Corporate Background

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Now celebrating their 25th Anniversary, MTI Home Video is a full service independent motion picture studio that produces and distributes feature films for the domestic marketplace.  Based in Miami, Florida, the indie releases more than thirty films each year in conjunction with their Studio Partners: Artist View Entertainment, Bedford Entertainment, Redrum Entertainment, and Saiko Films. MTI continuously acquires films for distribution and maintains a substantial and expanding library.

The company was founded in 1984 during the aerobic fitness craze.  Brahms developed, co-created and produced the fitness concept Freedanse, starring Marine Jahan (Flashdance).  The video went on to top the billboard charts, becoming the marketing story of the mid-eighties and one of the most successful fitness videos of the year.  MTI Home Video became the operating division of Brahm's And More Entertainment Corp.  In '87 Brahms returned to his roots and his And More Entertainment entered the realm of record production, manufacturing and distribution with the new Miami sound explosion, releasing various hits on AME records. Through AME's consulting divisions TDI, Brahms was instrumental in taking Atlantic Records artist Debbie Gibson to the top five on Billboard's pop charts.  In the 90's Brahms and his wife and partner Claudia, made the transition from music back into the quickly changing video industry, expanding into direct acquisition of independent theatrical and direct to video product.  By establishing unique distribution relationships with other independent labels, Brahms positioned MTI and their Studio Partners as one of the fastest growing and uniquely diverse home entertainment companies in the industry.

Recent major releases include Illegal Aliens with Anna Nicole Smith, A&E Network’s Emmy Award-Winning Flight 93, kids film Always Will, best-selling children’s book turned live-action feature Fungus the Bogeyman, Kei Ohishi’s The Last Supper, Henry Jaglom’s Going Shopping, The Lives of the Saints starring Sophia Loren,  Family Plan with Tori Spelling, Archangel starring Daniel Craig, James Van Praagh’s Talking to Heaven starring Queen Latifah and Ted Danson, Pirates, Ozzie with Rachel Hunter, Joan Collins, and Spencer Breslin, Kibakichi 1 & 2, and Apartment 12 with Mark Ruffalo.

Among its many accolades, MTI has been recognized for its achievements by Inc. Magazine, listed as #148 on the "Inc. 500" list of the fastest growing privately held companies in America (up from #301 the previous year). Partner  Claudia Brahms, was also recognized by the trade magazine, Video Business, as one of the industry's “Women 2 Watch,” and the company was profiled as a “Power Player” by the trade magazine DVD Exclusive (sister publication to Daily Variety).  They have also been profiled in Entrepreneur Magazine, Indie Slate Magazine, The Hollywood Reporter, Daily Variety, South Florida Business Journal, and the Miami Herald.

For more information, please visit www.mtivideo.com.

Executive Biographies

Claudia Brahms
Partner
A devoted mother, wife and business partner, Claudia Brahms exemplifies a woman who "has it all."  Born in the cosmopolitan South American city of Bogotá, Columbia, Mrs. Brahms was raised and schooled in Miami, Florida from age 7.  She returned to her native country after high school in an effort to master her first language and study her passion, Child Psychology, at the University La Sabana in Bogotá, Colombia. Today she is fluent in both English and Spanish, with a working knowledge of Italian, a language she learned while living in Rome, Italy (post University) during her mother's tenure as a diplomat for the Colombian Government.  Upon returning to Miami in 1991, she began working for the international production company Jorge Hane Productions, where she met her future husband and business partner Larry Brahms.  They began to work together and expand MTI's business, marring in 1992.  Today, Mrs. Brahms supervises all of MTI's divisions and oversees all financial aspects of the business.  Together, with their dedicated employees, they have built one of the fastest growing film distribution company's in the home entertainment industry.  With all of their business success, the Brahms' proudest achievement to date is their son, Owen Foster.

Larry Brahms
Partner
A 31 year entertainment industry veteran, Larry Brahms began his career in the music industry having held various management positions for leading record and entertainment management firms including: TK Records (credited as one of the innovators of the disco movement, produced such acts as KC & The Sunshine Band, George McCrae and Foxy) and TDI Management (a worldwide management representation firm for such headliners as The Village People, The Richie Family, Celi Bee, and Dorothy Moore among others). In 1984 Brahms decide to capitalize on the aerobic fitness craze and with the aid of two partners, he developed the fitness concept "Freedance" (the marketing story of the mid-eighties and one of the most successful fitness videos of the year on the Billboard charts). At the same time,  MTI was born and became the operating division of Brahm's new company And More Entertainment Corp. In '87 And More Entertainment entered the realm of record production, manufacturing and distribution with the new Miami sound explosion releasing various hits on AME Records. Through AME's consulting divisions TDI, Brahms was instrumental in taking Atlantic Records artist Debbie Gibson to the position of top five on Billboard's pop charts. In the 90's Brahms and his wife and partner Claudia, made the transition from music into the ever-changing video industry, expanding into direct acquisition of independent theatrical and direct to video product. By establishing unique distribution relationships with other independent labels under the MTI Home Video banner, the company became one of the fastest growing and uniquely diverse home entertainment companies in the industry.

Jay Grossman
Vice President, Sales and Acquisitions
Grossman manages MTI’s relationships with Studio Partners Artist View Entertainment, Bedford Entertainment, Delta Entertainment, Redrum Entertainment and Fangoria Presents. Grossman travels to industry trade shows and markets to acquire product, as well as oversee MTI Studio Partner acquisitions. He also oversees all home video sales, and marketing efforts for the leading independent.  Joining MTI in 1996, Grossman has more than 12 years' experience in the home entertainment retail and distribution business. He started his career with Philadelphia-based TLA Video and graduated from Temple University in 1993 with a BA.

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