Overview

Since 2010, Charles Barsamian has successfully negotiated and overseen the management, administration, and deployment of over $250+ million in capital towards the film financing and music rights acquisition across 500+ motion pictures and television series, including: 3-time Academy Award Winner Whiplash, Academy Award Winner The King’s Speech, and Academy Award Nominee Sicario. 

Following his love of storytelling, Mr. Barsamian delved into feature film production, serving as Associate Producer on a number of pictures between 2012 and 2017 before producing his debut feature film, Cage Dive, and achieving worldwide distribution including a North American theatrical release via Lionsgate (as Open Water 3: Cage Dive).He has since completed production on the Martin Scorsese executive-produced A Ciambra, which debuted at Cannes in the Directors’ Fortnight where it won the Europa Cinema Labels Award, and which was selected by Italy as their contender for the best-foreign film Academy Award; Taran Killam’s Arnold Schwarzenegger-starring directorial debut, Killing Gunther; Deadtectives, starring Chris Geere and Martha Higareda and released in 2019 as a Shudder Original; and the $30MM action picture, Outside the Wire (Netflix) released by Netflix in 2021. 

Drawing on his experience as an agent, executive, and attorney, Chaz quickly established himself as a prolific producer of and production counsel for top tier independent film, working with some of the most influential talent of the 20th century in support of their creative visions, including serving as production counsel for the 2025 winner of the Academy Award for Best Picture, Anora (dir. Sean Baker). Forthcoming productions include In the Hand of Dante (dir. Julian Schnabel), Lurker(dir. Alex Russell), Howdy, Neighbor! (dir. Allisyn Snyder), Rumination (dir. Dylan Snyder), Easy’s Waltz (dir. Nic Pizzolatto) and Roofman(dir. Derek Cianfrance).

Additionally, Mr. Barsamian has overseen strategic music planning and buying transactions including the audio rebranding of such companies as Avon Products, Inc., Coca Cola, JPMorgan Chase Bank, the Colgate / Palmolive group, Oxygen Network, Al Jazeera, and DraftKings.Chaz maintains an entertainment transactional law practice based in New York and produces music, film, and television via his Los Angeles based media company, Exit Strategy.

Expertise

• Complex Deal Structuring & Negotiation
• Corporate Entertainment Advisory
• Financial Structuring for Audio-Visual Productions
• Film Financing & Transactional Deal-Making
• Legal Oversight of Principal Photography and Post-Production
• Music Rights Administration Including:
  Acquisition, Management, and Sale Transactions
• Rights & Chain of Title Oversight for Audio Visual Productions
• Sales Agency and Distribution
• Talent (Director, Writer, Production, Department Head, on screen) Representation