New York-based RedBird IMI is expanding into Canada with the acquisition of award-winning unscripted prodco Efran Films, which is now rebranding as Bright North Studios.

Co-founded by Emmy- and Peabody Award-winning producers Shawn Efran (pictured left) and Morgan Hertzan (right), the Toronto- and New York-based Bright North Studios specializes in high-quality non-fiction content grounded in extensive access and premium production values.

The company has produced content for a number of top platforms, including such titles as FBI True for CBS, Never Seen Again and PD True for Paramount+, 100 Days to Indy for the CW, While the Rest of Us Die for Vice and Who the (Bleep) Did I Marry? for Investigation Discovery.

As part of the acquisition deal, RedBird IMI’s head Jeff Zucker will take a seat on the board of Bright North Studios. Prodco co-founder Efran will continue to serve as CEO of Bright North Studios, while fellow co-founder Hertzan will rejoin the company to assume the role of CEO of Bright North Studios USA. Hertzan most recently headed global television operations for Vice TV, before departing the beleaguered former media empire in April of this year.

The Bright North deal marks RedBird IMI’s sixth major investment since it was launched just over a year ago by NYC private equity firm RedBird Capital Partners and Abu Dhabi-based International Media Investments.  The company’s splashiest move to date came in February of this year, when it acquired global producer/distributor All3Media International in a deal worth US$1.45 billion.

This story originally appeared in Realscreen

Image courtesy of Redbird IMI