Leon Forde
Chief Executive Officer
Leon is SPI’s CEO, leading and delivering high-level strategic advice, insight and business planning for SPI’s global client base.
Current and recent projects include an economic impact study of potential improvements to the Illinois Film and Television Production Services Tax Credit, an economic impact study of Spain’s incentive for international productions, for the Spain Film Commission in collaboration with PROFILM, an assessment of the Arkansas Digital Motion Picture Incentive, and a full update and expansion of Best Practice in Screen Sector Production for the Association of Film Commissioners International.
Leon is also involved in the Arts and Humanities Research Council-funded CoSTAR network in the UK, and has delivered the Creative Industries Tax Evaluation for HMRC (with Ipsos and London Economics), Screen Business for the BFI, The Cultural Dividend Generated by Ireland’s Section 481 Film and Television Incentive, a ground-breaking study for Fís Éireann/Screen Ireland, and a White Paper on Global Film Production Incentives for the MPA. He has also led on projects in Brazil, Mexico, New Zealand, Iceland, and the US states of Georgia, New Mexico, Connecticut, Utah, and others.
With extensive knowledge of screen sector strategy, Leon has overseen the creation and development of successful sectoral policy and funding mechanisms in a wide range of markets.
Leon has interacted with legislators and other key stakeholders globally regarding the screen sector and has been a speaker at multiple international events, including the Marché du Film – Festival De Cannes, the Berlin Film Festival, the Busan International Film Festival, the San Sebastián International Film Festival, FOCUS, Screen International’s Finance Forum, AFCI’s Cineposium and AFCI Week, the Guadalajara International Film Festival, Durban FilmMart, and the Reykjavik International Film Festival. Leon is also a judging chair for Screen International’s Global Production Awards.
Prior to joining SPI in 2013, Leon was a film business journalist and editor for 15 years. He is a member of the British Academy of Film and Television Arts (BAFTA).