and mid-sized production companies, including emerging companies with completed work. We assess the quality of previous productions, the company’s distinctive creative focus and the proposed project’s story, team, rights, audience, stage and funding needs. Acceptance depends on its realistic potential to attract suitable private funding partners. A long track record or awards are not prerequisites, and the budget alone does not determine acceptance.
A fixed fee applies only when agreed preparatory work is needed, such as preparing or adapting a pitch deck for partners and sponsors, developing materials or preparing specific proposals. Scope, deliverables, price and payment terms are approved in writing before that work begins. This fee pays for the agreed preparation and does not guarantee funding.
We agree a percentage on monetary contributions from partners and sponsors attributable to our work and actually received by the project. The percentage, attribution, exclusions and payment terms are defined in writing before the engagement begins. It is not calculated on the film’s total budget. In-kind contributions and other collaborations require separately agreed terms.
After a favourable evaluation. You receive a tailored proposal and contract for review and signature before representation begins.
Your creative vision is the starting point for our work. We look for partners who understand and respect it, and for collaborations that can support the film or help it reach its audience.
Before you commit, expectations around recognition, use of film materials and any proposed creative or editorial involvement should be made explicit and agreed with you. A funding partnership does not automatically give a partner editorial control.
Our role is to help you assess the opportunity and negotiate clear boundaries. You decide which agreements to accept.