Indie production and distribution company Lions Gate Films is opening a London, Eng. office to bolster its European presence as well as to explore film financing opportunities and investment potential in the u.k. and Europe.

The new office will be run by former Mayfair Entertainment International acquisition and production exec Bobby Allen, with Mayfair chief executive Daniel Weinzweig serving as a consultant to the London operations.

Mayfair is a majority Canadian-owned, u.k.-based film sales company with both feature and television divisions.

The immediate plan for Lions Gate in London is to aggressively build a library of films for global audiences through in-house development and acquisitions, and serve as a base for all of Lions Gate Films’ acquisitions, productions and distribution in Europe.

Lions Gate International also reportedly has plans to expand its scope to include direct sales to the international television broadcast community.

Allen will report to Lions Gate Films president Jeff Sackman, who is based in Toronto.

‘Realizing the u.k. is a major center for independent film financing and production, the time was perfect to build a home for ourselves in London,’ says Sackman.

The Lions Gate Films’ London office, which will join other Lions Gate Entertainment offices in l.a., New York, Montreal and Toronto, will open by the end of the month.