Nu Image, Inc. Co-Chairman and principal Avi Lerner is one of the most experienced, prolific and successful independent filmmakers of our time. A well respected feature film producer and distributor, Lerner's reputation, business acumen and impact on the motion picture industry is known worldwide.
Recently labeled The Most Unlikely Movie Mogul by The Hollywood Reporter, Lerner's career has taken to him to all corners of the earth, and producing over 300 films in 20 years. Born and raised in Israel, Lerner began his film career as manger of Israel's first drive-in cinema. He now covers the globe traveling to Nu Image/Millennium Films' multiple productions. Life has changed dramatically since his drive-in theater beginnings. Yet Lerner stays true to his Israeli roots. He goal is producing quality films of well crafted material with exceptional talent and made responsibly.
Lerner anticipated the explosion of home video rental in l979 and founded the largest specialized video distribution company in Israel, and becoming a partner in the largest theatrical distribution company in the country.
In 1984, he executive produced the remake of "King Solomon's Mines" and the sequel "Alan Quartermain and the Lost City of Gold" on location in Zimbabwe. He then sold his Israeli company and relocated to Johannesburg, South Africa, where he founded the Nu Metro Entertainment Group. He went on to own and operate theaters, a video distribution division representing top studios and independent companies, and a production arm that made over 60 features in Zimbabwe and South Africa which were distributed worldwide by major studios.
Lerner's next professional moves were to sell Nu Metro and to join MGM United Artists while still producing movies. A year later he moved to Los Angeles where he founded Nu Image with Danny Dimbort, Trevor Short and Danny Lerner. A string of successful films followed with Nu Image developing the enviable reputation as a producer and distributor of high quality, low to mid budget action pictures for the international and domestic markets.
In 1996 Nu Image formed Millennium Films to address the market's growing need for quality theatrical films and higher budget action features, while Nu Image continued to cater to the lucrative international home-video market. Between the two divisions, over 230 films have been produced since 1992.
