Confluential Films, the award-winning, Black-owned and Black-founded film, television and documentary production company and financier based in L.A., has appointed Shaun Williams as chief financial officer and Gerren Crochet as executive vice president.
As CFO, Williams will lead Confluential’s financial strategy and planning to support Confluential’s long-term strategic goals. Crochet is joining as EVP and will help oversee the company’s film slate, manage the company’s go to market strategy, packaging and business development. The announcement was made by Confluential CEO, founder and multi-hyphenate filmmaker Tommy Oliver, whom they will both report to.
“As Confluential continues to grow and evolve, we are thrilled to have Gerren and Shaun join the team. Shaun’s distinguished career in entertainment finance will help guide the company’s financial approach as we move into financing larger projects and studio co-fi’s. Gerren’s taste, work ethic and deep connections in the film and television industry along with his passion for championing underrepresented voices will help us to get more of the right projects over the line,” said Oliver. “Their leadership and efforts will be instrumental to the continued growth of our company as we lock arms to bring exciting projects to the world at the confluence of art, entertainment, good business and cultural specificity.”
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Prior to Confluential Films, Williams served as CFO at WonderHill Studios, Solstice Studios and Studio 8, where he was responsible for overseeing all strategic planning and business developments while implementing day-to-day finance systems to support the company’s growth. With over two decades of entertainment and media experience, Williams has previously worked in senior leadership roles, encompassing strategic planning, finance, production, distribution and operations at GK Films/FilmDistrict, BET Networks, 20th Century Fox and Sony Pictures.
Specializing in film finance, packaging, sales and distribution, Crochet was formerly an agent at WME, where he guided films through successful distribution, worked closely with financiers, actors, directors, writers and producers, and advocated for emerging artists. He also co-chaired the Endeavor Black Collective at WME, passionately advocating for diversity and inclusion within the industry. Before WME, Crochet worked at Endeavor Content, working closely with financier and producer clients on their slates, putting together film packages and setting them up for distribution. Starting his career in Hollywood after earning an MFA from UCLA, Crochet has also worked at American Entertainment Investors and The Gersh Agency in film finance and packaging.
Quickly rising as an independent production powerhouse, Confluential Films has continued to create diverse, groundbreaking content and push the boundaries in storytelling. This past year, the company released Apple TV+’s “Fancy Dance,” starring Academy Award nominee Lily Gladstone and directed by Erica Tremblay. The film was just nominated for a GLAAD Media Award, while Confluential’s critically acclaimed documentary “Going to Mars: The Nikki Giovanni Project,” distributed by HBO, won an Emmy and the Documentary Grand Jury Prize at Sundance. Confluential is in post on “Hamlet,” starring Riz Ahmed, Morfydd Clark and Joe Alwyn, and also recently launched a horror genre label, New Fear Unlocked Productions, with “Goons,” starring Michael Rainey Jr. and Chloe Bailey, as its first production under the label.