Tim Sparke

Tim Sparke is Managing Director of MercuryMedia, a traditional factual distribution company, and Joiningthedots.tv a broadband VOD documentary portal, in association with The Independent Newspaper and supported by the EU Media Fund.

A graduate of Sussex University and London Business School, Tim has worked at Walt Disney/ABC (twice), enjoyed stints at BBC Worldwide, ITEL and Thames TV before a 10 year engagement with WTN (Worldwide Television News) where he was instrumental in the development of its Programmes and Entertainment division. A year after WTN was taken over by AP,  Tim set up MercuryMedia initially to represent AP programmes and to develop outside production and distribution opportunities.  8 years later Mercury is now a leading documentary distributor representing high profile titles. Mercury's current successes include the 2009 Oscar shortlisted doc 'IOUSA' and the IDFA festival hit  'Sea Point Days'. The company released 6 documentaries theatrically in the UK in 2008, launched joiningthedots.tv  worldwide with 80 titles including Oscar and Emmy award winners, and  has recently launched its own DVD label.

Underpinning Tim and Mercury's 'can-do' philosophy is a belief in the power of documentary and factual programming to lead debate and shape the cultural fabric of the world we live in, and a desire that by giving people the opportunity to participate in the world through the provision of knowledge, we can create a better world and lead more fulfilling lives.

Tim is coming to the See View festival to connect with producers and broadcasters who share this vision and are looking for distribution opportunities in both the traditional and digital worlds.